Planning board authorizes outside review of kennel noise study after residents raise concerns

The Plattekill Planning Board voted to authorize planning staff to hire an outside sound consultant to review a noise study submitted for a proposed kennel operation.

Planning staff said the office had received the study and supplemental materials only recently and recommended that, given the volume of public input, a qualified third party evaluate whether the data and assumptions in the report meet the town's requirements. Planning staff said a review would support the board's necessary findings under local code.

Opponents and board members pressed the applicant for operational details, especially how many dogs could be outside simultaneously and how the pens and field would be separated to limit noise transmission. One board member asked for clarity about images and renderings that appeared to show exterior dog runs and whether those depictions matched the applicant's operating plan.

The applicant acknowledged uncertainty about exact sound at different times but said the kennel would not physically or practically allow all 25 dogs outside at once. The applicant added, “We don't wanna be a nuisance.”

The board passed the motion to outsource a technical review of the noise study by voice vote (three affirmative vocal responses were recorded). Members also arranged a site visit to observe the property and requested that the consultant examine the study's assumptions — including the number of dogs used in sample measurements, quadrant decibel values and nighttime thresholds — before any final special-use action.

The board said the outside review and the site visit are intended to give residents confidence that the town has completed due diligence before taking further action on permits or conditions for operation.