|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
When Munish Manrao and his family moved into a home on Glencrag Way in Woodside, they brought their palomino horse, Bling. Two years later, they brought a second horse, Billie, onto the 0.45-acre property, which has about 8,000 square feet of equestrian space. And that’s where Manrao ran into trouble.
Woodside’s municipal code requires at least 1 acre of land for two horses. It’s a rule that local equestrians say is antiquated, but that Manrao’s next-door neighbor wants to see enforced.
A stable exception for Manrao was approved by the town’s Planning Commission in July, but thanks to an appeal, it will soon be facing the Town Council for a final decision.
Manrao said he learned that Woodside’s 1-acre rule aimed to prevent horses from overgrazing when they were kept in open spaces and would kick up dirt on hillsides, making areas prone to landslides. These days, the majority of horses are fed hay and kept in stables.
“As long as (horses) have adequate space, cleanliness, ventilation, the overall size of the property should not make that much difference,” said Nancy Atkinson, a member of the Livestock and Equine Heritage Committee.
Manrao said the recent approval of his stable exception, which would allow up to four horses per acre, could set a precedent for other Woodside equestrians seeking to build backyard barns on smaller properties. John Clark, his neighbor who filed the appeal, believes that this exception goes against the town’s guidelines and argues that town staff should be held accountable for enforcing them.
Clark also pointed out that stable permits are not transferable. Manrao said that he wasn’t aware of this rule and had no issues when he obtained his first permit by filing a name change on the previous owner’s renewal. He has continued to renew the permit under his name for 10 years, ever since he bought the property in 2015.
Every horse is required to have a permit in Woodside. Manrao said he didn’t know that he had to immediately obtain a permit for his second horse until Clark alerted the town staff about Billie, at which point he applied for a stable exception. Manrao explained that he was going to wait until the permit had to be renewed to change the number of horses from one to two.
When Manrao was contacted by the town about having an unpermitted horse, he was also told that he would need to file for a stable exception, which is reviewed by the Livestock Committee and Planning Commission, a process that can take weeks or months.
Neighbors and friends of the Glencrag home’s previous owner said at the Planning Commission meeting on July 15 that the property had always boarded two horses prior to Manrao moving in. Nextdoor neighbor Clark, however, disputed that claim.
“If there’s already horses allowed on the property, that number of horses should be allowed to stay on the property,” Atkinson told The Almanac.
“To all of a sudden eliminate one is definitely not fair,” said Aleta Reed, a friend of the previous owner at the Planning Commission meeting.
Clark said he is concerned that the town is not following its own rules, allowing for residents to bypass proper permitting processes due to historical use. With his appeal to the Town Council, he hopes to encourage staff to take the appropriate actions to officially change the code to address the number of horses allowed on lots of less than 1-acre.
“Don’t break the law, change it,” said Clark, who explained that if the Town Council denies his appeal, “every 0.45 acre lot in Woodside would be eligible for two horses.” His complaint is that “the process wasn’t done right.”
During the meeting, Planning Commissioner Daron Evans suggested that rules should be changed if Woodside’s goal is to be an equestrian community. Evans also spoke during the Town Council meeting on July 28, alerting the council members of an upcoming discussion on the issue, following Clark’s recent appeal.
Commissioner Matt Garr added that the antiquated 1-acre stable rule seems inconsistent with the general plan, which “aims to preserve, maintain and enhance Woodside as a small and unique, rural town,” and outlines a goal to promote and protect the town’s equestrian heritage.
“It’s a bit off that in an equestrian community, we’ve set a more restrictive standard for equestrian facilities than others,” Garr said. “We have more rights for our garages than a barn.”
Manrao said that if the Town Council grants Clark’s appeal, it would be detrimental to all backyard barns in Woodside. He said the existing code for two horses per acre cannot be the only reason to deny his or any other exception.
“(It) cannot be the only argument against keeping two horses. You have to point to the stable sizes, the paddocks,” Manrao said. “Because you can have 10 acres and have a horse shoved in the corner somewhere.”
Manrao said that, as he faces another review of his exception, he keeps his teenage daughter Sarah’s future in mind. Sarah is active in the equestrian community as a member of this year’s Woodside Junior Rodeo Royalty Court and a volunteer for Day of the Horse. Manrao said he hopes the town can change its codes to allow for stable permits to be transferable, making it easier for future generations to maintain horses on the property.
“I want to make it so I can transfer our horse permit to her, and she can continue to have two horses as she gets older, she can do that with her children, and so forth, as long as the overall conditions don’t change,” Manrao said.
