Newbern planning commission discusses proposed kennel

The Newbern Municipal-Regional Planning Commission met recently to decide on a number of issues, including the approval of a new kennel and the annexation of a property.

First on the agenda, the commission gave its approval for Wright Brothers Construction to build a triplex on Fryer Street. This was a final review of the proposal. State planner Chris Pate requested that the only things that Wright Brothers needed to complete were the confirmation of utilities and a handicap parking adjustment.

Pate also mentioned to the board that, starting Jan. 1 of this year, handicap parking is required by anybody that conducts business.

Next, the commission gave notice that a public meeting will be held on Thursday, April 8, at 6:30 p.m. in the Newbern city board meeting room to receive input concerning the proposed Newbern Municipal Regional Subdivision regulations.

The commission then discussed a request from Bubba Wheeler for a kennel that would be located on Highway 211 in Newbern. Pate said ideally you would want kennels in the forestry, agriculture and residential (FAR) district.

Part of the kennel is proposed to be within the Newbern city limits and the other part will be outside in the county.

Pate used the county's regulations on kennels as a model to develop regulations for Newbern. The regulations that were adopted by the county state a kennel is a business that incorporates grooming, boarding, training, breeding and selling of dogs, pets or household pets. The county has also placed a cap of no more than 50 animals that the kennel could house. And the kennel also has to be at least 1,000 feet from a neighboring structure.

Pate said the county requires all kennels to be enclosed in a building to keep the noise level down. One other regulation was the lot has to be six acres if a structure is on the property and fencing would be required around the kennel.

Mayor K.W. Dennison asked Wheeler what his intentions were with the kennel and it's exercise area.

Wheeler said all of the kennels he knew of had outside runs and requested the board to allow him to have those. Pate said the outside runs would need to be fenced in.

Commissioner Steve McDonald asked Pate that concrete floors be required in kennels.

Wheeler said the outdoor runs would be concreted except for a grassy play area. He said the kennel would also have a concrete floor and be a controlled-temperature building.

Pate said the only change he would make in the new regulation would be to include the boarding/breeding facility should be fully enclosed indoor areas.

This proposal will require two readings by the city board and the plan will be sent to the Board of Zoning and Appeals with a public hearing.

Further requests for kennels will be on a case-by-case basis.

Next on the agenda, the commission approved the adoption of the new Local Planning Assistance Office (LPAO) flood model for the municipal and regional zoning ordinance.

Pate said the only change was to the unnumbered A zones. These are areas the former model stated a flood would occur in, but didn't say how deep the water would be. There are only two houses, along Highway 211, that are within the flood zone in Newbern.

A called meeting of the Newbern Board of Mayor and Aldermen is scheduled for March 16 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the proposed changes to the text regarding flood hazard districts.

Next on the agenda, Perry Grills was asking the commission to grant his request to have a property annexed next to the rescue squad. He was also asking the property and the rescue squad property be rezoned to R-4.

The commission did not take any action on the issue, but gave Pate permission to draw up the ordinances for a review at their next meeting.

Finally, the commission gave approval to forward to the Board of Zoning and Appeals a request by the First Baptist Church to build a new sanctuary. The reason the request has to go before the BZA is due to the fact the area is zoned as B-2 and R-2 and the R-2 setbacks must be approved.