What’s been billed as a “luxurious pet resort” is coming to Columbus’ far west side.
A conditional use permit to allow a new Barkefellers pet care facility to open at Linden Park Place has been approved by the Columbus Board of Zoning Appeals, said associate city planner Stephen Hughes.
In a report to the board, the Indianapolis-based pet caregivers said they will offer overnight boarding, daycare, training, socialization and grooming at the west-side Columbus facility.
The facility design calls for 145 indoor dog enclosures and 10 indoor cat enclosures. In addition, each pet will be given access to an individual potty/exercise yard three times each day.
Barkefellers had originally proposed building a 20,500-square-foot facility north of the Walmart store on Merchants Mile. But the applicants found a location nearby which has been approved
Herb Coffey, franchisee with Barkefellers, said he chose the second location south of Jonathan Moore Pike near the end of Linden Park Place because there were fewer restrictions on the property and thought it was a spot that the city would prefer.
Last fall, plan commission members Frank Jerome and Roget Lang expressed concern that the sound of dogs barking could disturb neighboring businesses in Columbus Crossing such as restaurants and retailers.
The BZA did place some conditions on the business. For example, outdoor enclosures for pets can only be used from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., instead of the originally proposed 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The facility must also be constructed at a certain elevation with windows centered between columns, the planning department report states. Planners are also requiring a five-foot sidewalk to be installed along the whole length of the lot along Linden Park Place.
The petitioners still have to submit a zoning compliance certificate to the planning department before they will be allowed to apply for building permits, Hughes said. Coffey said construction is expected to take about eight to 10 months.
