The North Providence Planning Board on Dec. 10 declined to endorse a proposed zoning change that would broadly allow daytime dog day care in commercial zones and instead directed staff to draft objective design standards for the use.

The proposal, presented by an attorney for the property owner at 1895 Smith Street, would add a use code defining a dog day care as a business that temporarily cares for dogs during daytime hours. The applicant said the tenant would operate fully indoors and would not include overnight boarding. Board members raised concerns about outdoor play areas, noise and odor mitigation, parking demand at peak drop‑off and pick‑up times, and appropriate caps on the number of animals per facility.

Planner Brent and Planning Board member Gary Arasian outlined options: make the use permitted by right with tightly prescriptive design criteria or require a special‑use permit with objective standards. Several members, including Lou DiLucio and Warren Ritchie, emphasized that outdoor play areas can cause smell and noise impacts and should be handled by a permitting process or by clear yard and setback rules. Others favored by‑right approval if objective standards (square feet per dog, ventilation, odor suppression, screening and hours of operation) are written into a supplemental section of the zoning ordinance so many operators would not need to pursue a site‑by‑site permit.

"I think a residential buffer should be considered," Chair David Parente said, urging strong screening and time restrictions for outdoor use to protect neighbors. Warren Ritchie and others suggested consulting the town animal control facility and reviewing other towns' ordinances for minimum kennel sizes and per‑dog area standards.

The planning board stopped short of a formal recommendation and voted to have staff, with input from board member Gary Arasian and others, prepare a revised definition and a new subsection with objective design criteria for the board's January review. The item will return to the board for further consideration and possible recommendation to the Town Council.