Bellaire City Council members failed to make a decision on where to house a new dog pound after suggestions were made for city staff to investigate alternative and more viable options besides the two that were presented by the Bellaire Police Department on Jan. 23.
The initial idea to replace and relocate the city’s dog pound came more than a year ago when council members first asked their police department for suggestions back in November 2021. At the January 2023 meeting, Chief of Police Onesimo Lopez Jr. presented two options: one on an undeveloped property owned by the city at 1311 N. 1st St., Bellaire, which Chief Lopez mentioned was a seven-minute drive from the Bellaire Police Station. The potential site would be situated in an industrial center and would cost at least an estimated $300,000, not including costs associated with compliance or zoning requirements.
The second option was for a site located at an undeveloped property owned by Texas Pipe & Supply, also in an industrial area outside of city limits, roughly 11 minutes away from the police station, at 2328 W. Bellfort, Houston. In terms of costs, this option would include a $100,000 donation from the Jerry and Maury Rubenstein Foundation, leaving about $35,000 responsible from the city.
A lengthy discussion on both the pros and cons between both options transpired between Mayor Andrew Friedberg and fellow council members.
“The tail’s wagging the dog here. I don't want to change zoning to fit a dog pound,” Mayor Andrew Friedberg said.The Bellaire Police Department has operated the city’s dog pound facility at 4300 Edith St. for nearly 50 years. The facility can house up to five dogs in separate fenced enclosures and, according to the city, averages at least three dogs a day.
The following are pros and cons mentioned during the meeting:
First Street Option
Pros: city of Bellaire owns the land which could help with decision-making associated with the property; closer proximity to police station, value in keeping police and dog pound volunteers close to the city.
Cons: zoning conflicts; neighboring business complaints of dog barking; estimated cost of $300,000 versus $35,000 for West Bellfort option; with it being city property, more time would be needed for approval of variances and proposals associated with the new building.
West Bellfort Option
Pros: $100,000 Rubenstein Foundation donation; turnkey project; 24-hour security because it would exist on Texas Pipe & Supply land
Cons: safety precautions; inconvenience due to extra travel time and resources needed for police officers and dog pound volunteers to travel outside city limits, less control of site.
Mayor Friedberg acknowledged the time passed for council members to reach a decision.
“Members of the public are saying, 'Well, you know why are we still not making a decision?' Yes, we acknowledge it has taken us some time as I tried to state earlier, though, at least speaking for myself. It’s more important, we get it right then [and] try to just pick from one option.”
Rebecca Roberts-Newton grew up in Bellaire and is one of the founders from Friends of the Bellaire Pound, a non-profit, volunteer network that assists with Bellaire police to find homes for the dogs in the pound. After going to multiple city council meetings since 2021 and speaking on behalf of safety circumstances with the dog pound, Roberts-Newton decided that the Jan. 23 meeting will be the last one she attends until a more drastic decision about the future of the dog pound is made.
“Disappointed would be an understatement that a decision wasn’t made. I was talking in the lobby with the city manager and the chief of police before the meeting, and I just said, ‘listen, you know, whichever way this shakes out, you know, option one or option two, we are just so thrilled to be here, and so excited. We've been petitioning for this, since a dog named McFlurry died a really gruesome death in the pound in August of 2021,'” Roberts-Newton said.
She still gives credit to city staff for all their work in getting options fully prepared for city council to vote on a decision. At the end of the day, she said, the ongoing conversations between all parties involved are just part of the democratic process, especially for Bellaire residents who want “to have a voice in community government.”
“We're very passionate about this issue. Some people are very passionate against this issue, and that's completely fine. As long as everybody can be respectful and express those opinions in a respectful manner,” she said.
