New animal shelter design will be ‘basic’
Roger Varley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Council was provided an update Monday on the progress being made to construct the long-awaited new animal shelter for Uxbridge and Scugog.
Mike McCullough, who was hired as the project manager for the new shelter, told council that drawings for the building have been completed and an architect hired to develop the project. McCullough said it had been decided "to keep it as basic as we could."
An artistic rendering of the New Animal Shelter of Uxbridge - Scugog. Plans and architectural drawings have been completed; both township councils will continue to look for additional sources of funding so that the build stays on budget.
To that end, the new building will be constructed with insulate concrete forms to provide efficient insulation. McCullough said a brick-and-mortar building would cost as much as $10 million.
In a separate report, clerk Debbie Leroux said ICF building materials will generate cost savings related to heating and cooling. McCullough went into detail about the energy-efficient heating and cooling systems to be used in the building.
For the animals, there will be 12 regular sized kennels, two larger sized kennels and two (2) additional kennels that would be used to house overflow dogs or used as an isolation area. Outdoor dog runs are proposed to provide spacious exercise areas.
A designated cat area on the opposite side of the building will separate the dog and cat spaces, minimizing the impact of noise from barking dogs. A cat housing area adjacent to the front lobby will allow visitors to view cats available for adoption. It will also be used as an adoption space, allowing the public to interact with the cats and spend individual time with them. An outdoor cat enclosure is proposed to provide exercise and promote the health of cats during their stay at the shelter.
Leroux' report said a budget of $3.8 million has been set for completion of the building and exterior landscaping. Both Uxbridge and Scugog previously committed $540,000 each toward the project when it had an original estimated budget of $1.6 million. The remaining funds were to be provided through the NASUS donation, totaling $701,000. However, because of unforeseen costs, the project could not proceed as planned.
In 2022, Marilyn Ruth Rennie bequeathed $1.1 million towards shelter programs including capital construction. Leroux said that with the combined remaining contributions from NASUS and numerous other donations, there is currently $1,901,797 in donations being held in reserves for the construction of the new animal shelter. Leroux said the Region of Durham will be approached to issue a debenture to assist with the construction.
Mayor Dave Barton said he would like to see construction of the new shelter started this year.
Leroux said construction of the shelter will see as much material as possible sourced locally.