Nevada County Animal Shelter Plan Opens for Review

GRASS VALLEY – Nevada County’s proposed animal shelter on La Barr Meadows Road would bring animal housing, adoptions, and veterinary care together at a new county-owned facility. The county is taking public comments on its environmental study, and its facilities plan puts estimated completion in 2029.

The proposal filed with the state would occupy part of a 20.22-acre county property on the west side of La Barr Meadows Road, next to the Nevada County Operations Center. The site is roughly two driving miles from downtown Grass Valley.

Nevada County, Grass Valley, and Nevada City are pursuing the regional shelter together. The county’s 2026–2031 Capital Facilities Master Plan says existing facilities have reached the end of their useful lives and would be uneconomical to reuse. County shelter services continue at the McCourtney Road location while the partners work on the replacement.

The proposed main building would have approximately 14,819 square feet of heated and cooled space, plus a secure animal-transfer area. A separate barn of about 1,000 square feet would serve large animals.

Drawings in the environmental study show long, low wings with sloping roofs and a taller, glass-fronted entrance. Inside, plans separate intake, adoption, quarantine, and isolation functions. The veterinary clinic would include surgery, X-ray, and recovery areas. The study describes room for approximately 31 dogs; the large-animal area would include a fenced paddock and space for trucks and horse trailers.

Nevada County is the proposed builder and operator. Facilities Director Justin Drinkwater is listed as the project applicant, and LDA Partners is the architect.

At the existing shelter, the county and Sammie’s Friends divide responsibilities under an arrangement launched in November 2025. The county oversees operations, while the nonprofit coordinates volunteers, manages foster programs, and facilitates adoptions, according to the county’s October account of the partnership.

The immediate step for the new facility is review of a draft “mitigated negative declaration.” That document sets out the county’s proposed finding that environmental effects can be reduced below significant levels through required safeguards. After comments close November 30, the county plans a publicly noticed hearing to consider the environmental document.

One proposed safeguard would require written approval or clearance from the California Department of Toxic Substances Control before grading, building, or other applicable construction permits, reflecting the site’s mining history. An adjacent area contains capped mine waste; the study calls for marking its boundaries to prevent disturbance.

The facilities plan schedules $1.5 million for design in the 2026–27 fiscal year and $13 million for construction across 2027–28 and 2028–29. Those figures total $14.5 million in projected spending during the plan’s five-year period. The plan identifies financing as the funding source and says projects and expenditures will go to the Board of Supervisors for approval as funding allows. Its 2029 completion date is a planning estimate.

Written comments on the environmental study are due by 5 PM Pacific on November 30. They may be emailed to Assistant Planner Aleena Church at aleena.church-cda@nevadacountyca.gov or mailed to the Nevada County Planning Department, 950 Maidu Avenue, Suite 170, Nevada City, California 95959. The project numbers are PLN26-0117 and EIS26-0011.