Architectural consultant Michael Marcinek presented an animal shelter site plan to the Ansonia Planning & Zoning Commission.
ANSONIA – The long-promised renovations to Ansonia’s animal shelter are happening this year, according to a statements from a consultant at a Feb. 24 planning & zoning commission meeting.
The commissioners voted to accept modifications to a site plan from contractor AEPM International, and to refer that site plan to city staff for review.
The next step is for the city to select a contractor to do the construction. A request for proposals was sent out in November.
During the meeting, the consultant, Michael Marcinek, speaking on behalf of AEPM International, presented the site plan to the commission and laid out a three-phase construction process.
During the first phase, 12 new dog kennels will be built on the south side of the building, Marcinek said.
Then, the dogs will move into the new, indoor kennels and the old ones will be removed. The central part of the shelter will be demolished, but the office space will remain.
Finally, a new structure will be built with rooms for cat kennels, an isolation area, a wash area, and a new office. The current office will be turned into a food storage area.
The plans also include an 865-square-foot, outside ‘dog run’ area for the dogs to get some exercise. Marcinek said the dog run will have concrete flooring. He said he had considered artificial grass, but that concrete would be cheaper for the city to maintain.
The total cost for the project will be between $1.3 and 1.7 million, according to past estimates from city officials. About $1.1 million of that money is voter-approved money borrowed by the city. Another $500,000 comes from a state grant secured by state Rep. Kara Rochelle last year.
Developer Biagio Barone, as part of negotiations over an Olson Drive land deal, gave a written pledge to the city in 2023 that he would rebuild the animal shelter. However, city corporation counsel John Marini told The Valley Indy in October that Barone is not doing that. Instead, his company will contribute $150,000 to the project, Marini said.
Marcinek said the work could be done within 180 days of beginning. He said he expects it all to be done by the end of September or early October.
The timeline depends on when the city chooses a firm to do the actual construction.
The Ansonia Board of Aldermen could approve a construction bid as early as their next meeting on March 11.
Marcinek, a Seymour businessman with a long history of Valley projects, is also currently facing prosecution over an alleged failure to pay employees and contractors at his business. His next court date is March 10.
