Arthur Laramee of 306 Montgomery Road celebrates after getting a special permit from the Planning Board for a residential kennel. (Photo by Amy Porter)
WESTFIELD – Chairman William Carellas began the Planning Board meeting on Tuesday with a moment of silence in recognition of Kevin J. Sullivan’s service to the Westfield Public Schools, before beginning the five public hearings on the agenda.
A crowd of dog owners were in the audience to support a special permit for a residential kennel at 306 Montgomery Road, submitted by owners Arthur and Karen Laramee. The hearing was continued from May, due to concerns expressed by some neighbors at the earlier hearing about safety.
Laramee began the hearing by saying that he had fenced in the whole back property, as the Planning Board had requested. “We decided to do what you thought was best for the community. Previously, the dogs, which are purebred Rottweilers were contained in kennels in the back of the property, but neighbors were concerned about when they weren’t in the kennels.
The Planning Board also had a report from the animal inspector, affirming that the property was fenced on two sides with chain link and mesh fencing. The inspector said the rear of the property was well shaded, and there were two large covered kennels in the front of the property that met all the requirements. The inspector said none of the dogs showed any sign of aggression.
Laramee said since the inspector’s visit, the whole property is being fenced in.
“I have been down to your property twice; you can’t see where you put the fencing. It was really quiet. I never heard the dogs,” said Planning Board member Cheryl Crowe.
Laramee said the front is going to be totally fenced in. “It’s the best for everyone,” he said. He added he had also just bought another six acres, and will have a total of 11 acres.
Laramee said at the first public hearing, “we heard from people who don’t like dogs.” He said this time he asked people who bought dogs from him to come to the hearing.
“I’ve never seen anybody as dedicated to his animals as him. He takes very good care of his animals,” said a neighbor who spoke in support of his application. He pointed to all of the work Laramee has been doing on his property to “make it just perfect.”
“The dogs are very well-behaved. My wife and I had two Rottweilers; they are not a barking type of dog. As far as everything he said to me, he’s supporting everything you said. I appreciate you giving him the chance to correct it. When somebody builds something, they don’t always know what to do,” the neighbor continued.
“We’ve had our fair share of Rottweilers over the years, and I’ve been to a fair amount of breeders. His facility is by far the best one I’ve seen. He’ll take any one of the dogs out, and they’re perfectly behaved. Top notch dogs with great training,” said another dog owner, speaking on behalf of Laramee.
Michael Malo of 309 Montgomery Road called Laramee a hard worker. “I’ve never seen his dogs out. He takes very good care of them. I’ve been there 20 years. He’s a good neighbor. I have no complaints at all,” Malo said.
“They mentioned that they let the dogs out front, and they’ll get the fence next year. I’m making a statement, that their dog is let loose out front at 3:30 in the morning. I don’t think the dog should be let loose,” said James Mahar of 297 Montgomery Road, who spoke against the kennel.
“I’ve never even seen these people once. I’m out in my yard every single day,” Laramee responded.
“It sounds like he’s breeding dogs. He said he wasn’t. If he’s breeding dogs, He needs a big kennel. Listening to all this, it sounds like he’s going to start to breed dogs,” said Patricia Maher.
Another neighbor whose property abuts the rear of the Laramees, asked whether the black panel fencing was going to be replaced with fencing. Laramee said the mesh is just for privacy, and the fencing is on the inside.
“Our concern is when we’re walking on our property that they (the dogs) think we are on their property. In our statement, our property is for sale – it’s not just us. I too have driven by in the afternoon, and I have seen the dogs out in the front yard. We wanted to make sure that our previous statement is being taken into consideration,” the neighbors, who expressed their concerns at the first hearing, said.
Planning Board member John Bowen asked the abutting neighbor what if the whole back perimeter is fenced. They said as long as there is fencing all the way around
“Now the fencing is up. Nothing can go in and nothing can go out,” Laramee said, adding that he has had bears on his property, and that it’s better for the dogs.
“I’d like to try to keep this at six dogs. Does anybody have any objections to that,” Crowe asked the board members.
Magarian suggested not more than six dogs, aged six months or older, which allows for a litter of dogs for sale.
Crowe said back in May, she pushed hard to put the fencing in. “I understand where people are coming from in the front. What I would suggest as the condition here is to not allow the dogs in the front until the fencing in the front is finished,” she said, adding that she would like to have that reinforcement in the permit.
Planning Board member William Carellas stated those two conditions; a fenced enclosure shall be maintained where dogs are kept or let loose, and dogs can’t be loose inside the property unless there’s a fence. Other conditions to the permit, which was approved, included adding that the permit is not transferable, and the Planning Board has the right to inspect the property in the first year.
