Clinton Planning Board Votes to Send Kennel Zoning Amendment to Town Meeting

CLINTON -- May 5, 2026, Clinton Planning Board advances kennel zoning change to Town Meeting, fields two dog business proposals. The board voted unanimously at its May 5 meeting to send a proposed zoning bylaw amendment to Town Meeting that would, for the first time, allow kennel operations, including 24-hour boarding, by special permit in commercial and industrial districts in Clinton, replacing the current five-acre minimum requirement with the state definition under MGL Chapter 140, Section 137. The amendment's sponsor was absent and the board chair read a written statement explaining that attorneys Bob Gibbons and Adam Costa had reviewed and approved the draft language. Board members raised concerns about noise from the existing Fenway Bark dog daycare off Main Street and about the potential for commercial breeding operations, though members noted the special permit process preserves case-by-case Planning Board control. "I would never let an operation like that breed," one member said. The board also unanimously approved a special permit for illuminated signs at Delicia restaurant, 9 Swell Street, for new owner Juan Castillo, and directed dog daycare applicant Marina Rosa to return with a formal application including a parking plan and maximum dog count for her proposed 1075 Main Street location.