The Oakmont Community Development Committee met and discussed the 50-dog kennel proposed across from Oakmont on Highway 12. [See location, plan drawing, and nearby residences]

The Committee decided to make no recommendations, pro or con, to the Oakmont Board of Directors, but instead will look further into the issue.

Pat Amadeo, Chair, requested Committee member Fran Dias to look further into the issue by contacting both Santa Rosa and Sonoma County planners. Oakmont is located in the city of Santa Rosa, but the proposed kennel is not. It is in Sonoma County, so the decision on use will be by the Sonoma County Permit and Resource Management Department (PRMD). Since the proposed Kennel abuts the border of the two jurisdictions, Santa Rosa planners may have input to the decision.

Opposition to Kennel

About 10 individuals attended the meeting to state their opposition to the proposed Kennel.

Mariellen Munson, Chair of Aspen Meadows Association (a homeowners association within Oakmont), was the first member of the audience to speak. She pointed out that 4 homeowners associations with over 200 members would be negatively affected if the kennel were approved. She then reviewed the attached letter, which was distributed to the Committee, and points out inaccurate and misleading information provided by the kennel applicant.

Flawed Noise Study by Applicant

Shirley Phillips then talked about the inadequacies of the noise study provided by the applicant.

Another audience member, who lives right next to the kennel, pointed out that the noise study did not even take into account the effect of the barking on her home, nor on any other homes on the same side of highway 12 as the kennel. The only noise study was taken across the highway, between the highway and Oakmont.

Adverse Effect on Property Values

The issue of disclosure when selling a home came up. There is no question but that if the kennel is approved, homeowners will have to disclose this fact when they sell their home. The current facility was labeled by Sonoma County as a "Doggie DayCare" with no mention of "kennel" and sellers have not felt they needed to disclose such an establishment. The owner now has a road sign saying Kennel and refers to the current facility as such. Here is more detailed discussion of kennel vs doggie daycare.

"Dogs or hogs?"

This topic came up because, apparently, at the first hearing before the Board of Zoning Adjustments, the applicant stated that if she could not get approval for the kennel, then she would just get a couple of hundred pigs. She stated she would not need approval as she would for the kennel.

As it turns out, that is not the case, as shown here for land of more than 2 acres (applicant has a little over 3 acres) in a Diverse Agricultural District, as the applicant's is:

"In the event that the confined animal use is proposed within five hundred feet (500') of a nonagricultural land use category, it shall require prior approval of a use permit:" This is from Sec. 26-08-010 of the Sonoma County Code Zoning Regs. Oakmont - a residential area - is well within 500' of the proposed kennel (or hog farm).

Attend The Board Meeting!

The Committee Chair urged everyone to attend the Oakmont Village Board of Directors meeting on Tuesday, April 17, 2012, at the Berger Center at 1pm. Note that only members of Oakmont are allowed to speak, and they are each limited to 3 minutes.

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