Neighbor concerns won't halt new Milton animal shelter

Milton Animal League

A 10-year dream to build a new Milton animal shelter is set to come to fruition this year, despite neighborhood concern.

Plans are in the works to build the $1.5 million shelter on town-owned land off Access Road. The 5,000-square-foot colonial building would be tucked into the lush landscape that abuts Granite Links Golf Course.

'There are some hurdles, but I think this can work. We're ready to address any concerns people may have,' said Linda Palmer, president of the Milton Animal League. 'It's worth saying we're concentrating on making the shelter a good neighbor, so it will be soundproof and odorproof and not disturb our neighbors.'

Two neighborhood meetings have brought out dozens of residents, many curious how the animal shelter move would work. Concerns varied from the look of the new facility, to the exact location of the facility on the land, to how it might function in a residential neighborhood.

'Neighbors just want to be kept in the loop,' said Milton Town Planner Bill Clark.

One abutter – the O'Neill family – has been very vocal in opposing the project, speaking out at the latest public meeting in late January. Neither Frank O'Neill nor Jim O'Neill returned calls for comment.

Clark said others have concerns about how noisy the dogs might be and what the outdoor area may look like, but the design of the building will mitigate any noise.

'The design of the building is such that it's self-contained,' Clark said. 'It's soundproof from the inside out. You won't be able to hear the dogs. It's also set up on the inside so that the dogs aren't left alone. They face each other.'

Outside areas will also be used under supervision, and mainly for families to take out to-be-adopted dogs.

Another neighborhood meeting will be planned to continue to iron out the issues, but regardless of the questions, Clark said a move is imminent.

The land the shelter is currently on is known as the 'Town Farm'. Donated to the town by Governor William Stoughton upon his death in 1701, the 40-acre parcel was required to be used for the town's poor.

The will's language was followed for nearly 300 years. The 'woodlot' was used initially to create jobs. In the 1840s, the land was a 'Poor Farm', where the poor of Milton came to live and work. The first highway department employees lived on the land, and over time the land and building were leased out, with proceeds going to help the poor, Clark said.

Yet in 1979, an animal shelter was built on the land, a use the Attorney General would later tell the town was in violation of the will.

Milton Animal League activists were left with a decision to either buy the land at fair market value from the town, so that the proceeds may go to the town's poor, or move. Plans have been in place since to look for a new facility.

The existing shelter has since deteriorated. Mold infiltrated some rooms and damaged several walls. Mice have chewed through other parts of the building that haven't been destroyed by leaking water.

'We were told a few years ago not to put any more money into the current building, because we did not have clear permission to rebuild there or to stay there,' Palmer said.

While the potential move has taken over a decade, the process was recently sped up by a pending decision in Probate Court. The court and the Attorney General have been asked if 30 of the remaining 34 acres – six were taken by the state for part of the Blue Hills Reservation – can be sold to homebuilder Pulte Homes.

Proceeds of the land sale would go to help the town's poor. A decision to ensure the plan fits with the 1701 will is due within weeks, Clark said.

Meanwhile, fund-raising efforts have been highly successful. Approximately $500,000 was raised privately and the Copeland Foundation donated $1 million.

The progress has prompted design and architecture plans for the shelter, set to accommodate approximately 12 dogs and 40 cats. Engineering plans will come once all the abutter issues are sorted, Clark said.

Clark said the building might go up as early as this summer, however Palmer estimated a more realistic schedule would be for the fall.

The timeline is exciting for many who have contributed time or funding to the shelter over the years, Palmer said.

'I do feel as though after many years, we can finally build something, build a shelter on a site that is available to us,' Palmer said. 'I'm cautiously optimistic. It's been a long time, and politics in Milton can be funny, but I'm very hopeful.'

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