Elbert County to hear proposal for TPLO2GO veterinary clinic near Elizabeth Aug. 12

The Elbert County Board of County Commissioners is scheduled to hear a proposal for a TPLO2GO outpatient veterinary surgery clinic near Elizabeth at 1 p.m. Aug. 12. Available county records 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. The board is scheduled to hear from staff and the applicant, take public comment and discuss the proposal before making a decision.

The clinic is proposed for a 40-acre parcel zoned Agriculture along County Road 21. According to the updated county staff report, it would perform TPLO orthopedic procedures for dogs and cats, operate no more than five days a week and see no more than seven patients per day. The proposal calls for four to five employees, designated drop-off and pickup times and no overnight care, boarding, breeding, routine wellness visits, vaccinations or outdoor kenneling.

The site plan includes a gated commercial driveway from County Road 21 and a building about 370 feet from the road. County Public Works determined that no road improvements or traffic letter were required, but the driveway would have to meet county standards and receive inspection approval.

The clinic would use a tank holding up to 2,500 gallons of water supplied by a legal water-hauling company rather than the property’s existing residential well. It also would need a separate onsite wastewater treatment system approved and permitted by Elbert County Public Health. The staff report does not identify the water-hauling company or show that either system has been installed or approved.

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. If approved, it would require the applicant to remove public-notice signs, record required documents within 180 days, pay applicable fees, satisfy approval conditions and record the final SUR exhibit before the permit becomes effective.

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. He wrote that northbound vehicles routinely travel 50 to 60 mph. Available records do not document a county response or specific mitigation for the noise and property-value concerns.

County records also contain conflicting addresses. The public hearing notice and draft resolution identify the property as 37631 County Road 21, while portions of an earlier staff report identify it as 37361 County Road 21. The updated staff report uses 37631 but does not explain the discrepancy.

The 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.