Carroll County BZA Hearing on Commercial Kennel Case #6609 - May 26, 2026

The Carroll County Board of Zoning Appeals held a public hearing on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, beginning at 9:00 a.m. in the Reagan Room of the Carroll County Office Building. The agenda listed three cases: Case #6611 (commercial kennel, 9:00 a.m.), Case #6612 (retirement village, 10:00 a.m.), and Case #6609 (commercial kennel, 11:00 a.m.). The transcribed proceedings cover only Case #6609, a request by Rachann Mayer for a conditional use and multiple variances to operate a commercial kennel for more than 10 dogs at 6270 Davis Road, Woodbine, on property zoned Conservation District (Election District 13). The hearing included extensive testimony from the applicant, witnesses, and cross-examination, but was not completed; the board continued the matter to June 26, 2026, at 9:00 a.m.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Numerous letters and emails in opposition were read into the record. Opponents included Jennifer Henneman (resident of Davis Road for 40+ years), Adeline, Jennifer Mooney (Shaladon neighborhood, Mount Airy), Michael Hines, Wick Lane, Margaret and William Dore (requested continuance), Dr. Charlotte Dunnegell (incompatibility with conservation district, unsafe driveway), Todd Bender, Dan Smith, Valley High Ross, Pete Maharitis (strong odors, well water impact from 120+ dogs), Katie Harshman (odor, waste management), Tammy Boyd, Erica Loden (half-mile away, noise, traffic), James Garrity, Eric and Susan Purt, Gail Hawkins, and Michelle Lahoefer (traffic concerns).
• No oral public comment was provided at the microphone before adjournment, but several audience members asked questions of the applicant during cross-examination.

Discussion Items

• Applicant Testimony (Rachann Mayer): Ms. Mayer, owner of the existing Mariah Bell Manor Kennel (a green-certified facility), described her 21-year experience in kennel operations. She proposed a new facility on 21.03 acres (8.31-acre use area) with a fully enclosed kennel building (designed with soundproofing, rock wool insulation, small rooms of ~10 dogs each) and a multi-use building for indoor pool, aquatherapy, and play areas. The facility would accommodate up to 120 overnight boarding dogs and up to 30 daycare dogs (total 150 at capacity), with an industry-standard fill rate of 68–75%. Drop-off/pickup would feature a valet service (doggy drive-thru). Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily (closed to public Sunday mornings). Employees: 4–6 per shift. Waste would be bagged, stored in a metal dumpster, and removed weekly. Sound mitigation methods included low ceilings, separate office, and hillside placement. Ms. Mayer acknowledged the existing driveway width of 9 feet (variance from 18 feet) and expressed openness to widening or adding pull-offs but did not include them in the application.
• Witness Heather Reese (Mariah Bell project manager): Testified to the cleanliness and low noise at the existing kennel, with no odor from the dumpster.
• Witness Marty Sitterding (retired attorney, client): Testified that noise at Mariah Bell is barely audible with doors closed and that no odor issues exist.
• Expert Witness Mike Van Sant (surveyor/site designer): Confirmed site constraints (steep slopes, stormwater easement, heavy forest) and that the requested variances met the county code definition. He noted the driveway width variance (requested 9 feet) was because full 18-foot width was not feasible due to site constraints and unnecessary impervious surface. He identified a 0.18-acre area where the kennel could be placed without any distance variances. He testified that Davis Road is an old historical road not up to current standards, but in his opinion it could handle the expected vehicle types.
• Cross-Examination by Opposing Counsel (Grant Amadeus Giel): Challenged the applicant on driveway safety (potential gridlock without pull-offs), noise projections (decibel readings taken with a non-professional app, no continuous monitoring), consistency of the wildlife area usage, and whether the application accounted for the full 150-dog Class C license. Opposing counsel argued that the use would negatively affect property values (citing a 15–20% reduction), create dangerous traffic conditions on narrow Davis Road, and was incompatible with the residential character of the area.
• Questions from Audience and Board: Audience members raised concerns about security, well water impact, number of dogs outside simultaneously, and the applicant's relationship with the on-site renter. Board members asked about the layout of the relief area (1200 sq ft open-air courtyard, 5–7 dogs at a time), sound reflection from the building, and the need for conditions to run with the land.

Key Outcomes

• The board did not reach a decision on Case #6609. The hearing was adjourned and will continue on June 26, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. to hear additional testimony (including a traffic engineer) and closing arguments.
• No votes were taken on the other agenda items (Cases #6611 and #6612) as they were not addressed in the transcribed portion of the meeting.