Pet Nannies previously operated at 577 Main St. for about five years before relocating to 561 Main St. (Photo/Laura Hayes)
HUDSON – The Zoning Board of Appeals granted Pet Nannies Doggie Daycare two special permits on Jan. 9. The two permits were for the use of an animal daycare within an industrial district and a watershed protection district.
Pet Nannies previously operated at 577 Main St. for about five years before relocating to 561 Main St.
Engineer Stephen Poole of Lakeview Engineering Associates and attorney Edward Denn spoke on the behalf of the petitioners and owners of Pet Nannies.
In a letter to Building Inspector Kyle Tucker and Administrative Manager Katie Evangelisti from April, Denn wrote that Pet Nannies had submitted an application for a certificate of occupancy for their location at 561 Main St. in November 2023.
“Until being notified last week, the Pet Nannies had no idea that (a) there was an issue with their application, (b) 561 Main, a commercial property in a commercial/industrial neighborhood, was in a watershed district, and/or (c) a Special Permit was required to relocate their business from a few doors down the street to 561 Main,” Denn wrote.
He said Pet Nannies planned to take immediate action and submit an application for a special permit.
According to Poole, the operation consists of an open yard for the dogs, a play area and a small storage shed of about 240 square feet for equipment and shelter, if needed. The area is completely fenced, he said, and it is in the back of the property. There is a double gate for safety reasons.
He said, “It is not open to the public, view wise.”
The capacity of up to 30 dogs varies with two caretakers and other staff on the site, Poole said. According to a letter from Norse Environmental Services, Pet Nannies operates between Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The site was not in the public view, he said, and the surrounding structures are industrial to the west of the business. It has been reviewed by environmental companies and these reviews have been submitted. There was no adverse effect found for the surrounding watershed areas or wetlands. The site is made of porous sandy material, Poole said, and drains well. Any waste produced by the use of the property is disposed of accordingly.
“The impacts on the watershed district, in our opinion, are very minimal to none,” said Poole.
Poole said the shed had no foundation and was “a movable structure.” Planning and Community Development Director Kristina Johnson said the building commissioner did not flag the shed in his evaluation, and the board does not regulate temporary structures.
Poole said the shed had been moved recently when asked by member Jill Schafer about the ability to do so in relation to the fence on the site.
Denn said they have a steady stream of customers who know when and where to drop and pick up their pets.
Of the minimal signage, Denn said, “They’ve been in business for almost 30 years at this point so folks know where to find them. They’re just there.”
ZBA member Darja Nevits inquired about the letter from the Department of Public Works regarding the monitoring of the site. Johnson said it was just a matter of making sure the business met the town stormwater regulations.
She recommended adding that condition to the approval of the two special permits and said it is a standard comment for DPW reviews.
The special permits were approved by the ZBA after a short deliberation as it determined the use of the property would not create traffic hazards and complies with provisions set forth in the zoning bylaws.
Johnson said the next steps would be to have the board review its decision, which could be e-signed, and to file the decision with the Town Clerk Joan Wordell. An appeal period of 21 days would begin, and Johnson noted the petitioners would receive a copy of the decision.
