Newlin Township: Controversy over proposed rules for boarding horses

The question of whether and how Newlin Township should regulate equestrian operations continues to divide the township.
At a standing-room-only meeting on Monday, Aug. 11, speaker after speaker stood up and criticized the supervisors for jeopardizing their livelihoods without understanding the horse business and, in the longer term, endangering the sought-after rural character and lifestyle of Newlin by placing undue hardships on horse farm owners.
One Hilltop View Road resident drew sustained applause when he summarized the proposed rules as "unnecessary, unworkable, unenforceable and unfair."
Several residents called the proposed ordinance "a solution in search of a problem," noting that horse farms have operated in the township without a problem for many decades. Real-estate agent Holly Gross predicted the ordinance would hurt property values. One women who used to own a large farm in Elk Township said she was so frustrated by onerous township regulations there that she sold up and moved; she called Newlin's proposed rules "the camel's nose under the tent." Another woman said West Bradford Township's regulations have severely restricted her farm's operations.
The proposed ordinance would allow the boarding of horses as long as the farm in question meets certain requirements. If the farm fell short, however, the owners would have to apply for a special exception from the township's Zoning Hearing Board.
The township charges $1,500 to hold such a hearing. A gasp of astonishment from the audience greeted Supervisor Janie Baird's mention of this figure; "Hello!" exclaimed the Powell Road resident sitting next to me.
The residents' anger seems to focus on the requirements that the township wants to impose on boarding facilities, such as having at least three acres for the first horse and two acres for each additional one, as well as restrictions about where pastures can be located in terms of flood plains and steep slopes and where manure can be stored. The residents said the acreage requirements were arbitrary and unfair.
In response to the onslaught of criticism, the supervisors stressed that it was not their choice to deal with this situation but it was thrust upon them in the spring of 2013 when some Hilltop View Road residents complained that a new farm owner substantially increased the horse trailer traffic on their road. The supervisors said the regulations on the books had never been enforced, and they couldn't enforce the rules on one boarding operation and not on all.
Supervisor Rob Pearson said the situation has been "an agonizing process, very difficult . . .  I've never seen something so contentious. It's been very divisive, very unpleasant," but "this was put in our lap and we could not ignore the situation."
Mrs. Baird said that to craft the rules, the supervisors sought input from residents, the township planning commission, lawyers and consultants and defended the result as "the best we can do."
The proposed ordinance is posted on the township's website. A hearing will be held on it at 8 p.m. Monday, September 8, at the Lenfest Center on Cannery Road.