National dog care chain seeks P&Z approval for Shelton location

The resolution will be presented at a future commission meeting, at which commissioners will formally vote on the application. If approved, the move would allow Dogtopia to set up shop in space formerly occupied by Panera Bread, which closed last year with plans to reopen in Fountain Square in mid-April.

Commission Chair Virginia Harger said there was a need for the dog care business but questioned the overnight boarding option that the business owners propose.

“I have concerns about overnight boarding here,” Harger said.

The property owner — S&S Shelton Development, LLC — stated in the application that the dog day care center use is not covered under the existing Statement of Uses and Standards approved with the original PDD, requiring an application to the Planning and Zoning Commission seeking a major modification.

Dogtopia is a national chain of dog day care centers with more than 160 locations in the United States and Canada. The business offers dog care with daycare, grooming and overnight boarding services seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. In all, the business will have 20 employees, with at least six working each shift.

The application states that Dogtopia owners target higher income locations, and the tenant seeking to move into Shelton Place is “the franchise owner of 16 Dogtopias throughout Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.”

The proposed owner also operates Connecticut locations in Stamford, Norwalk, Fairfield and Milford, “and they see Shelton as a great fit,” the application states.

Dogtopia’s use would not require any structural modifications to the existing exterior or additional parking.