East Marlborough has its Whitewing Farm controversy. West Marlborough has its Whip dispute. And now Newlin -- after settling the affair of the Stargazer stone -- has a new problem that is pitting neighbors against neighbors.
A horse farm on bucolic Hilltop View Road recently changed hands, and the neighbors claim the new owners are operating a commercial equestrian business instead of a private farm and are bringing additional traffic to their quiet one-lane road, only the southern part of which is paved.
They've asked the township supervisors to enforce the ordinance and restrict the commercial use of the farm unless the owners apply for permission from the township. The township supervisors, however, are saying that if they strictly enforce the ordinance, they'd have to shut down many such equestrian operations in the rural township; they also say that the use has not changed significantly enough from the prior one to warrant a township hearing.
As a result, the township is considering adopting a new ordinance regulating horse farms. Doubtless it will be a main topic of discussion at the monthly township meeting, at 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 9, at the Lenfest Center in the Cheslen Preserve, off Cannery Road.
Tempers have started flaring, and there is already talk of lawsuits and accusations of conflicts of interest and back-room deals. I'm told that even West Marlborough officials attended a recent township meeting, realizing that this issue could certainly be relevant to our heavily equestrian township as well.
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