Neighbor wants to open a dog kennel....

[tjm73]

So I got a letter from my Town telling me my neighbor has submitted a variance request to open and operate a dog kennel in an out building she has on her property. Our area is zoned residential with limited farming allowed.

A little background. My property is just under five acres and was carved out of a 20 acre lot. The remaining 15ish acres was retained by the previous owner of my home, which is also the neighbor that wants to open the kennel.

She and my wife and I have a cordial relationship. We are not looking to be her best friend, but we are also not looking to have trouble with our neighbor.

We are not cool with this idea at all. I will have to go to a town zoning meeting and try to stop this from being approved. I see no way of this ending with anything other than causing a rift between her and us.

By issues at this point are two.

First, I see this as having a direct negative impact on our quality of life. I've never been near or at a kennel that wasn't ripe with barking dogs. All the time never stopping barking. All I envision is barking when we take our kids in our back yard to play or barking when we sleep with our windows open. Or barking when we have the house opened up and sit in our home to watch TV or visit with guests. Or barking when we sit on our back deck and try to eat dinner as a family. You know barking when we do pretty much ANYTHING at or in our home.

Second, I see no way that this will have anything other than a negative impact on our property value. I would not buy this property if it already had a dog kennel behind it.

By the way this kennel would be about 250 feet from the back of my house.

We bough ta house in the country because it'd be quiet and peaceful, which it is right now. But I fear that will end is she is granted her variance.

 

[weather man]

Fight tooth and nail if you ever want to have your windows open in the summer.

 

[irishpwr46]

fight it, and if it goes through, put an air raid siren in pointed at her house and set it off every hour. if shes looking to open as a breeder, get a bunch of rescue groups on her ass

 

[bigwilly43729]

If they have 15 acres to play with, why does it need to be that close to you? Just slide it to the right an acre or two and everything should be fine, at least in terms of living. Can't speak to property values.

 

[BlindGUYnAR]

Fight that request. I love dogs, but no freaky way would I want that next door. Like you said property value is going to take a big hit and quality of life as well.

 

[skwerl]

I agree with all of your points. A friend of mine has 2.5 acres that backs up to a dog kennel and it's terrible. Willy has a good point, it seems like she is putting it right behind your property to spite you. She has plenty of land left to put it much farther away, but even then once it is established on the property then she can put up dog pens wherever she wants.

 

[Timmbo]

I love dogs and have a chocolate lab, but I cannot stand a neighbor that's so disrespectful of others that they let their dog bark all damn day and night and don't seem to give a rats ass. If I were you I'd nip this thing in the bud and try to stop it. A dozen plus dogs barking all the time? I'd kill somebody. My ears and nerves couldn't take it 24/7. If this thing goes through, kiss your quality of life bye-bye.

 

[cbass]

Approach her before the meeting, ask if she can move it to the other side of her property, and explain that it being so close will have a direct impact on your quality of life.
Plan on going to the meeting, and if she doesn't amend her application to change location on property, oppose it completely. Do you care about her fragile feelings, or your own life more? If she really wants to do it, she can put it somewhere else on her property.

 

[tjm73]

I don't give a fuck about her feelings at this point. She already filed for a variance. She never approached me about it. Clearly doesn't care about our quality of life or hasn't considered it at all. Either way she put me in this position in don't want to be in.

 

[cbass]

I'd still give her the warning that you will oppose it unless her plans change. Give her a chance to do the right thing. And when she doesn't, sabotage the entire plan from beginning to end.

 

[REDS197]

I live out in the country. I can hear my neighbors dogs barking from over 80 acres away. No matter where she locates it noise will be an issue. I would also try to involve all the area neighbors as well

 

[AndrewNagle]

Biggest thing is it is a commercial business in a residential area, that will be your best leg to stand on. This would set precedent and opens the residential area to more commercial businesses.

 

[Badd GT]

REDSs197 hit the nail on the head! It doesn't matter were its on the property, you'll hear the dogs very clearly.

 

[tjm73]

Yeah location on her land is a moot point. Anyplace will be too close.

 

[Bullitt 3309]

fight it, and if it goes through, put an air raid siren in pointed at her house and set it off every hour. if shes looking to open as a breeder, get a bunch of rescue groups on her ass

I like this alot...

 

[psfracer]

I don't give a fuck about her feelings at this point. She already filed for a variance. She never approached me about it. Clearly doesn't care about our quality of life or hasn't considered it at all. Either way she put me in this position in don't want to be in.

Are there any other neighbors in the area that would be against it? Time to band together with other neighbors. A zoning variance typically isn't easy to get, and with others from the community opposing it, it should be difficult for her to get approval.

Is this a dog rescue or a breeding thing? Do you know?

 

[Gabe]

That would drive me insane.

Fight it 100%

 

[irishpwr46]

I'm sure a few of the guys here wouldn't mind firing off an email to the town to object on your behalf. They don't need to know we don't live close by

 

[cbass]

I'm sure a few of the guys here wouldn't mind firing off an email to the town to object on your behalf. They don't need to know we don't live close by

Eh, I don't know if it would fly in Rush. It's not exactly a bustling metropolis. People move there to know who their neighbors are, and not be on top of them.

 

[tjm73]

Or listen to dogs bark all the time.