11/14/2012 ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS Minutes

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MASHPEE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS NOVEMBER 14, 2012 MINUTES . Lisa J. McAdams, Petitioner: Requests a Special Permit under Section 174-25.E(7) of the Zoning By-laws to allow for kennel -free alternative doggy daycare, socialization and overnight boarding on property located in an 1-1 zoning district at 46 Nicoletta's Way (Map 27 Parcel 160) Mashpee, MA. Owner of record: Terence Luff, Trustee. Sitting: Board Members Jonathan D. Furbush, William A. Blaisdell, James Reiffarth, and Judith M. Horton. Ms. McAdams, owner of Talk to the Paws! Doggy Daycare, and Property Manager Charles Harootunian represented the Petition. Ms. McAdams is a Mashpee resident and hopes to relocate her doggy daycare business from Hyannis to Mashpee. She has signed a lease to operate her business at 46 Nicoletta's Way in Units 7 and 8. Each unit consists of 1,000 square feet of space and will be connected with installation of a doorway. There is an additional 1,000 square feet of outdoor space in the rear of the building bordering Heritage Park. This outdoor space will be fenced in. Ms. McAdams said that her current kennel license limits her to 50 dogs. There are no cages and the dogs are allowed to run free. The drop-off and pick-up areas are separated to eliminate the possibility of stampedes or escaping dogs. Mr. Furbush expressed concern about the waste and the potential for noise from 50 dogs disturbing the other tenants in the building. Ms. McAdams said that she never has more than 30 dogs on any given day. She said that her Hyannis neighbors, Sears and Cape Cod • Beer, have never complained about noise. She puts her clients and their dogs through a rigorous interviewing process and a trial day. A dog that is not socialized or exhibits any kind of aggressive behavior is rejected. Ms. McAdams said that small- to medium-size dogs that like to play Frisbee are accepted. Certain breeds such as pit -bulls or chows are not allowed. Waste is gathered into bags and disposed of in a special dumpster. The ground is sprayed with a special product which eliminates odor. Mr. Harootunian said that the unit consists of sheet rock wall on steel studs and was not constructed with sound board. He indicated that his experience as a General Contractor is that fiber -glass insulation is good for heating purposes, but does not function well as a sound barrier. Mrs. McAdams said that she has from four to six dogs boarding overnight. A staff member returns twice during the night to let the dogs out. There is camera surveillance of the dogs 24 hours a day, which Ms. McAdams monitors through her laptop and smart - phone. If there are more than nine dogs boarding overnight, staff members also stay overnight in four-hour shifts. If only one or two dogs are boarded, they will go home with Ms. McAdams for the night. Mr. Harootunian said that Ms. McAdams talked to the owner of Unit #6 who had expressed some concern with her proposal. He said that Unit #9 is storage only. He stated that Unit #10 is separated by 23 feet of storage and this operation also generates a • certain amount of noise. As the Property Manager, Mr. Harootunian said that he would receive any tenant complaints about noise or trash, which he would resolve immediately. 4