Permit - Coconino County

SCCA requests Conditional Use Permit from Coconino County

Our current CUP will expire in September 2007.

New Uses Requested

SCCA is asking to renew current uses and add the following:

Landscaped Walking Trails for SCCA dogs 

• On leash only
• During Hours of operation: 6am-6pm
• No public with their dogs
• Handled by staff and trained volunteers only

Construction of 20-stall Mare Motel

• 2 isolation stalls
• Coggins tests will be administered to all new horses to test for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA)
• All horses will receive vet-recommended vaccinations
• 4 stalls used for feed and tack storage
• Requesting to provide shelter for 10 horses
• Requesting to use all available stall space for housing of horses in the event of a county-declared disaster
• Horses will be under the care of our full-time SCCA staff veterinarian

Space for crates to house dogs in the event of a disaster

Compliance

SCCA has been made aware of issues with our land use that we must also amend.

Safety Lighting along Black Bill Road

• Has been removed
• A lighting permit application has been submitted to install lighting for the safety of employees walking to staff parking at night.

Bleeker Box

• Coconino County Community Development staff has advised us that an ordinance allowing storage containers such as Bleeker boxes is currently being drafted and we are allowed to keep the box.  We have moved the box according to their recommendations.

Comprehensive landscaping plan for the South 5 acres and a sound study conducted by an engineer to be submitted at the request of the Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commissioners

• The proposed landscape plan to preserve the natural character of the area is being prepared by a professional landscaper.
• The sound study has been conducted and the engineer found no sound levels to be considered a nuisance.

8-foot east-west fence along back parking lot

• a permit application has been submitted.

Reducing the size of employee and volunteer parking

• employees are now required to park in the easternmost open space.

Dog runs added since the original site plan

• The runs, which were added since the original site plan was approved, did not require fence permits.
• The runs did not add to the number of animals housed at the facility.

Coconino County Community Development staff has recommended a 5-year permit to the P&Z Commissioners.

Community Served

In January 2007, SCCA merged with the Arizona Humane Society (AHS) in Phoenix.  Concerns have been expressed regarding what that will mean to SCCA and our duty to our community, which some residents believe will impact our operations and therefore impacts our CUP request.

In all cases, no matter how large and animal welfare organization, the animals and people served are primarily in the community where the organization is located.  It's true that animal welfare organizations assist one another through transfers, educational opportunities, and other shared resources.  This however, is not unique to animal shelters or to non-profit organizations.

Since our merger with AHS our transfer rate into and out of SCCA has not changed.

• SCCA sends dogs to the Phoenix area and has excepted no dogs aside from a few requiring special veterinary care.
• SCCA has accepted cats from the Phoenix area to assist in their extreme overpopulation over the past two years.
• SCCA accepts animals from the Navajo Nation.

Neighborhood Participation

SCCA held two citizen participation meetings to meet the requirements of the CUP process: January 21 and April 28.  We were only required to hold one meeting.  The first invitation was mailed to property owners within 300 feet of the shelter, as required.  The second was mailed to property owners within 600 feet of the shelter, more than is required.  One resident within the 600 feet attended each of the meetings.  No other property owners attended to learn the facts about the project, to ask questions or to voice concerns.

SCCA is committed to being a good neighbor, but we can only address the concerns of which we are aware.  We encourage all of our neighbors, as well as any Coconino County resident, to call us to share concerns, orffer suggestions, and to learn the facts of our CUP application.