To Whom It May Concern,

My name is Melissa Burton and I am writing regarding my application for a permit to operate my cageless boarding, dog daycare and grooming business in McAllen. I operate the business from my home and have several full-time and part-time employees. I have been operating my business in McAllen for over 5 years, and have garnered a very good reputation among a broad range of clientele.

When I first began the business, I was located on N. 28th Lane, which is zoned residential. Code enforcers continuously ticketed me and told me I could not operate my business in my home without a permit, which I would have been more than happy to obtain had roadblocks not been set forth to deter me. As the code enforcers persisted and the tickets piled up, I was finally able to move the business to 6820 N. Taylor Road, a more rural area, which I was assured by a code enforcer and my attorney at the time that this would resolve my problems with zoning. I have made tens of thousands of dollars worth of modifications to the property to make my business sustainable and conducive to dog boarding/daycare. It wasn’t long, however, that the code enforcers were back. The planning/zoning board was taking aim at my business yet again, alleging I still wasn’t properly zoned despite having been informed otherwise.

The Zoning/Planning Board held a meeting without me being present in regard to my application for a permit due to me having been very ill on the date and at the time of the meeting, and I was denied an extension or rescheduling. The board summarily disapproved my request for a conditional use permit without any reasonable cause that I have been informed of. Now my application for a permit will go before the McAllen City Commission seeking approval of a conditional use permit to continue to provide my services to the local community on JUNE 22, 2020.

I was informed by the assistant city prosecutor that my business should be granted a “conditional use permit with a variance”.  I was even told by the municipal judge presiding over my citation for running a business without a permit that she would use my services as soon as all the legalities were sorted out and I had the permit.  I moved out to a more rural area to avoid disturbing the community and I have neighbors raising cattle and horses, and commercial businesses on both ends of my block. There is also a dog boarding/daycare kennel similiar to my own, one street over, amongst a nice subdivision, and closer to the city area than we are. But we are told they were “grandfathered in” so they are “fine”!!!

The decision made by the planning/zoning board was in every way arbitrary, and without reasonable consideration. At a time when unemployment hovers in the double digits and local and state budgets are reeling from diminished tax receipts, I fail to see how shutting down a perfectly successful and lawful business, adding several individuals to an already overburdened unemployment system, and denying services to essential workers who need pet care to meet the demands of the current health crisis will achieve anything positive for the City of McAllen. Nor would leaving me homeless, probably having to file for bankruptcy where I would lose a substantial amount of investment in the property as well as my Livelihood at a time when securing employment is at an all time low.  Denying me a permit will also affect my clientele who rely on our services for the care of their pups and will leave their pups without this service offered in our community.

I ask for your assistance in petitioning the City Commission to approve my conditional use permit so that I can continue to provide my services to the community. Please show that you support local small businesses and job creation over bureaucratic, arbitrary government actions taken by individuals without so much as a single hearing on my case.  

Sincerely,

MELISSA BURTON

Melissa’s Pet Services

Owner/Operator