Neighbors challenge plan to reopen Mendon cross‑country course; applicant pledges limited use

Susan Schoff, owner of Champion Springs Farm, asked the Mendon Planning Board on July 1 for a special use permit to board horses in a six‑stall stable and allow public use of an existing cross‑country course and indoor arena. "My name is Susan Schoff. I reside at 50 Buggy Whip Trail and I'm the owner of Champion Springs Farm," she told the board as she outlined the site's history and her plan to keep operations modest.

The application seeks permission for on‑site boarding and limited public access to the course and arena. Schoff said the property, formerly Blackpoints Farm and home to Bristol Hills Pony Club in earlier decades, has been used for equestrian activity since about 1980. She emphasized she does not plan to host clinics, pony rides, camps or formal lessons and said she will cap trailer arrivals at one to three at a time and intends to board roughly six horses.

Neighbors who spoke at the public hearing said the record presented by the applicant conflicts with their observations. Andy Vaughn, who said he shares an 1,100‑foot property line with the applicant, alleged recent unpermitted construction, trespass, animals loose in the neighborhood and that activity at the site already appears commercial. "They started construction of a house before they had a permit," Vaughn said, and he told the board he had video suggesting lessons and coaching had taken place despite the applicant's stated limits. Vaughn also raised code and environmental concerns, including the proximity of a riding arena to property lines and a manure pile he said is near a tributary.

Daniel Stro, an attorney representing neighbors Bonnie and Larry Stro, urged the board to scrutinize the application and required filings. Stro called the application "permeated with fraud" and asked the board to consider whether an environmental review is required under the State Environmental Quality Review Act. He also urged the board to solicit input from the highway and fire departments and questioned parcel ownership and whether both tax parcels and an entity called Buggy Whip LLC were properly disclosed in the application.

Other neighbors expressed related safety and quality‑of‑life concerns. Several speakers described narrow, winding roads and blind turns on Buggy Whip Trail and Parish Road and asked how the board would ensure safe trailer turning radiuses and pedestrian safety. Pamela Lamboy, next‑door to the applicant, said she supports boarding in principle but asked for precise limits and scheduling for arena rentals so neighbors can assess likely traffic patterns.

Schoff disputed several claims and told the board she has already reviewed access options with the town's consultant and that upgrading the Parish Road entrance would be prohibitively expensive. She reiterated: "I am not asking permission to run a large commercial business," and repeated that she will not be running lessons, clinics or camps. She also said she has (or will provide) a written manure management plan and offered to provide documentation about prior consultations on the road access and other site details.

Board members and staff asked the applicant to return with technical materials to allow a fuller review: site plans showing turning radiuses and topography at the Parish Road entrance, clearer site drawings with distances from structures to lot lines, a written manure management plan, documentation of parcel ownership and any easement or parking agreements between parcels, and staff comments addressing code compliance and any necessary variances. Staff said any subsequent hearing would be publicly noticed and that submitted materials would be available at town offices and posted online.

No permit was decided at the July 1 meeting; the board left the public hearing open and asked for the supplemental materials. The applicant said she is unlikely to provide a complete package for the July meeting and anticipated returning in August.