When one thinks of Chesterfield Township, quiet and pastoral are two words that frequently come to mind.
Lately, however, a controversy has come to town, and it pertains to the care of several four-legged friends.
On June 19, the township’s Planning Board will once again consider a variance that’s needed to build an animal shelter off Hogback Road.
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John Contino, founder of a rescue organization called Mighty Mutts Inc., wants to build a shelter that could hold as many as 40 dogs and 450 cats.
However, neighbor Carol Golden, who lives next to the property, said she is concerned about issues such as safety, property value and animal trespassing if the shelter is built.
No decision has yet been made by the board, and an opportunity for residents to offer their opinions and testimony will be provided at the June 19 meeting.
We are encouraging the residents of the township to come out to the meeting to voice their viewpoints.
Chesterfield is a vast expanse, but even if your property is nowhere near the shelter, it still will have an effect on the township.
Chesterfield Township residents never have been ones to shy away from saying what they do or do not want in their municipality. This issue should not be an exception.
Both sides of the coin need to be represented in order for the board to make a smart decision. Where are the animal lovers who know the value of rescuing troubled pets and finding suitable homes for them? Where are the people who have concerns about what the presence of a shelter could do to the value of nearby homes or who have children who will be walking past the property?
For those who aren’t sure about what such an entity would mean in a township as small as Chesterfield, all it could take to answer your questions would be to attend the next meeting. Education eliminates speculation.
The board needs as much information as possible, and surely the leanings of the community-at-large could be a factor in its decision. But the board won’t know unless you speak up.
Chesterfield Township always has been a community that knows how to plan ahead. One glowing example of this ability is the township’s Master Plan, which allows room for development and a growth in tax ratables without turning the municipality’s pristine farmland into a concrete jungle.
This shelter would be neither. But it could provide a valuable service on the one hand while bringing with it some of the adverse impacts of development on the other. Would the services provided outweigh those impacts?
Do you want it or not?