Nells Rock Animal Shelter - Valley Sentinel

The Valley Independent Sentinel has an article regarding our CC meeting last night where the Animal Control Facility (Shelter) Building Committee attended our meeting in response to letter we sent them.

I encourage readers to go to the Valley Independent Sentinel article as they are the content creator of the article and have methods for readers to comment on their aritlces within their website. I cut/paste with my comments under right of fair-use for public education as Chairman of the Conservation Commission.
by Aly Shea Aug 6, 2009 7:26 am Shelton
Members of Conservation Commission do not think a parcel of land at the corner of Shelton Avenue and Nells Rock Road is a good spot for a new animal shelter. They unanimously voted against the site during their meeting Wednesday.

The rejection was supported by members of the town’s Animal Shelter Building Committee. It has spent the past few years lobbying the city to grant the new animal shelter a parcel of land next to the current Shelton Animal Shelter on Riverdale Avenue.

“We were directed to that site [at Nells Rock Road and Shelton Avenue],” Committee Chairman Tony Minopoli said. “We never requested it.” Minopoli that Mayor Mark Lauretti recommend the site to the committee.

Minopoli also said that there has been no opposition from the public about putting a new, more than 5,000 square-foot animal shelter facility downtown, in the same area as the current one.
The only questions, which are environmental, have been addressed through both Phase I and Phase II environmental testing. The testing came back clean, he said.
+++ The Building Committee was directed by the Mayor to look at a piece of property adjacent to the current shelter. In their review process, one resident brought up concerns about potential environmental conditions given the history of the area's use for industry over the years and likelihood of some contaminations. The Building Committee conducted a Phase 1 study, and then went even into further detail with a more thorough Phase 2 study - both of which showed the site as suitable. The Building Committee has developed a building design for that site and proceeded quite some way on that process.+++

The current animal shelter is about 1,200 square feet, and Shelton Animal Control Officer Sheryl Taylor said it is nowhere near enough space for all the animals that the shelter takes in as Shelton’s population grows. “We need a shelter that’s suitable for the times,” Taylor said.

Even with tight quarters, Taylor stressed that she has had no complaints about noise from residents who live near the existing animal shelter. Taylor emphasized the lack of noise complaints after Nells Rock area resident Marilynn Gannon cited the quiet of the neighborhood as a reason for opposing the proposal.
+++ Officer Taylor did make note that all dogs are brought in from the outdoor runs at night, so there should be no noise at night. Residents living near the current facility thus likely have few noise issues when they return to home for the evenings. A facility located within the Shelton Lakes Greenway where passive recreation on trails and peaceful enjoyment of fishing on the reservoirs now occurs, may be disrupted during daytime hours when the dogs are outside in their runs. +++

Gannon and several other area residents voiced their opposition to a separate proposal to put a dog park on parcel of land, again citing noise concerns. Members of the Animal Shelter Building Committee stressed that they are in no way involved with the dog park proposal, and they seemed to be preaching to the choir.
+++ To be clear: Animal Shelter Building Committee = Replacement of City infrastructure in building and runs for dogs and other animals. Dog Park Committee = finding an area that can be fenced so people can bring their dogs to run off-leash and socialize with other dogs. +++

The Conservation Commission members said they had gone on the record as being unanimously opposed to the dog park once, and their feelings on the issue had not changed.
+++ Correction: The CC is not unanimously in support of the dog park concept. Some members are against the concept, some members are in support of it. It is incorrect to say the CC is unanimously opposed to the park concept. Many do feel that if there is a supportive organization who would maintain and construct the fencing area for the dog park, that would be more appropriate than the City undertaking the creation and maintenance. Other communities have a "friends of the bark park" type of concept.+++