Perhaps the ponies won’t be as naughty if they have a place to play.
That may have been the reasoning behind Brenda Rush’s request to change the development plan for her Wicked Pony Ranch off Pillen Road about 1/2-mile east of Hwy. WW in Dittmer.
In 2018, the Jefferson County Council had approved Rush’s request to rezone her 52-acre property from large-lot residential to planned-mixed use so she could operate a wedding reception venue, bed-and-breakfast inn and other uses.
The operation’s name came from a horse stable on the property that is not used commercially, and Rush is now asking the county to allow her to build a 20,000-square-foot horse riding arena that also will be for private use.
The Jefferson County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-1 May 27 to recommend approval of Rush’s request.
The Jefferson County Council, which has the ultimate authority in land-use issues in incorporated areas, took the first of three required affirmative votes on Monday, and it voted 6-1 to approve the request.
A final vote could be taken June 28.
Rush’s application indicates that a new paved driveway off Pillen Road will be used to access the arena, a separate access from the entrance to the commercial operations. The driveway, about 500 feet long, will be 20 feet wide.
David Vonarx of VonArx Engineering of Hillsboro, who represented Rush at the public hearing before the
P and Z board, said the arena will be a metal building.
“It will be for personal use only, not part of the business enterprise,” Vonarx said at the hearing.
The arena would be built about 20 feet from the northern property line. The county requires structures to be built at least 50 feet from a rear property line.
Vonarx said the plans for the arena call for it to be built on the top of a ridge, and moving it would be problematic because of the topography.
“The property to the north is over 200 acres, and the closest building is at least 450 feet away,” Vonarx said.
No one spoke against the request at the hearing.
Planning commissioner Gene Barbagallo cast the sole vote against recommending approval.
“They have all this ground. I think they could find a spot for an arena that would fit our requirements,” he said.
In casting the lone dissenting vote on Monday, Councilman Charles Groeteke (District 4, Barnhart) agreed.
“We have a code that discusses different standards for projects,” he said. “Just because developers come and ask for deviations from the code doesn’t mean that we should always allow them. I think we should rely on the code.”