AWSOM's Stroud Township Expansion Wins Planning Approval, Heads to Supervisors

The Animal Welfare Society of Monroe won a recommendation of approval for its preliminary and final land development from Stroud Township's planning commission on October 28, leaving a few details before work can start in spring 2027. Yahoo reported the recommendation. The expansion would effectively double the size of the animal welfare organization.

What the Stroud Township Planning Commission Backed

The township supervisors will make a final decision at their November 17 meeting. Rich Homar, president of AWSOM's board of directors, said the remaining items are "small modifications" and other minor details, and that some issues raised at the township's September zoning hearing board meeting have already been handled.

Homar described a septic evaluation and inspection by Allstate Septic, including a meter reading to confirm the system could serve the added facility. "We're averaging 500 gallons a day; the system has the capacity to do 800 gallons, so we're anticipating we should be well under the daily capacity of the septic system with the new addition," he said. Homar also cited a stormwater drainage matter he said would not be a problem and a sidewalk requirement to be addressed at an upcoming board of supervisors meeting.

In September, Stroud Township's zoning hearing board granted a dimensional variance to enlarge a nonconforming structure and a special exception to expand a nonconforming use at AWSOM's property at 3129 Godfrey Ridge Drive in Stroudsburg. Homar said the October 28 planning commission meeting drew almost no public attendance: "Nobody was there protesting against this project at all."

The project is set to include a new dog kennel room, cat room, break room, shelter office, files and records room, cat and dog quarantines, a feline HIV room, and expanded meeting and storage space, covering about 1,800 feet on the first floor. A second floor may include meeting and storage space. Homar said AWSOM has applied for grants through the Pennsylvania Local Share Account program and is looking at using funds on hand to assemble bid proposals for land development work. "We have a bunch of fundraising to do," he said on November 2.

Other Planning Approvals This Fall

San Francisco Planning Department approved Hudson Pacific Properties' application to convert a 115-year-old building at 901 Market St. Into 136 housing units, Bisnow reported on October 23. Costco applied for a municipal license to build a 15,000-square-meter store, gas station and 825 parking spaces in Siero's industrial park, an investment exceeding €25 million that Eleconomista reported on October 25. Southington's Planning and Zoning commission unanimously approved a project for CAVA and Panda Express restaurants in a 5,020-square-foot building, the Hartford Business Journal reported on November 2.

AWSOM's Next Steps After November 17

The supervisors' November 17 meeting is the next scheduled decision on the land development. AWSOM anticipates starting work in spring 2027, and Homar said on November 2 that the organization is still assembling bid proposals for the land development work.