P&Z Hears From Supporters Of Revised Horse Farm Plan

By Andrew Gorosko

In a scaled-down proposal, the owners of a controversial Sandy Hook horse farm are seeking Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) approval to commercially board horses, train those horses, and train their riders.

 Annette Sullivan, the proprietor of Zoar Ridge Stables at 5 Morgan Drive, a dead-end street off Jeremiah Road, is seeking P&Z approval for a special exception to the zoning regulations to keep up to 15 horses on the 30-acre property near Lake Zoar.

Many property owners living in the Stone Gate Drive area, just west of the horse farm, have strongly protested several previous, more elaborate versions of the horse farm’s horse boarding and training proposals submitted during the past two years. Those proposals involved construction of an indoor horse arena at the farm. Complaining neighbors have charged that allowing expanded horse farm operations would damage their quality of life. 

Last May, the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) turned down a proposal from Mrs Sullivan to construct a 9,864-square-foot indoor horse arena for “personal use” on the farm.

In June 1999, in light of strong neighborhood opposition, the P&Z turned down Mrs Sullivan’s proposal to build a 10,368-square-foot arena for “commercial use,” to construct a 720-square-foot barn, and to build a 1,728-square-foot addition to an existing barn. Mrs Sullivan sued the P&Z over that denial, but the P&Z prevailed in court.

At a November 16 P&Z public hearing on Mrs Sullivan’s request for horse board and training, many horsemen spoke in favor of her current scaled-down proposal.

However, an attorney representing opponents of the proposal said that at a future installment of the hearing he will present a petition seeking to raise the voting standard for approving the proposal from a 3-to-2 simple majority of the P&Z to a so-called 4-to-1 “super majority.”

Attorney John Fallon of Fairfield, who represents Robert and Donna Sapienza of 6 Stone Gate Drive and Christopher and Meg Maurer of 12 Stone Gate Drive, said he will object on the grounds that Mrs Sullivan is seeking to run a commercial enterprise in a residential area, where such a land use does not fit in with the residential character of the neighborhood. Mr Fallon charged that the P&Z’s standards for a special exception for allowing such a use are not met by the Sullivan proposal. 

Mr Fallon said he also plans to raise environmental concerns about the horse farm proposal at the second installment of the hearing scheduled for December 14.

The November 16 public hearing, which included many people speaking in favor of the horse farm proposal, ran late into the night, resulting in Mr Fallon asking that the hearing be continued at a future meeting.

P&Z members received a letter from Larry and Maureen Berk of 1 Sweetbriar Lane, which is east of Morgan Drive. In the letter, the Berks state their opposition to the horse-boarding and training proposal.

“We feel that a business endeavor of this nature will bring significant additional traffic onto Jeremiah Road,” the Berks wrote in the November 7 letter. The couple raised the issue of waste disposal posed by the presence of horse manure. “This business doesn’t belong in a residential neighborhood,” the Berks wrote.

Horse Proposal

Attorney Robert Hall, representing Mrs Sullivan, said that Mrs Sullivan and her husband, Brian, are limiting the proposal to the “bare bones” needed to operate a horse farm. “It is the basic version of a horse farm,” Mr Hall said.

Mr Hall submitted a horse manure management plan to the P&Z, describing how the waste generated by 15 horses at Zoar Ridge Stables would be handled by waste composting and by waste removal. The hours of operation at the farm would be 8 am to 9 pm on Mondays through Saturdays, and 10 am to 6 pm on Sundays.

Mr Hall noted that although Zoning Enforcement Officer Gary Frenette in December 1999 approved construction of an indoor horse arena at the farm, the ZBA later rejected that approval. The Sullivans decided against appealing that ZBA rejection in court, instead opting to pursue running a “bare bones” horse farm, Mr Hall said.

Existing lighting at the farm is being shielded to prevent the direct rays of electric lamps from leaving the premises, he said.

Also, the Sullivans have erected fences along their property line with Stone Gate Drive properties to address neighbors’ concerns, he said.

Mr Hall said Mrs Sullivan has obtained petition signatures, representing more than two dozen properties in the general area, including the residents of Morgan Drive, which endorse her proposal.

