The Animal Protective Foundation is hosting its 20th annual Fireplug 500 Walk for Animals on Saturday, Sept. 8, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Central Park in Schenectady.
Town grants APF expansion
continued — The Glenville Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday, Aug 13, awarded a conditional approval to the APF for its proposed 4,200-square-foot addition. Two days later, the Town Board approved a rezoning for the property to General Business and SEQR application.
The town rezoned the APF’s property in 2001 to a Research, Development and Technology zoning classification, which doesn’t permit its proposed business usage. Since the town rezoned the property, which the APF has been located at for several years prior to the change, it has been out of compliance with the zoning.
Supervisor Christopher Koetzle applauded the zoning change and project.
“This is actually in line with our comprehensive plan,” Koetzle said. “There seems to be no negative impacts … I think this is a great thing for the APF.”
The project includes an expanded spay and neuter clinic. Also, a new reception area would be built with improvements to the existing 9,000 square-foot structure.
“We’re ready to go,” Rosalie Ault, executive director of the APF, said after the meeting. “We’ve been waiting.”
The facility does spay and neuter stray cats and dogs, but only owned cats can receive services due to its limited space. The organization spays and neuters around 3,000 cats annually, and it’s hoping to double that number after the expansion.
The project construction and upgrades to equipment and facilities is estimated to total around $1 million, according to Ault, and the nonprofit has raised more than $400,000 toward it.
Funds raised from the Fireplug 500 Walk for Animals do not go toward the proposed expansion project but support general operations. The APF is running a separate capital campaign to raise funds for the expansion.
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