Owners of horse-related businesses in Larimer County have new rules to operate under that should make life easier for them, say backers of the new regulations.
“It’s very uncommon for government to actually relax regulations, and this is a dramatic example of that,” said Linda Hoffman, director of Larimer County’s planning and building services division.
Hoffman headed a group including stable owners and horse association and 4-H representatives, as well as rural county residents. They were tasked with revamping horse-business regulations that were so expensive and time-consuming that many horse businesses opted not to report their operations to the county.
The new regulations set up a system that takes into consideration the size of the business. Horse boarding, for instance, will be considered an accessory use — part of a house or farm — and a use by right for four horses on properties up to 10 acres.
Smaller businesses will face a public site review and pay 50 percent of a $300 fee for the review during a year-long transition period, according to the county. Much larger equestrian operations will undergo a review under a point-based formula that measures the size of the use and its impact on neighbors.
The new rules take effect Sept 7. Monte Whaley, The Denver Post
