Construction on a regional animal shelter is full steam ahead with a projected completion date in May and a likely relocation shortly after that.
The new $6.3 million Staunton Augusta Waynesboro Animal Shelter at a former elementary school in Verona will replace the current shelter in Lyndhurst.
The administration building is now 75 percent complete, according to Candy Hensley, Augusta County assistant administrator. The admin building will include offices, intake, a lobby, community pet pantry, volunteer room, grooming, medical, dish washing and laundry areas. In the admin area, a first coat of paint has been applied, and floor installation is under way. Mechanical, electrical, plumbing and IT cabling are almost done. Work is also taking place on a new public entrance.
The cat intake, isolation and adoption areas are 60 percent complete.
The areas for dog intakes, isolation, court holds and adoptions still have the majority of work unfinished, according to Hensley. Both are at 30 to 35 percent complete.
The site will also include four dog play yards, a fenced-in livestock area and a pen for pot-bellied pigs.
Making plans for the move
Currently, a new Memorandum of Understanding document is being revised for the cities of Staunton and Waynesboro as well as Augusta County.
Hensley said the shelter will move soon after completion and the final inspection.
“We are starting to plan for moving now,” she said. “We will know the date as we get closer.”
The animal shelter staff are eager to make the move. The square footage of the shelter is expected to increase from 5,000 to 39,000 square feet.
“We’ve been anticipating the move for a while now and are excited that the project is nearing completion,” said Jon Hilbert, executive director of the animal shelter, currently known as Shenandoah Valley Animals Services Center, or SVASC.
“We are currently in the beginning stages of planning the move but expect to move the animals with the help of animal control and shelter staff and will staff the new location with shelter staff while we close down the location in Lyndhurst.
“Services will remain the same, but we hope to expand community engagement and outreach with the new location,” he said.
The building should be “substantially complete” when the occupancy permit is given, Hensley said.
“There may be a final punch list the contract will be working on after that.”
Progress photos
To follow the project online, visit https://augustacountyva.civilspace.io/en/projects/saw-animal-shelter-project-in-verona
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Crystal Graham
