Elbert County to consider TPLO2GO veterinary clinic near Elizabeth Aug. 12

The Elbert County Board of County Commissioners is scheduled to consider a proposed TPLO2GO outpatient veterinary surgery clinic near Elizabeth on Aug. 12. County records available as of Aug. 8 do not show that the hearing has occurred or that the permit has been approved.

The BOCC agenda lists Special Use by Review case SUR-2025-0002 for a 1 p.m. land-use hearing. The board is scheduled to hear from staff and the applicant, take public comment and discuss the proposal before making a decision.

The proposal would establish a small-animal surgery center on a 40-acre agricultural-zoned property along County Road 21. According to the county staff report, the clinic would specialize in TPLO orthopedic procedures for dogs and cats, operate no more than five days a week and see no more than seven patients per day. It would have four to five employees and would not provide overnight care, boarding, breeding, routine wellness visits, vaccinations or outdoor kenneling.

The Planning Commission voted 8-0 on Aug. 4 to recommend approval, the staff report says. That recommendation is separate from the BOCC's scheduled decision.

A draft resolution in the meeting materials contains proposed approval language, but it is not evidence that the board has acted. The document is marked for Aug. 12 and has blank resolution-number and AYE/NAY fields for Chair Mike Buck, Vice Chair Byron McDaniel and Commissioner Dallas Schroeder. No completed roll call, approved minutes, signed resolution or other retrospective record showing a BOCC vote was available as of Aug. 8.

If approved, the draft resolution would require the applicant to remove public-notice signs after the notified proceedings, record required documents within 180 days, pay applicable fees, satisfy approval conditions and record the final SUR exhibit before the permit becomes effective. The draft does not establish that any of those steps have been completed.

The project would also require additional infrastructure and permits. The staff report says a commercial driveway from County Road 21 must meet county standards and receive Public Works inspection and approval. The clinic would use a water-holding tank supplied by a legal water hauler rather than the property's existing residential well. A separate onsite wastewater system would need approval and a permit from Elbert County Public Health. Fire requirements include a 20-foot all-weather access road, a turnaround within 150 feet of the building, a Knox lock or lock box and a $1,480 impact fee before a building permit is issued.

Two neighboring residents spoke against the project at the Planning Commission hearing, citing traffic and the introduction of a commercial use, according to the staff report. In a July 28 public comment, William J. Steines raised concerns about nearby rural-residential property values, noise and the driveway's location just beyond a hill crest on County Road 21. He wrote that northbound vehicles routinely travel 50 to 60 mph.

The staff report says Public Works determined that no traffic letter or road improvements were required, while still requiring the driveway to comply with county standards and receive inspection approval. The available records do not document a county response or specific mitigation for the concerns about noise or property values.

The property address is inconsistent in county records. The public hearing notice and draft resolution identify it as 37631 County Road 21, while portions of the staff report identify the subject property or project site as 37361 County Road 21. The available records do not resolve the discrepancy.

The Aug. 12 hearing is scheduled for the BOCC Meeting Room at the Elbert County Administration Building, 215 Comanche St. in Kiowa. No final decision should be inferred before an official meeting record is available.