After years of debate, Barrington Hills residents finally have rules regarding the number of horses they can board on their property.
Village trustees on Monday voted to overturn Village President Marty McLaughlin’s veto of boarding regulations first approved by the board in December.
The new rules allow one boarded horse per acre on properties 10 acres or smaller. For properties larger than 10 acres, two boarded horses per acre would be allowed.
Read more here.
I would love to see an organic diary farm revived in or near Barrington Hills. Such an undertaking would be consistent with our heritage. However, in light of recent new horse boarding rules, I have become more worried about high density feed lots. I want to ask those with ZBA experience and knowledge of the “new rules” this question: What keeps someone with a large residence on 125 acres from having say 250 horses owned by others plus 150 or more of their owned horses for a total of over 400 horses scrunched into a corner of their property? And how would this differ from a “high density feed lot”?
I share your concerns, Jan. There is no question this boarding and keeping ordinance cannot stand as written and approved via a conflicted veto override.
The good news is on a small scale there is an organic dairy farm run by residents of Barrington Hills. I believe they’re leasing acreage on the former Duda property, but they’re expanding soon. Here’s the link:
http://www.barrington-natural-farms.com/
Jan, simple answer is nothing would prevent that number of horses, New Text Amendment allows 2 horses commercially boarded for every acre of 10+ acre properties and unlimited owned horses. Because of agriculture instead of special use, neighbors are now stripped of rights.
Worse, floor area ration calculations for building structures are now eliminated so think of the structure necessary to house those stables and traffic to and from.
Another point inferred, why can’t we get those kind of direct answers from the ZBA experts with facts? All we hear is that horse people self police. If true, why should we have these unreasonable limits that could allow them and why do we have properties with 13 horses on 5 acres and no Village intervention despite the nuisances caused.