Date: Fri 09-May-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Pacheco-Bridle-open-space

Full Text:

Conservation Panel To Consider Dispute Between Property Owner and Bridle Group

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

A local man and a horseback riding group are at odds over the group's proposal

to cut some vegetation from open space land near the man's home so that horses

can be easily ridden in the area.

Richard Pacheco of Old Purdy Station Road objects to the Newtown Bridle Lanes

Association's proposal to cut a trail for recreational horseback riding on a

nine-acre, town-owned open space parcel adjacent to his yard.

He also asserted that comments attributed to him in a story on the issue in

the April 25 edition of The Bee were not true. The article stated that Mr

Pacheco wouldn't allow people to cross the strip of town-owned open space that

abuts his land, requiring them to use a nearby, privately-owned dried stream

bed. He said this week that he has never disputed the right of the public to

use the open space. He said he does object to the Bridle Lanes Association

coming in and disturbing the environment to create a trail.

"What authority do they [association] have to cut?," Mr Pacheco asked this

week. "The whole issue is `Who has the right to cut on open space?'" he said.

Mr Pacheco said he cuts a lawn section of open space land adjacent to his

Purdy Station Road property so area children can have recreational space.

Mr Pacheco said the horseback riding group wants to cut down trees so that

members can ride horses through the open space.

The association, however, sees it differently.

David McCauley, an association board member, said the group only wants to cut

a few dozen pieces of vegetation, including "shrubs" and "branches." All the

vegetation that the association wants to cut is less than one inch in

diameter, Mr McCauley said.

Mr Pacheco questions why the association has termed the piece of open space

land next to his property a "vital link" in the local horse trail network.

The property is "vital" in the sense that it can be included in the town's

greenways network of open space land, according to Mr McCauley.

Mr Pacheco said the association wants to cut a horse path straight through a

swampy area.

Mr McCauley responded the trail would go along the edge of the swamp.

Mr Pacheco said he wants the Conservation Commission to prevent the bridle

association from cutting a trail on the open space near his house.

The group has other trails it can use for riding, he said. He also noted that

the land near his property can be used for horseback riding without doing any

cutting.

If the Conservation Commission gives the association permission to cut

vegetation, then everyone should have permission to cut on open space,

according to Mr Pacheco, terming the matter an equal rights issue.

"We're asking the Conservation Commission to make some sense out of the whole

thing," he said.

Mr McCauley said the association has had the open space land surveyed to learn

its exact boundaries. But shortly after it was surveyed, someone ripped up the

surveyor's stakes from the property, he said.

Mr McCauley said he's not interested in riding a horse across Mr Pacheco's

property. He added that because he is a visible member of the bridle

association, he's being portrayed by Mr Pacheco as the "bad guy" in the

conflict.

"I think it's become a personal fight between him (Pacheco) and me," Mr

McCauley said.

"We've had excellent relationships with land owners in town and we try very

hard to be the good guy," Mr McCauley said. The association doesn't use big

equipment when it cuts on open space land, he said.

"The big issue seems to be `What is open space?'" he said. Related issues

concern who can use open space, and how can it be used, he said.

Mr McCauley said he hopes the Conversation Commission soon resolves the

controversy.

Chrys Emery, president of the bridle group, said the controversy concerns an

issue broader than the bridle group's use of a specific piece of open space

for horseback riding.

"It's an open space issue" concerning the use of open space by the public in

general, she said.

The association will abide by the decision the Conservation Commission makes,

Mr McCauley said.

The Conservation Commission may address the matter on May 14.