Animal shelter compromise reached

By: AARON CLAVERIE - Staff Writer
Proposed spay/neuter clinic shelved for parking spaces | Tuesday, January 8, 2008 11:08 PM PST ∞

WILDOMAR -- Government officials and backers of a regional animal shelter have reached a compromise that should allow the long-gestating project to move forward.

The compromise between Animal Friends of the Valleys and a coalition of four cities and the county means a plan for a spay and neuter clinic that was going to be built along with the $13.5 million shelter will be shelved due to concerns about parking spaces required by Riverside County.

A clinic and a shelter have different parking needs and there isn't space at the proposed site for a parking lot to accommodate both, said Dave Stahovich, chief of staff for county Supervisor Bob Buster.

Lake Elsinore, Murrieta, Canyon Lake and Temecula and Riverside County formed a joint powers authority in 2004 to build the shelter in conjunction with the nonprofit Friends group, which will manage the facility.

If the development plan is approved by the authority's board in February, the shelter will be built next to the Wildomar Chamber of Commerce building on land owned by the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District at Mission Trail and Corydon Street. After issuing bonds to finance the project and awarding of the winning bid to a developer, a groundbreaking ceremony likely will be held this spring and construction could be finished in 2009 or early 2010.

"I don't think they'll break ground until May," said Friends President Kristine Anderson.

While the loss of the spay and neuter clinic is a "bummer," Anderson said the Friends are working on other ways to provide the service to the community. Some possibilities include a mobile clinic or issuing vouchers that would be accepted by area veterinarians.

Nearly a year ago, when the Lake Elsinore City Council joined with the other members of the authority and approved the financing plan for construction, there was excitement among members of the Friends group.

After the summer of 2007 turned into the fall and nothing happened, that excitement turned into frustration, Anderson said.

The groundbreaking ceremony was supposed to be held in September, she said. When that date came and went, Anderson said Stahovich and Buster became personally involved. And she noticed an immediate change.

"I've had frustrations over the years but this is the last stop. These two can get it done," she said.

Stahovich said he huddled with city managers and public officials and worked out agreements to iron out some of the wrinkles in the plans.

"There's an even higher standard when public dollars are involved," he said.

The 32,000-square-foot shelter will replace a smaller shelter in Lake Elsinore that was designed to be temporary. The old shelter can house about 100 dogs and 50 cats, while the new shelter will be able to comfortably house 200 dogs and 100 cats.

The Friends organization needs the space because the area it serves has doubled in population since 2000.

Lake Elsinore City Councilman Thomas Buckley said the issues holding up the shelter have generally been minor.

"But they kept piling on one another," he said. "This has dragged on too long."

Last year, there was a concern that the construction schedule would interfere with the mating season of burrowing owls.

If construction moves forward in the summer as Buckley expects, there won't be an issue with the owls.

"The owls are gone (during the summer)," he said.

-- Contact staff writer Aaron Claverie at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2624, aclaverie@californian.com.