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Saturday's Internet Edition, July 31, 2010.
CCPAC approves vet clinic, dog kennel in Wilton
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Photo by Fran Soto
Cosumnes Community Planning Advisory Council members (from left) Evan Winn, Fred Hegge and James Perham meet on May 26 and listen to Dr. Robert Hunter (far right) make a request for a use permit for a veterinarian clinic and dog kennel.
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By Fran Soto
River Valley Times Staff
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Cosumnes Community Planning Advisory Council (CCPAC) met Wednesday, May 26 and voted 3 to 0 to approve a use permit to allow a veterinarian clinic and dog kennel on property located at 10163 Badger Creek Lane in Wilton. The affirmative vote took place in spite of opposition from several neighbors.
The property is owned by Wilton resident Dr. Robert Hunter and is currently the site of Hunter Stallion Station Equine Veterinary Clinic. Hunter is a member of CCPAC and did not vote. “This is the same thing we’ve been doing, we will just do more in the barn and less out in the field,” Hunter said. “The use permit for the veterinarian clinic is to hospitalize horses. We’re limited because I don’t have a small clinic.”
Opposition to the dog kennel came from neighbors due to the possibility of barking dogs. Neighbors complained that the closest house is a little less than 200 feet from the proposed kennel. Neighbors were also concerned that the use permit listed both a veterinary clinic and a dog kennel, but Hunter tried to reassure those concerned. “I don’t want barking dogs either,” Hunter said. “The portion for dogs is small. My main focus is horses.” Hunter confirmed that he had also spoken personally with some of his neighbors and understood their concerns.
The use permit was approved with a motion that the applicant would work with neighbors, and that acceptable noise levels would be clear and spelled out.
In other business, Melinda Avey and Steve Wirtz with Sacramento Youth and Alcohol Coalition provided CCPAC members with an overview of the recently passed Social Host Ordinance. “On May 12, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors passed the Social Host Ordinance. They’ve asked us to make this presentation to the community planning advisory councils,” Avey said. “This ordinance makes parents aware it is not okay for underage kids to drink.”
The gist of the ordinance is that it holds adults responsible for hosting and knowingly providing a venue for gatherings when they know, or reasonably should have known, that underage drinking would occur. “In general, if people are having parties and underage drinkers are present, they need to take precautions,” Wirtz said. “Precautions could be such things as a no-host bar or checking IDs.”
The penalty for the first offense is $100, the second is $200 and third is $500. At the discretion of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, the responsible party may be held liable for response costs incurred by law enforcement and other emergency response providers.
Council member Evan Winn expressed concern that the ordinance could be interpreted as taking away parents' rights, and council member James Perham questioned if the landowner is liable should an underage person trespass on someone's property in a group and be given alcohol.
“This ordinance does not prevent parents from allowing their own children to drink,” Avey said. “If underage youth are trespassing on your property and drinking, the property owner is exempt.” Owners of rental property are also exempt if the renter allows underage youth to drink on the rented property.
During the presentation, Wirtz stressed that it is important that underage drinking not be allowed because of health concerns and that many teens are being pressured into drinking. “There are lots of problems that come from underage drinking,” he said. He also confirmed that this ordinance does not create more work for law enforcement officers and emergency responders. “This ordinance does not create any new police powers,” Wirtz said.
The next meeting of CCPAC will be June 23 at 7 p.m. at the Wilton Fire Protection District Station 81 at the corner of Dillard and Wilton roads.
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