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Council revokes interim use permit for horse-keeping at 22359 Baton St. NE
Summary
After a public hearing and staff review, East Bethel revoked the interim use permit that allowed keeping two horses at 22359 Baton Street Northeast and instructed the owner to reapply if she wants a new permit.
The East Bethel City Council voted on May 28 to revoke the interim use permit (IUP 2019-55) that permitted keeping two horses at 22359 Baton Street Northeast, finding the property currently exceeds the permitted number of animals and that prior permit paperwork did not remain in force.
Planning staff explained that the most recent valid permit governing the property was the 2019 document limiting the site to two horses and that older permits authorizing six horses had expired. Staff reported the property’s fenced area measures 4.72 acres and that the city’s current standard — "1 acre plus 1 acre per horse" — would require roughly 3 acres to authorize two horses under the cited ordinance; staff said it would need additional review to identify whether the property could support more than two horses under today’s code.
During the public hearing owner Tammy Gimple told the council she believed the situation had been handled in earlier staff conversations and said, “I thought this had been taken care of,” and described prior permit filings. Neighbors who spoke at the hearing raised multiple concerns: Christine Dolman said the property had more horses than allowed and accused the owner of breeding and operating activities beyond the permit’s scope, and Mike Drager urged consistent enforcement and said owners must “be on top of my paperwork.”
After public comment and staff review, Councilmember motioned to revoke IUP 2019-55 and council approved the motion; the clerk recorded the action as resolution 2025-27 revoking the earlier IUP. Council discussion noted two administrative options going forward: the city can revoke the permit and require the owner to reduce the number of horses to the permitted level, or the owner can reapply and seek a new permit subject to current ordinance requirements and public review. Staff said reapplication would require the usual IUP process and fee.
City staff told the council the revocation would set a standard for consistent enforcement on future IUP applications and would allow staff to work with the property owner on compliance or a new application. The council did not impose civil penalties at the meeting; it limited action to revocation and directed staff to advise the owner on reapplication procedures.
