Dog daycare permit denied

A conditional-use permit for an animal boarding and training business was denied at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting in a 4-3 vote.

Barking Bed and Breakfast was planned for a 2-acre plot on Old Farmington Road, west of I-540 and Shiloh Drive. The business would have included dog boarding, daycare, grooming, pet portraits and a pet gift shop.

However, the new business would have been situated near hotels and a residential area. Neighbors spoke against granting the permit because of the potential noise and odor generated from the facility.

The nuisance caused by the barking dogs would “be detrimental to the hotels” in the area, said Marilyn Heifner, executive director of the Advertising and Promotion Commission.

“No screen will dissipate that rising noise,” she said.

In an attempt to mollify noise concerns, Melanie Chambers, the applicant, agreed to limit the animals in the outdoor play area between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. only. A wooden fence would surround the play area and evergreen trees and shrubs would be planted outside of the fence.

The permit also stipulates that if three verified complaints are filed against the business within one year, the conditional-use permit will go back to the Planning Commission for further review.

But council member Shirley Lucas said she was not convinced those concessions would be enough.

“You can’t enjoy your yard when two dogs get to barking,” Lucas said. “With 25 dogs out, it can really be something.”

Alderman Brenda Theil also voted against the appeal.

“I would really like to support this, because I think it’s something that’s needed, and I think in some ways it’s a very good location for it,” Theil said. “But, there are neighbors opposed to it, and I respect that.”

In late October, the Fayetteville Planning Commission denied the request for Barking Bed and Breakfast in a 6-3 vote and was then appealed to the City Council.

Aldermen Sarah Lewis, Kyle Cook and Matthew Petty voted in favor of the appeal.

Also at the meeting, the council unanimously adopted the 2010 annual budget, and the ordinance to annex a portion of Old Wire Road was tabled at the request of the applicant. The ordinance is on its third reading and was also postponed at the last council meeting. Aldermen Petty and Cook voted against tabling the item.

Mary Robbins is a guest contributor for the Fayetteville Flyer. Mary declared Fayetteville as her hometown upon moving here for college. She is a Journalism graduate who enjoys live music, the outdoors and attending city council meetings. For more of Mary’s contributions, visit her author page.