The Sullivans’ proposal represents a good use of the property, Mr Hall said, adding that wooded areas surround the site. “We’re trying to convince you that this facility belongs here,” he told P&Z members, adding that the proposal meets the provisions of applicable zoning regulations.

Mrs Sullivan told P&Z members she owns six horses, adding that she only seeks to operate a small boarding stable. The property would hold a total 15 horses, she said. The property currently has no boarded horses, she said. The farm now has various barnyard animals, including a goat, two donkeys, two ponies, ducks, chickens, and a rooster, she said.

Manure would be removed from horse stalls and pastures and stored in a covered dumpster for pickup. Other manure would be composted to provide fertilizer for the property.

Engineer Alan Shepard, representing Mrs Sullivan, said plans call for creating a small paved area for parking, which would hold seven vehicles.

In response to criticism from neighbors over past horse farm proposals, Mrs Sullivan now proposes moving a manure storage area closer to her home, he said. The Stone Gate Drive and Jeremiah Road areas are within a different watershed than the proposed manure storage area, Mr Shepard said.

 Although the zoning regulations would allow Mrs Sullivan to seek to keep 28 horses on the site, she is only requesting permission to keep 15 horses, Mr Shepard said.

Mr Shepard said the town health department has endorsed the horse farm proposal.

“I think it’s [horse farm] a good use. I think the Sullivans have gone above and beyond what the neighbors have asked of them,” he said.

The proposed use of the property would not pose any contamination problems to nearby domestic water wells, he said.

Real estate appraiser Frank O’Neill, representing Mrs Sullivan, said a home’s proximity to a horse farm has no effect on that home’s market value. All local horse farms exist in residential areas, he said.

Supporters’ Comments

The Sullivan proposal for horse boarding and training drew many supporters at the public hearing.

Resident Rosemary Zanfini of 8 Stone Gate Drive said Zoar Ridge Stables provides her with a beautiful view of a horse farm. There are no odor problems and the premises are well kept, she said. Proximity to a horse farm has improved her property’s value, she said. Mrs Zanfini said she enjoys living in a lightly settled area, after having lived on Long Island.

Resident Harvey Lannak of 3 Morgan Drive said the Sullivans have been good neighbors to him, adding that the past presence of boarded horses at Zoar Ridge Stables posed no problems for him. Mr Lannak endorsed the horse-boarding and training proposal.

Similarly, resident George Fitzgerald, a horseman, endorsed the Sullivan application.

Resident John Folger of Huntingtown Farm, at 129 Huntingtown Road, who is a former New Yorker, said he moved to Newtown for its rural quality, and endorsed the Sullivan’s concept of family farming. Mr Folger said he had encountered some objections from a neighbor of his horse farm concerning lighting on the farm, adding that he was able to resolve the problems.

Jane Nickerson of 20 Bridle Path Trail, the chairman of the Newtown Bridle Lands Association, told P&Z members that if the town is serious about preserving local open space land, it should approve the Sullivan proposal. Many local children participate in horseback riding as a sport, she said. People in the horse community are closely watching how the P&Z handles the Sullivan application, she said.

Resident Joyce Staudinger of 55 Pole Bridge Road, who is an adjacent property owner who keeps livestock, said the presence of a horse farm is good.

Resident Robert Boles of 39 Aunt Park Lane, also known as Whispering Birch Farm, said his wife submitted a similar horse farm application in the past, which was approved by the P&Z. That proposal attracted similar opposition from neighbors, he said. Mr Boles endorsed the Zoar Ridge Stables proposal.

Resident Toby Tamblyn of 11 Orchard Hill Road described the Sullivan property as a model farm that is well maintained, in supporting the proposal.

Resident Ann Sullivan of 5 Bradley Lane, who endorsed the proposal, said she would hate to see the Sullivan farm become a residential subdivision, if the proposal is not approved.

Kathryn Lasky, the proprietor of Bit Of Tack, a local horse supplies shop, told P&Z members that Zoar Ridge Stables is a professionally run operation, in backing the proposal.

Opponents of the horse farm proposal are expected to voice their objections December 14.