Rains keep coming: Kennel owner almost out of business

Kennel owner Laura Hudson never dreamed she would be sharing her living room with her boarders, but hard times have forced her to reassess her situation.

Because her kennel is flooded out, Hudson has moved a few dogs and cats inside her home. “It helps to pay some bills,” she says.

The utility room has been turned into a makeshift grooming area.

Hudson, who owns Stay Simply at Home grooming and boarding kennel off Yeshua Lane in Long Neck, has lost more than $12,000 in business, and since Nov. 11, the total is rising as much as the water. She lost all of her Christmas holiday boarding business, which is traditionally a busy time for her.

Although her story is unique, it’s not unusual as hundreds of property owners in the county are suffering from wet basements and crawl spaces, failed pumps and flooded yards. Many farmers are finding it impossible to get out on water-soaked fields.

Even with no rain the past few days, Hudson’s property is inundated with water. Part of her driveway remains under water, and her home is almost surrounded by water. The worst of the water is in the rear of the property where the kennel is located. She has built up part of the driveway to keep a path open to her home.

“We are the low area around here, but I have never seen this much water,” she said. “It’s very devastating.”

She was able to get to the ken nel area by crossing a makeshift walkway of old boards, but now they are floating in front of the kennel. Water damaged the kennel as well. Her kennel is located off Route 24 across from Long Neck Back Bay Shopping Center, the large commercial area that includes Harris Teeter.

Hudson’s water issues fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC). Currently, officials can offer no solution to her problem.

“And I was told there was no money to do work anyway,” she said.

Hudson said runoff water in the area drains through her property to Guinea Creek, which needs to be cleaned out.

“It seems they have money to fix the sand at the beach, but nothing for those of us who live here and pay taxes,” said Sally Weymouth of Selbyville, an employee of the kennel.

Hudson purchased flood insurance back in November, not long after water started to pile up around her property. “I got it just in case things got worse,” she said. And things did get much worse. After a 30-day waiting period, the insurance went into effect Dec. 16. She said an insurance adjuster has already visited her property. A large, vacant field for sale at the entrance to her property resembles a lake. Three other parcels in the area are proposed for development.

One parcel, owned by Alpaco V LLC, is the subject of a Thursday, Jan. 28 Sussex County Planning and Zoning hearing. The developer wants to build Deerbrook, a 135-lot subdivision on 57 acres, north of the kennel.

“I guess I will have to be a bad guy and oppose this until they get the water issue fixed,” Hudson said.

A zoning change from AR-1 to CR-1 was granted by county council April 29, 2008, for a 30-acre parcel on the west side of Route 24 at the intersection of Bay Farm Road, to make way for a boat storage and sales operation and a 14,000-square-foot pharmacy. That was a major downscale from the original project, Peninsula Square, proposed for a 127-acre-parcel for more than 240,000 square feet of commercial space and 606 residential units.

Although rezoning was approved, a formal final site plan has not been filed with the county, said Shane Abbott, assistant director of planning and zoning.

Baylis Estates, a subdivision on 77 acres southwest of the kennel, was approved in 2006 and has received the maximum three time extensions, which run out in October 2010, said Abbott.

State officials, during the state review of the projects, noted poor soils and drainage issues in the area west of Route 24.

The recent rains, snow and nor’easters have saturated the land and caused flooding in many low-lying areas in the Cape Region. Few are suffering as much as Hudson.

In an effort to help drain some water off the property, she had a local septic company pump out more than 40,000 gallons, but every rain has only made the flooding worse.

At times, the water has been more than 2 feet deep, she said.

Total rainfall in the Cape Region is more than 58 inches this year, which is nearly 14 inches above the average of 44.8 inches. It has been the wettest year of the past eight years, following two years of drought conditions with less than 40 inches of rain.

Rainfall in December has been nearly 7 inches, which is more than 4 inches above average.