Waterford - While a controversial proposal to house a regional animal shelter at the Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center in Montville has figured prominently in recent public discussions, a local committee said Monday it would continue to investigate other options.

Members of the Waterford-East Lyme Animal Control Facility Study Ad Hoc Committee said they will compile a report of possible locations for a new animal control facility. The report, to be completed in June, will detail the sites, their pros and cons, and the committee's work to date.

"We need to, at least, make sure we've addressed all the potential sites we have," said First Selectman Dan Steward, who requested the report, at Monday's meeting. "I know Brett [Police Lt. Brett Mahoney] and Robert [Animal Control Officer Robert Yuchniuk] have looked at a lot of sites together, but I'd like to get a culmination of everything that the committee's done so we know where we stand."

Mahoney said Yuchniuk has a list of about 10 potential sites in town that he has considered over the years.

Waterford officials said they are also asking East Lyme for a list of potential town-owned locations for a facility. The two towns share an animal control facility housed in Waterford.

Nearly $200,000 raised

The committee, which formed about five years ago to study options to replace the aging and undersized facility, has raised a total of $194,838.88 for a proposed shelter.

Waterford and East Lyme, along with Montville and Ledyard, are exploring building a regional shelter for the four towns at Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center, and Waterford Police Chief Murray Pendleton and Mahoney addressed the proposal during a presentation to the Representative Town Meeting earlier this month.

In addition, Sen. Paul Formica, R-East Lyme, and State Rep. Ed Jutila, D-East Lyme, have proposed a bill in the General Assembly that intends to "create a regional animal control facility at the Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center where inmates may participate in the construction of such facility, when appropriate, and the care of animals housed at such facility."

A group of volunteers and supporters of the animal shelter have created a group on Facebook that opposes the regional shelter at the prison.

On Monday, the committee also introduced new members, Mahoney and Yuchniuk, appointed by the Board of Selectmen. The committee is hoping for representation from East Lyme and will hold off on elections of officers until the full committee is constituted, said member Yvette Savoy. The committee will also send a letter of appreciation to departing member Melissa Yuchniuk, who is the wife of Robert Yuchniuk.

After the meeting, Steward said that while Montville is an attractive site in many ways, the committee wants to make sure it considers other available sites. He explained that any open space in town, either town-owned or in some cases state-owned, could be considered a potential location for a shelter.

He said it's a matter of balancing pros and cons and finding the best location to house the animals that is also economically feasible.

k.drelich@theday.com

Twitter: @KimberlyDrelich