Horse owners and neighbors in rural San Diego areas have until Feb. 17 to comment on documentation on San Diego County’s Tiered Equine Ordinance which could affect horse keeping and horse boarding in unincorporated areas throughout the county.
The project proposes amendments to the County of San Diego Zoning Ordinance for equine uses and will implement ministerial and discretionary tiers of permitting for horse stables.
A group called the San Diego County Equestrian Foundation (SDCEF) and county staff worked together to update regulations regarding horse keeping and boarding.
SDCEF was formed when a group of equine owners gathered to discuss the county’s General Plan Update and to express their concerns about changes, or lack thereof, to the zoning regulations regarding horse keeping and boarding.
The group was formed in Valley Center but soon included residents from other unincorporated areas of the county. The group grew rapidly and now has approximately 500 members.
As equine owners, the intent was and is to “protect equine owner interests, whether they own one horse or more anywhere in San Diego County,” according to SDCEF President Michelle Kimball.
“Horse keeping regulation is in place and the rules vary depending on location and designation of properties (zoning). Horse boarding is more strictly regulated and a major use permit has been required for pretty much any horse boarding facility whether it’s someone boarding one horse for a friend, or hundreds of horses kept as a place of business and everything in between.
A major use permit is extremely expensive and time consuming, often running into the hundreds of thousands of dollars,” stated another SDCEF member.
The Department of Planning and Land Use has drafted a Notice of Preparation which gives a project description and probable environmental effects. It can be viewed at http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/dplu/ceqa_public_review.html
The document is also available at the Department of Planning and Land Use (DPLU), Project Processing Counter, 5201 Ruffin Road, Suite B, San Diego, California 92123. Comments on the Notice of Preparation must be sent to the DPLU address listed above and should reference the project number and name.
Public comments opened Jan. 19 and will close by 4 p.m. on Feb. 17.
Tiered Equine Project Description:
The project proposes amendments to the County of San Diego Zoning Ordinance for equine uses. The amendments consist of clarifications, deletions, and revisions to provide an updated set of definitions, procedures and standards for review and permitting of equine uses, specifically for commercial horse stables. The amendments will implement a new tiered system of permitting for a horse stable with both ministerial and discretionary tiers of permitting.