DEERFIELD — The Friends of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Regional Dog Shelter will come before Deerfield’s regulatory boards in the coming weeks, as the nonprofit seeks to construct an 8,000-square-foot shelter on a 13.4-acre parcel of land off Plain Road East.

With the land it bought in Deerfield, acquired for $135,000 in late March 2024, the nonprofit that was formed to raise money for the shelter’s services is looking to expand its space and greatly increase the number of services offered, according to the permit application. The shelter is currently located at 10 Sandy Lane in Turners Falls, but the structure is in decline, with deteriorating walls, insufficient insulation, chipped floors and several major roof leaks. The site, a former Department of Public Works garage built in 1977, was intended to be temporary space for the shelter.

Dog shelter representatives declined to comment ahead of permitting proceedings, citing respect for the process. Permit application details can be found on Deerfield’s website at bit.ly/419Tqvp. The process will kick off with the Planning Board holding a site plan review at its March 3 meeting at 7 p.m., although a request for determination of applicability will come before the Conservation Commission on Feb. 27.

The nonprofit has applied to construct a roughly 8,000-square-foot building — its current site in Turners Falls has about 1,570 square feet of functional space and 580 square feet of storage space — with indoor and outdoor kennels, larger dog runs, and parking for staff, volunteers and visitors. The total land area of the parcel is about 13.47 acres, although the total disturbed land will be about 2.5 acres.

“We have eight kennels for dogs, no space for cats and there is no contiguous land available for the construction of a larger facility,” the Friends of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Regional Dog Shelter’s permit application reads. “With a new building on the land off Plain Road in Deerfield, we will be able to meet current and future needs by doubling our dog capacity and adding 16 cat enclosures. In addition, there will be several isolation enclosures for animals who are ill or cannot be handled.”

The project will involve a site plan review with the Planning Board, a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals and a determination of applicability with the Conservation Commission. It will also need a stormwater permit from the Planning Board.

The shelter has four full-time and two part-time staff, as well as a roster of up to 40 volunteers, although only six to 10 people will be in the building at a time. According to the permit application, traffic impact is expected to be minimal, as five to 10 employee/volunteer vehicles will be parked on site at any given time and visits from the public are typically by appointment.

Plans for the project, which on its westerly edge abuts Interstate 91, show the entryway at the end of Plain Road East, away from the area of the intersection of Mill Village Road and Routes 5 and 10. The construction will also include all necessary infrastructure upgrades, including a water main extension and septic system.

“This project represents a significant step forward in providing a safe, comfortable and enriching environment for the animals in the care of the shelter, while also serving as a valuable resource for the community,” the project impact statement submitted by Berkshire Design Group reads. “We feel this site and work have been designed so as to minimize potential impacts to resource areas and abutting properties.”

There will be several large exercise pens for the dogs to play in when weather is nice and all dogs are in their kennels by 6 p.m. The newest addition to the shelter’s array of services will be its ability to take in cats, which will remain indoors at all times.

The Friends of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Regional Dog Shelter said the new shelter would greatly increase its capacity to care for the region’s animals, which receive “one-on-one attention with frequent play time, training and beds in staff offices.”

“Our shelter takes in strays, owner-surrenders, and assists local authorities and the District Attorney’s Office with animal cruelty cases. … By helping these animals become healthy and socialized, we can greatly reduce the risk they would otherwise pose to the community,” the permit application reads. “Ultimately, our shelter provides a public service and the sheriff, [her staff] and the volunteers are dedicated to their work in the community.”

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.