Dog Day Care And Luxury Resort Planned In Newtown

NEWTOWN, PA — A franchised dog day care and kennel has presented plans to a open luxury pet resort in Newtown Township.

New Jersey-based K-9 Resorts, which has 13 locations across the country and two in southeastern Pennsylvania, in Horsham and Malvern, is planning to lease an 8,000 square foot space on a 3-acre lot at 8 Pheasant Run, located in the Newtown Business Commons.

The space will be outfitted with indoor and outdoor play areas using artificial outdoor turf designed for dogs, which can be hosed down and kept clean, according to Tim Katsch, Vice President of Operations for K-9 Resorts, who first presented plans for the business to the Newtown Township Planning Commission last month.

Planning commission vice chair Peggy Driscoll said that if concerns about noise, traffic and parking are addressed, the board of supervisors would welcome the addition of a dog day center to the business commons.

While neighboring businesses appear to be on board, nearby residents of the Newtown Gates community have obtained legal counsel as they express concerns over the center's close proximity to its neighborhood.

"This seems like this is being done very surreptitiously and being misrepresented to the community," Fred Kurtz, president of the Newtown Gates Homeowners Association, told the planning commission on Tuesday.

Newtown attorney Bryce McGuigan, who is representing the applicant, said the company's other 13 facilities have never been the subject of noise or traffic complaints.

"In all of these areas there’s not one concern in terms of how the business operates with respect to the neighbors," McGuigan said. "K-9 [Resorts] has invested significant time and effort to address noise reduction indoors and outdoors."

While the facility will be able to house up to 120 dogs at one time, their centers typically have up to ten dogs for boarding along with 30 to 40 daycare dogs on a given day, Katsch said.

The project will be reviewed by the township engineer and may be discussed at the planning commission's next meeting on March 2.

Related: Newtown Township Supervisors Discuss Ways To Attract Business

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