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The Leavenworth County Humane Society announced Monday its acquisition of a piece of land in the county that the organization hopes will eventually serve as a center some of its operations.
The tract, an area of about 13.5 acres in a residential area of the city of Leavenworth, was donated to the LCHS by an anonymous donor when a friend informed him of a “Community Spotlight” feature on the LCHS in the Leavenworth Times, according to Crystal Swann Blackdeer, president of the LCHS. Blackdeer said the donor did not want the property to be used for commercial development.
“He wanted it to go to a good purpose,” she said.
The donation opens the way for the LCHS to establish a presence in the county with a permanent, physical office. That will help answer one of the most common questions that LCHS members have been getting since the organization was established in June 2009.
“Where are you located?” Blackdeer said.
With the physical location will come office hours — not 40 hours a week, she said, but likely staggered in order to meet the needs of people no matter the schedule.
“We won’t be intaking animals,” Blackdeer said of the location. “But we will be able to set up meet-and-greets with our adoptable pets.”
Blackdeer said having a centralized office for activities, dog training, meetings and other events will mean a smoother operation overall. It will also allow the LCHS to apply to become a United Way agency and receive Combined Federal Campaign funds.
However, it will take some work and some time to make it happen. Blackdeer said currently there are no structures existing on the land and while utilities are nearby, she said they will likely need to be extended to reach the building.
Because of its location in a residential area, Blackdeer said the property will also need work on the planning and zoning side.
“Plans are still being developed, and there is a lot of work to be done before we build anything on the property,” she said in a release. “We will work with the city of Leavenworth, and with neighbors, to maximize this opportunity, while respecting concerns for neighborhood quality of life.”
Blackdeer said the Community Animal Care Center, a planned “temporary refuge” with space for 70 dogs and 70 cats, will not likely be built on this land, as she said the LCHS continues to be committed to building that facility in a more centralized location in the county. But otherwise, she said the newly donated space is open to suggestions.
The Leavenworth County Humane Society announced Monday its acquisition of a piece of land in the county that the organization hopes will eventually serve as a center some of its operations.
The tract, an area of about 13.5 acres in a residential area of the city of Leavenworth, was donated to the LCHS by an anonymous donor when a friend informed him of a “Community Spotlight” feature on the LCHS in the Leavenworth Times, according to Crystal Swann Blackdeer, president of the LCHS. Blackdeer said the donor did not want the property to be used for commercial development.
“He wanted it to go to a good purpose,” she said.
The donation opens the way for the LCHS to establish a presence in the county with a permanent, physical office. That will help answer one of the most common questions that LCHS members have been getting since the organization was established in June 2009.
“Where are you located?” Blackdeer said.
With the physical location will come office hours — not 40 hours a week, she said, but likely staggered in order to meet the needs of people no matter the schedule.
“We won’t be intaking animals,” Blackdeer said of the location. “But we will be able to set up meet-and-greets with our adoptable pets.”
Blackdeer said having a centralized office for activities, dog training, meetings and other events will mean a smoother operation overall. It will also allow the LCHS to apply to become a United Way agency and receive Combined Federal Campaign funds.
However, it will take some work and some time to make it happen. Blackdeer said currently there are no structures existing on the land and while utilities are nearby, she said they will likely need to be extended to reach the building.
Because of its location in a residential area, Blackdeer said the property will also need work on the planning and zoning side.
“Plans are still being developed, and there is a lot of work to be done before we build anything on the property,” she said in a release. “We will work with the city of Leavenworth, and with neighbors, to maximize this opportunity, while respecting concerns for neighborhood quality of life.”
Blackdeer said the Community Animal Care Center, a planned “temporary refuge” with space for 70 dogs and 70 cats, will not likely be built on this land, as she said the LCHS continues to be committed to building that facility in a more centralized location in the county. But otherwise, she said the newly donated space is open to suggestions.
“We’re planning a really big meeting on the 23rd where we’ll work to sketch out everything that we want to do with the land,” Blackdeer said, referring to the next scheduled LCHS board meeting July 23.
After that, she said the society will have to start planning how to pay for the building projects. Blackdeer said there could be some opportunities for that — including a program at the University of Kansas in which architectural students design and build a structure.
While there is plenty of work to do and logistics to sort out, Blackdeer said getting that call about the donated land was both a big surprise and a big relief.
“We just think it’s a great step in the right direction,” she said.
