photo credit: www.larimer.org

Goal

Achieve enduring land use compatibility that supports both a healthy equine industry and the property rights of all Larimer County citizens.

Overview

Project Background

The various forms of horse business operations in Larimer County are very important to the local economy and to its rural character. At the same time, there are numerous horse boarding facilities in the unincorporated area that are in operation without the required land use approvals and building permits-they are functioning without either being in operation prior to adoption of permitting requirements or are in operation without having secured the required Special Review approval. Some complaints about these horse boarding facilities have been presented, which will likely generate complaints about many more horse boarding facilities operating without the required land use approvals and building permits. The County's Code Compliance section does not have the resources to pursue a high number of complaints in a timely manner. It is likely that some or many of the owners of these facilities are not aware of the County's requirement for Special Review approval or of the standards for such operations. It is also likely that at least some of these horse operations would not be approved by the County if they did apply for Special Review due to neighborhood issues or inability to meet the standards. Property owners adjacent or nearby horse boarding facilities often have very legitimate complaints about compatibility issues.