BEEKMANTOWN — The Town of Beekmantown Town Board motioned to amend Local Law No. 3 and scheduled a public hearing during the November special meeting Tuesday night.
Local Law No. 3 of 2025 is an amendment that adds kennels to Article 6 of the town’s zoning laws.
The meeting also declared the town as lead agency for the purposes of the State Environmental Quality Review Act, an environmental assessment form required for the Clinton County Planning Board to review the proposed local law.
The new Section 690 would define kennels as any premise where four or more dogs over the age of four months are kept, boarded, bred, trained or offered for sale for commercial purposes. It also includes definitions for dogs, owners, code enforcement officers, nuisancse and pre-existing residential structures.
The law would permit kennels in mixed-use, agricultural and commercial, or industrial zoning districts only. A minimum parcel of five acres would be required for any kennel use, and structures would be required to be at least 750 feet from the nearest residential structure on an adjacent property and 100 feet from any property line. It would also require all kennel permits within the town to be renewed and inspected annually.
Standards for noise control to minimize barking between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. and adequate sanitation, water and shelter were also outlined.
If passed, the law will be enforced by a code enforcement officer, animal control officer or any peace officer with jurisdiction in Beekmantown. Violators would be fined up to $250 for the first offense, up to $500 for each subsequent offense and imprisonment up to 15 days followed by a separate offense for each week of continued violation.
Supervisor Sam Dyer told the Press-Republican after the board meeting this law would not impact private residences with four or more dogs. During the meeting, the board amended the law to remove “private use” from the original definition of kennels.
The board formed the Ad Hoc Kennel Advisory Committee earlier this year to draft the law after Canine Gem, a boarding facility in Beekmantown, was shut down and 49 dogs were removed due to poor conditions in February 2024.
It entered executive session at the beginning of the meeting to discuss amending the proposed law and later returned with copies drafted based on the October 2025 special meeting.
Kendra Durant, of Beekmantown, called a Point of Order to claim the town was violating NYS Open Meeting Laws and SEQRA’s early-public-participation mandate of reasonable access by not providing a copy of the law electronically 24 hours prior to Tuesday’s meeting.
The board explained the proposed amendments to the drafted law, including a change to the definition of kennels and additions to zoning restrictions and permit applications. Dyer then opened the meeting for public comment. The board was not required to answer questions.
Town Attorney Nick Bracy said the board’s intent was to workshop this new draft and introduce it to the public before holding a public hearing and vote, which was scheduled for Dec. 30 at 5 p.m.
Several concerned residents of Beekmantown and neighboring areas addressed the board to object to the law and voice concerns about the impact it may have on the community. Many who spoke believed the law would affect the number of pets families were allowed to have in a private home. Others believed the law was a direct attack on Michael Barney and his training facility, Semper K9s.
Durant spoke first, reiterating the objection she made earlier and posed several questions regarding the procedural nature of the board regarding the law. When she went over her time, other members of the crowd, including Barney, offered to donate their time for her to continue, which the board denied.
Anya Pérez, a volunteer at Elmore SPCA, said the town should consider improving access to affordable vet care before imposing a law to limit the number of dogs in a home.
“Dogs are dumped left and right,” Pérez said to the board when discussing the rising cost of pet care.
Andrew Bertram, an owner of four dogs, said the law is “asinine” and felt rushed.
Sara Faruqi called the plans “messy, unorganized and very unprofessional.”
“I expect better out of this … It’s just unbelievable that you’re gonna use your policing powers to come in and dictate and tell us how many pets we’re allowed to have,” she said. “I mean what’s next?”
The board entered executive session again to make corrections to the drafted law. Upon returning, they provided the public a new draft, including the declaration and resolution for the town as lead agency for the purposes of SEQRA.
During the executive session, Durant called the law a “situation of personal retribution” against Barney and Semper K9’s, a boarding and training facility that has been fighting the town to open for almost a decade.
In March 2025, Dennis Relation, a member of the town board, motioned for a moratorium, banning all kennels in Beekmantown.
According to the minutes of that meeting, Barney expressed to the board he felt the moratorium was directed at his business. This was denied by Dyer on the grounds he had no permit filed, had not paid the town, he didn’t have a building on the premises for the kennel, and any actions were due to February 2024.
Barney has been in an open lawsuit with the Town of Beekmantown and the town board oard since May 2025.
Though in attendance, he did not address the board during Tuesday’s meeting.