North Central Animal Hospital, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2015, is looking to add a grooming and boarding business next door to its clinic at 20 W. Dunlap Ave.

Hillary Frank, DVM, purchased the building next door several years ago but was waiting until the market was right and her finances were in place to expand her business. She will bring on additional, professional staff for grooming services and longer-term boarding. Right now the only boarding offered at the animal hospital is for pets that require daily medications and special care while their owners are out of town. The new facility will be open to all pet families.

Frank is seeking to rezone the property, which is a total of .74 acres, from commercial office and residential, to C-1 commercial neighborhood retail. The vacant building on the site was previously used as an office.

According to the site plan submitted by Frank, the total percentage of the kennel area to board animals is 8 percent of the gross floor area, far under the 25 percent allowed under the C-1 zoning district.

A hearing is scheduled before the Phoenix Planning Commission at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 3, and the City Council will make its final determination on the rezoning request at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 6. Comments can be sent to City of Phoenix Planning Department, Zoning Section, 200 W. Washington St., 2nd Floor, Phoenix, AZ, 85003. Reference case number Z-80-15.