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Commission approves recommendation for Sunset Stables riding academy CUP after amending conditions
Summary
The commission recommended approval of a conditional use permit for Sunset Stables (riding academy and Class C home occupation) at 1852 West Hereford Drive, deleting two site conditions and approving requested waivers including a setback exception and modified hours.
The Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval of a conditional use permit for Sunset Stables LLC, a riding academy and horse‑boarding operation at 1852 West Hereford Drive. Applicants Melissa Favello and Tyler Layfield described 10 boarding stalls, an arena with low‑dust footing, weekly off‑site manure removal and fly‑control measures. “We do take the manure off‑site,” Favello told the commission, describing a hydraulic dump trailer used for weekly compost removal.
Staff presented the code requirements that make Class C home occupations and riding academies subject to conditional use permitting, explaining that the code normally requires a minimum 40‑foot separation between outdoor activity areas and property lines and that council may regulate hours, patron counts and employees. Staff included a proposed site‑specific condition (number 8) to condition hours of operation; the applicants asked the commission to waive the 40‑foot separation and to permit flexibility for veterinary and emergency access.
Nearly a dozen neighbors and users offered testimony: many praised the applicants’ cleanliness and careful operations and said the facility fills local demand for boarding and training. Others raised concerns about groundwater nitrates, parking on the street, and potential growth of animal numbers; one neighbor asked whether there should be a cap on animals. The applicants clarified that 10 horses will be boarded regularly and the higher 20‑horse figure in the draft conditions was intended to account for occasional hauled‑in visitors.
After deliberation, commissioners moved to recommend approval of CUP‑2025‑05 for Sunset Stables LLC, deleting site‑specific conditions 8 and 10 and approving the requested waivers (setback and hours as requested). The motion passed on a voice vote with commissioners recorded as 'Aye.' The recommendation advances the CUP to City Council for final action and leaves monitoring and enforcement of conditions to staff and the council process.
Next steps: the recommendation will be forwarded to Council; staff and applicants will coordinate any final condition language and monitoring measures.
