Douglas County Planning Commission recommends horse-boarding permit 7-0
The proposal would allow horse boarding and training at Out of the Way Farms’ existing South State Highway 83 facility, with no new structures planned.
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Douglas County’s Planning Commission voted 7-0 on Oct. 5 to recommend approval of Out of the Way Farms’ application to board and train horses at its South State Highway 83 facility, the county staff report says. The application covers 55.49 acres of a 99.17-acre property at 6685 S. State Highway 83.
The applicant told the county the facility has operated since about 2003 without the required land-use approval. The proposal would use existing arenas, horse runs, sheds and pastures, with no new structures planned.
County staff found that the application meets the review standards and fits the rural, agricultural character of the Cherry Valley area. If approved, the operation would follow its management plan and be subject to annual inspections. The plan sets visitor and lesson hours from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with lessons planned six days a week, and calls for manure removal four times a month. The applicant estimates the operation would generate three to nine vehicle trips a day.
County referrals raised questions about highway access, septic-field placement and manure handling. The applicant addressed the cited site-plan concerns and obtained an updated access permit, the staff report says. No members of the public spoke at the Planning Commission hearing. Separately, Cherry Valley Community Action LLC told the county it had no objection and anticipated minimal neighborhood impact.
The county’s Nov. 3 Board of County Commissioners packet lists the permit for a public hearing, while the staff report lists an Oct. 27 hearing. The supplied materials do not establish whether the earlier hearing occurred or whether the Board has made a final decision.