Dog daycare proposed for the old Scriven Press site — hearing continues July 20

The Town of Schaghticoke Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) held a public hearing on July 2 on a proposal to reopen the long-vacant building at 100 Eastover Road — the former Scriven Press (Scriven Duplicating) building, on the northeast corner of Route 40 and Eastover Road — as a dog grooming and doggy daycare business.

No decision was made. The Board kept the hearing open and continued it to a special meeting, so residents and the applicant can still be heard.

The zoning question

The town code defines a “kennel” as any place caring for four or more dogs for a fee — language that appears to sweep in a daycare — but a kennel isn’t a permitted use in the Hamlet zoning district, where the building sits. The applicant is asking the Board either to interpret the business as a “personal service” use (which the district does allow with a special permit), or to grant a use variance. Any approval would still need Planning Board site plan review.

What neighbors raised

Concerns from neighbors centered on:

Noise — barking, and whether there would be overnight boarding. The applicant said there would be no overnight or weekend boarding and no kenneling — daytime hours only, dogs supervised and kept mostly indoors, with outdoor time in a fenced rear yard set back from the Route 40 frontage.
Traffic and sight lines at the Route 40 / Eastover intersection, which drop-off times would overlap with the commute. Officials noted Route 40 is a state highway, so the town has limited authority and would have to petition the state.
Parking overflow near the intersection, and how many dogs the operation might handle.

How to weigh in

This is the part that matters if you have an opinion:

Written comments are open for two weeks after the July 2 hearing (through about July 16). The Board extended the window on purpose because the hearing fell on the July 4th holiday weekend. Comments may be mailed or emailed to the Town Clerk — see the Government page for contact details, or the town website’s Public Hearings / Public Notices tab.
The hearing continues at a special meeting on Monday, July 20, 2026, at 6:00 PM at Town Hall, 290 Northline Drive, Melrose. It’s open to the public.

Because the hearing is already open and noticed, the matter can be decided at the continued date, so July 20 is the meeting to attend if you want to be heard in person.

This account is drawn from an unofficial summary of the hearing; figures and code citations should be confirmed against the Town’s official minutes. For how the ZBA works and its members, see the Government page; related Route 40 safety concerns are collected in our Route 40 issue.