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Half Moon Bay Review Horse lovers were ecstatic Tuesday after county supervisors approved sweeping changes to a 42-year-old horse-keeping law. "I'm happy to
say," said Coastsider Carl Hoffman, who runs a tack and feed store catering to horsemen, "that the chance of horses existing on the Coastside for years to come has never been greater ..."
Said Lennie Roberts of the Committee for Green Foothills, "It proves if you find a way to work together it's possible to get things done." The changes address concerns by horse owners about exorbitant
horse-permit fees, bureaucratic red tape, inconsistent application of environmental criteria, and enforcement by individuals lacking any horse knowledge. "Most of us in the horse community felt we were being
singled out," Coastside Horse Council President Roxy Stone said. "In the revisions, we were able to come up with a reasonable ordinance that encompasses all large animals over 300 pounds that must be
kept in a confined space. "Now it's fair," she added. In addition to eliminating the need for extensive site maps and surveys, the revisions cut fees for a first horse from $1,419 to $50, a
figure in line with other Bay Area counties. County equestrians had felt beleaguered by the process of obtaining a permit. "Within the past few years, the experience of getting a permit was
just an impossible task," Hoffman said. He said that, as a businessman, he was accustomed to dealing with paperwork. But in obtaining permits for his three ranches - two commercial and one private - he felt
completely stymied and overwhelmed. "That won't be the case any more," he said. "People should no longer have a fear of going to the county for a permit." "Actually, this is a
win/win situation for all the stakeholders, including horsemen, environmentalists, and the county planning department," said San Mateo County Supervisor Jerry Hill late Tuesday. "When this first
blossomed a year ago, I anticipated a nightmare," Hill said. "From the amount of emails, phone calls and letters we received from horse people and environmentalists who were upset, I just
anticipated this to be a very long, very unpleasant episode in county government." Hill praised the Coastside Horse Council, a local equine advocacy group that was formed just over a year ago with the
specific goal of preserving the equestrian lifestyle. "It was clear from the beginning that the horse council wanted to work as a team with the environmentalists and the county, which was key to
making the process work," he said. Horse Council President Stone explained: "In late summer of last year, it had become very apparent that the old ordinance, which dates back to 1959, was on its way
to crushing commercial and private horse keeping in the county. We wanted to stop that." However, many county horse lovers were either unaware of the ordinance requiring horses to be permitted, or they
chose to ignore it. Although there are an estimated 2,000 equines on the Coastside alone, countywide only 32 permits were issued in the year 2000. "The 1959 ordinance was onerous, outdated, and
capricious," said Craig Miller, a founding member of the Marin Horse Council, who helped the Coastside Horse Council. "That ordinance was designed to encourage people to break the law."
The revised ordinance is not only good news for the horse community, but also for environmental advocates, whose concern about protection of streams and rivers has often in the past put them at odds with
equestrians. "This plan addresses those issues in a way that satisfied all parties," said George Bergman, a county planning department official who has wrangled with problems in the horse keeping laws
for years. "I am very pleased with the outcome," Bergman said. "We had a meeting of the minds. We understood their need for reasonable fees, and they came to have an appreciation for the
environmental issues." Roberts of the Committee for Green Foothills said that despite the fact that organized horse people and environmentalists were at loggerheads, "it was encouraging that we were
able to work together." "It proves that if you find a way to work together it's possible to get things done." She said she believes the ordinance is protective of streams and
coastal resources, while at the same time simplifies the permitting process for horse owners. "Most horse owners are interested in environmental protection," she said. The new confined
animal ordinance calls for owners to regulate themselves in a variety of matters, including manure disposal. "The county is more interested in the outcome than the process," said Bergman.
"My feeling is that you don't win trust. You earn trust. We came to see, over time, that the horse community is highly interested in doing what's right and could be trusted to do so." With
approval by the Coastal Commission, there is only one remaining obstacle to the implementation of the new ordinance. 'The next and critical step to the successful implementation of the ordinance is the formation
of a balanced Technical Advisory Committee (TAK), composed of individuals knowledgeable in the keeping of horses and the protection of the environment," said Stone. "I am encouraging people who have
experience in both of those areas to apply to the county for a spot on the task force." Stone says that next on the Coastside Horse Council's agenda is the formation and preservation of trails. |
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