CHINA GROVE — During its Tuesday meeting, the China Grove Town Council took steps to enshrine permittance for veterinary services with indoor runs as an acceptable practice in the downtown business district.

Previously, language in China Grove by-laws permitted veterinary service operations inside the downtown district to have indoor runs and boarding kennels. However, when the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) of 2022 was established, it muddied the water about what was allowed by only specifying that no outdoor runs were permitted.

“In the UDO as of 2018, you will notice that in the CB zoning district, you will see that veterinary services were permitted by right, as well as animal services with indoor boarding kennels,” said Teresa Barringer, China Grove’s planning and development director. “I would say that this is less about adding something to the UDO as it is more to correct a conversion issue from when the UDO was updated.

“(When the UDO was updated), the criteria was then listed as veterinary services with outside runs and veterinary services with no outside runs,” Barringer said. “Both were not transferred over when the UDO was updated. I don’t know why … It was allowed previously as a by right.”

The action amended Chapter 7 of the zoning districts and permitted use table in the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to add veterinary services with indoor runs to the central business zoning district.

It also requires conditional zoning approval based upon the consistency with the future land use plan, namely the state goal to provide a diverse mix of industry and businesses that builds up on the area economy.

The North American Industry Classification System identifies veterinary services as compatible with other service type uses currently permitted in China Grove. As Barringer noted, various other such services are already in operation in the downtown commercial business district, including one that provides veterinary care.

“We already have the South Rowan Animal Hospital at the corner of Church and North Main (streets), a veterinary service with no outside runs,” Barringer said. “We also have other services like Rowan County Rescue, South Rowan Academy Childcare Services, China Grove Fire Department, Salon Arabella, Nana Cleaners and South End Barber Shop. Many of these are service-type uses being provided for our citizens. As we evaluated this change of UDO, we determined and felt that it was compatible with other uses in our downtown.”

Barringer pointed out that having such a service in the downtown area could be a boon for business.

“One advantage, if you have pets and bring them to the downtown area for treatment, salon, grooming, what have you, that will encourage our citizens to have lunch or go out shopping, so it is still a benefit to our downtown,” Barringer said.