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Board approves special exception to keep miniature Highland cows at 3551 Ridgeland Court
Summary
The Charlotte County Board of Zoning Appeals on Oct. 8 approved a special exception allowing Remara Castro to keep miniature Highland cows as family pets at a 10.3-acre property in Punta Gorda, subject to six conditions including limits on herd size and a prohibition on commercial breeding.
The Charlotte County Board of Zoning Appeals on Oct. 8 approved a special exception allowing Remara Castro to keep miniature Highland cows as family pets at 3551 Ridgeland Court in Punta Gorda, subject to six conditions recommended by county staff.
County senior planner Elizabeth Nocek, AICP, said staff found the request met the three approval criteria in the county zoning code and recommended conditions to ensure the use remains accessory to the single-family residence. Nocek said the parcel is approximately 10.3 acres, contains a 7,042-square-foot residence and an existing horse barn and stables, and is zoned RE-5 with a rural estate residential future land-use designation.
The applicant told the board she is purchasing the property and currently owns three miniature Highlands cows that she intends to keep as family pets. “They are part of my family,” she said. Nocek said the animals will be sheltered in the existing barn and that the applicant provided a veterinarian letter verifying the animals’ health and a therapist’s letter citing benefits for a family member.
Kathy Skoog, president of the Prairie Creek Park Properties Association, spoke for the homeowners association and said the association had no objection provided conditions are added, including a limit of three miniature Highlands and compliance with the association’s amended declaration of restrictions and rules addressing nuisances, manure disposal and public health. The HOA also asked that the special exception expire if the property is sold; staff’s recommended conditions instead allow the special exception to transfer with the property provided the new owner complies with conditions.
Staff recommended six conditions if the board approved the special exception, including: the exception extend only to the land described in the application, a maximum of five miniature Highlands on the property at any one time, a prohibition on commercial breeding, a required modification for any change in livestock species, and a process for review of major changes to the use. The board approved the special exception and attached staff’s conditions to the approval.
No formal vote tally by name was recorded in the hearing transcript; the hearing record shows the motion, a second, and the board’s approval. The county attorney reminded the board that its decisions must be based on competent, sworn factual evidence and that judicial appeals of the board’s written decision must be filed in circuit court within 30 days.
The board’s action does not change deed restrictions or homeowners association rules; Nocek and the county attorney noted private deed restrictions remain enforceable separately by the HOA or private parties. The special exception is case-specific and does not establish a binding precedent for other properties.
