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CLINTON TWP — Township supervisors agreed to hold a hearing on a potential dog training center and introduced their new solicitor at their Wednesday, Feb. 8, meeting.

No date is set yet for the hearing on the center, but one is required because the land is currently zoned for industrial use. The property in question is in the community’s industrial park off Victory Road.

The dog training center, which is being proposed by the company Vartanian, will not be open to the public. Supervisors learned it will primarily be used in training dogs for shows and events.

While most of the training will be done inside, Kevin Corace, planning commission chairperson, said that one condition for use of the property will be to keep dogs leashed when they are outside.

“All their training is in the interior of the building,” Corace said. “And it’s one-on-one. If they are outside, they are on a leash from car to building, and that’s it.”

Among other conditions of use for the property will be noise restrictions, sanitary cleanup after the dogs and lighting restrictions, supervisors were told.

Also at the meeting, supervisors introduced new solicitor John Bench.

He has a background in real estate law and currently runs Bench Law based in Cranberry Township with his partner, Nicole Thurner. They have had the company for two years now.

“Our solicitor, John Bench, was hired the first of the year and comes highly recommended,” said chairperson Kathy Allen. “He’s experienced in municipal government and real estate.”

Bench is a special solicitor for multiple townships in Jefferson County and is the backup solicitor for the Slippery Rock zoning and hearing board. Prior to that, he worked seven years with the law firm Dillon, McCandless, King, Coulter & Graham based in Butler.

Bench is from the Pittsburgh region, having grown up in Ligonier Township in Westmoreland County. He earned his law degree from the University of Akron in 2006 after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 2003.

He was recommended to the position by former solicitor Sarah Hancher.

“I spoke to the former solicitor, and there’s been a number of issues that are outstanding that fall within my wheelhouse,” Bench said. “I’m excited to be here to help the people and the community.”