Council postponed a decision about the new animal shelter proposed in the city of Chatham.
Staff had been recommending that 50 Siemens Drive in Chatham, which is already owned by the Municipality, be approved as the location for the new municipally owned animal shelter.
However, South Kent Coun. Frank Vercouteren entered a successful motion to postpone the decision for two months.
Vercouteren said he is still working on potential arrangements for a property that is being offered up for donation by Romoe Restorick, near the corner of Park Avenue and Highway 40.
“I’m not really excited about the location they picked,” he said.
Vercouteren added he was hoping to see the donated property be chosen, as it has sufficient land to include an off-leash area and a location to plant trees in honour of pets.
South Kent Coun. Art Stirling said the Siemens Drive location is not a visible location, and would be difficult to raise funds for.
“It’s very hidden,” Stirling said. “I didn’t know where it was. It’s not going to be easy for people to find.”
Chatham Coun. Doug Sulman said he believes the current location at 405 Park Avenue East, seems like a good spot.
“There has been an animal shelter there for almost a quarter of a century,” he said.
Nancy Havens, manager of licensing services, said there are currently some parking issues at the current facility.
Havens indicated in her report to council some issues with the five-acre Restorick property, including: installation of a septic or tertiary treatment facility, new fencing, no gas access and the need for an extension of water lines.
Havens said in her report “administration is recommending 50 Siemens Drive as the most suitable of the three properties for construction of the new municipally owned shelter.
“It is administrations hope that the proposed facility would be structured as an integrated, central hub for animal care, education and control in Chatham-Kent.”
The current facility is operated by the OSPCA in Chatham.
