James City County planning commission sends equine stocking-rate ordinance back for more study after hours of public comment

The James City County Planning Commission on Jan. 7 heard extensive public comment on proposed changes to equine stocking rates and voted to send Ordinance 25-0005 back to the policy committee for further review and outreach.

Staff presentation laid out a draft that would, among other items, simplify approval for noncommercial horse farms, require permits for commercial operations and set a new baseline stocking rate of 1.5 acres for the first horse and 1 acre for each additional horse, plus manure-stockpile setback requirements and prohibitions in resource-protection areas. Miss Probst, county planning staff, said the proposal draws on a 2019 Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District survey and policy-committee discussions.

Several speakers representing equestrian businesses and long-time owners opposed the numeric limits as written. Nancy Williams, executive director of Dream Catchers, a therapeutic-riding nonprofit, asked the commission to "reject the proposed ordinance in its entirety" arguing the 2019 survey covered only a small portion of the county, provided no county-specific water-quality testing tied to the recommendation and offered no local evidence that a reduction from seven horses per acre to the proposed 1.5/1 standard is warranted. Williams urged targeted data collection and alternatives such as requiring manure-management plans for properties above a specified animal-unit threshold.

Melinda Odey, who said she has farmed her property for 52 years, told the commission she had seen no evidence of watershed contamination linked to horse keeping. Cheryl Matthews, owner of Stone House Stables, said horse operations already invest heavily in feed and pasture care (she cited roughly $60,000 in annual hay/grain costs for a 20-horse operation) and said many owners learned of the draft only recently via social media.

At the same time, veterinarians and agricultural experts urged a focus on management. Dr. Steve Escobar, a 35-year practicing large-animal veterinarian and past Virginia Horse Council president, told the commission there is no single scientifically defensible stocking-rate standard for all local conditions and recommended management-based strategies (sacrifice areas, restricted pasture time, targeted manure control) rather than a uniform numeric cap.

Commission discussion referenced local water-quality work and TMDLs (total maximum daily loads) for Ware Creek, Mill Creek/Upper Chickahominy and Powhatan watersheds and emphasized that while uncontrolled stocking can be problematic, the right response may be management measures. Commissioner Frank Polster moved to table Ordinance 25-0005 and send it back to the policy committee for additional review, clearer management-focused language and outreach to horse-keeping stakeholders; the motion was seconded and approved. Chair Haldeman said the item would return for another public hearing after that work.

What’s next: the policy committee will revisit the draft ordinance to refine management provisions and stakeholder engagement; the commission indicated it expects another public hearing after staff and the policy committee report back.

Sources: public hearing testimony and staff presentation to the James City County Planning Commission on Jan. 7, 2026.