Wellsville limits horses per parcel to one per half-acre in new animal-control amendment

The Wellsville City Council on Nov. 5 adopted an amendment to the city code (Title 5, Public Safety; Chapter 2, Animal Control) that places a limit on the number of horses allowed on residential parcels.

Under the new provision, a parcel may keep one horse per half-acre and add one additional horse for each additional half-acre portion. The language presented to council, and recommended by the planning commission, is intended to address cases where a small number of properties maintain an excessive number of animals that disturb neighbors.

Council discussion acknowledged the rural character of Wellsville and the difficulty of adopting rules that affect longstanding agricultural practices. Several council members said the change is less restrictive than earlier drafts and emphasized that enforcement will be complaint-driven rather than proactive; code enforcement will respond to nuisance reports on a case-by-case basis. Grandfathering for existing animal numbers was discussed informally—one council member noted grandfathering typically applies to permanent structures—and staff indicated further detail will be handled administratively.

The motion to adopt the amendment was made, seconded and approved by voice vote. The ordinance text was not read verbatim on the record during the meeting; council directed staff to publish the amendment and proceed with the standard notice and enforcement steps.

Implementation notes: staff told council that typical enforcement will occur after neighbor complaints; the code change does not, in the transcript, include explicit grandfathering language or an enforcement timetable. Staff assigned code-enforcement follow-up.