West Cocalico Township supervisors tonight will consider a proposal to make its ordinance governing dog kennels among the most restrictive in northern Lancaster County.
Some residents say the township is strengthening the law in retaliation against a recent proposal to start a breeding operation on the southeast edge of the township near Denver Borough.
The proposed ordinance would forbid kennels of any size on less than 10 acres of land, a substantial increase from the current 2-acre requirement. Additionally, it would prohibit kennels within 300 feet of a residence or school; the current ordinance does not include a setback requirement.
Township resident Aaron Martin, of 220 N. Line Road, petitioned the township zoning board in April to allow him to put a kennel on his 9.7-acre property, which borders the Garden at Stevens nursing home and Cocalico School District soccer fields. He submitted an application to build a roughly 16-by-30-foot kennel to house 16 adult dogs, with a maximum breeding capacity of 60 dogs per year.
The zoning hearing board unanimously rejected his proposal May 9, saying Martin did not demonstrate “that all facilities are designed, operated and maintained in strict compliance with all applicable state laws” relating to the design, operation and maintenance of kennels.
Martin did not appeal the ruling, but he has resubmitted his kennel application to the township zoning hearing board, which will hear his case Aug. 8.
But if the township approves the new dog kennel restrictions tonight, his property would not qualify under the updated kennel restrictions.
At a May 21 supervisors meeting, Martin objected to the township’s recent actions.
“It seems like all these (restrictions) are pretty much directed at my property, being I am 9.7 acres, and the new requirement would be 10 acres,” Martin said.
At a supervisors meeting June 18, Martin’s neighbor, Joshua Vanderplate, reiterated his concerns.
“I feel like anyone could see that the consideration of (the ordinance), specifically its timing and the specific acreage and setback requirements, are very correlative and reactive to Mr. Martin’s request,” Vanderplate said.
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Comparing kennel laws
The kennel ordinances of neighboring municipalities are not as severe as those under consideration by West Cocalico. In neighboring East Cocalico Township, the current kennel regulations allow dog-breeding operations of up to 50 dogs on 5 acres of land with a setback requirement of 150 feet from the nearest property line, and larger kennels on 10 acres of land, with a maximum of 100 dogs and setback requirements of 300 feet.
To the east in Brecknock Township, there is no acreage requirement for a kennel; however, all kennels must be a minimum of 100 feet from property lines and 200 feet from neighboring residences. Similarly, Elizabeth Township to the west has no acreage requirement, but all kennels must be at least 200 feet from property lines.
West Cocalico supervisors have said they would weigh public comments when deciding whether to approve the ordinance.
“This was not intended to be anything for (Martin). We have to look at the whole picture and not this one incident,” Supervisor Jeff Sauder said at the June 18 meeting.
The supervisors meet at 7 p.m. tonight at the township building, 156B W. Main St., Reinholds, to decide the issue. If they approve the ordinance, the dog kennel restrictions would take effect July 21.
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