UPDATE: Village Board Recommends Approval For Therapeutic Horse Riding Program
Owner would serve children who have mental and developmental disabilities.
Photos
UPDATE Sept. 6: Tom Weatherston, a Village Board member, raised a question of whether the land was zoned properly. While the Village Board approved the project in a 6 to 0 vote, officials plan to review the zoning on the property. The Village will now have a public hearing on the project.
ORIGINAL STORY: A Sturtevant woman presented plans for a therapeutic horse-riding program to the Village Plan Commission, which received preliminary approval.
Peggy Isaacson told Plan Commission members at their meeting Wednesday Aug. 31 that she wants to start-up Nativity Therapeutic Riding Center, a therapeutic horse-riding program for children with developmental and mental health disabilities.
The riding facility, if approved, would be located on 18-acres of property at 7337 Foley Road, which is owned by Ilsa Hilpert-Bruner. Isaacson intends to purchase the property from Hilpert-Bruner after she gets the needed approvals from the Village.
Isaacson, a registered nurse, teaches classes in mental health at Gateway Technical College and has been a 4H leader.
“I come with a lot of horse knowledge, a lot of child knowledge and a lot of people knowledge,” she said. “It came to my attention that therapeutic riding was very beneficial to a lot of families.... This is my dream.”
Isaacson told the Plan Commission that she hasn’t decided on whether to run as a nonprofit business, but she was leaning toward becoming a nonprofit so she could hold fund-raisers. She is working toward becoming a North American Riding Instructor for the Handicapped Association.
The project will now be put on the agenda for a public hearing at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6 at the East Side Community Center, 6156 Douglas Ave.
Heather in Caledonia
8:38 am on Thursday, September 1, 2011
2nd to last paragraph... "decide" should be "decided." :)
If she becomes a nonprofit, does that mean she wouldn't pay property taxes?
Bill Bouma
10:46 am on Thursday, September 1, 2011
There is already a "Midwest Therapeutic Riding Program" at 1451 172nd Avenue, in Paris. Phone number is 262-859-2240, www.mtrpinc.org I hope these two orgnizations can work together. There may be an organization already in place that would benefit both.
Chief Bill Bouma
South Shore Fire Dept.
ms
7:11 pm on Thursday, September 1, 2011
wouldn't this be in violation of the land use plan?
Seems like like everything for the ponies gets rammed thru......
Love2playgolf
4:29 pm on Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Respectfully, this part of caledonia has been " horse country" for over 50 years. And having gone through the process of having to get conditional use permit, there was no ramming anything down anyones throat. There is a democratic process that takes place, where you have to be put on agendas for certain meetings and then the board, comprised of intelligent , hard working individuals makes a decision along with voices heard from the community
Duane Michalski
5:38 pm on Saturday, September 10, 2011
Lisa, interesting phrase "horse country" also known as Caledonia Conservancy. There are many people in the conservancy "circle" who don't really know me but assume I am anti-conservancy. I am not. However i do feel that they are given special breaks that others are not given. For example..if these horse farms are "for profit" business open to the public. Why do they not have public restrooms...all public buildings are required to have public restrooms. Can you imagine if some passer by went to one of the horse farms and asked to use the bathroom...randomly? Next one...I have 3 dogs, all 3 are rescue dogs. I am required to pay for a dog license. Yet i am only allowed to have the 3. Any more then 3 now i need a permit and would be considered running a business. The shelter that we get our dogs from is over run with dogs right now and they are desperate for foster people. I am not allowed to do that. There is no fee for any of the horses here. There isn't even a limit other then the "so many per acre" rule.
Duane Michalski
9:44 pm on Thursday, September 1, 2011
I think this would be great addition to Caledonia...as long as they would be required to pay taxes. This is part of the reason that Caledonia has some fiscal issues. There are too many "not for profit" horse farms that are not paying their fair share in taxes. Yes there are other reasons but this is also one...it is one that no one wants to talk about.
Heather in Caledonia
9:47 pm on Thursday, September 1, 2011
Duane, I agree that they should be required to pay taxes.
Love2playgolf
4:23 pm on Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Curious. Where is there a not for profit horse facility in caledonia? I am an owner of a boarding facility and have paid property taxes for the 15 years I have been here and so do the rest of the boarding facilities in the area
Duane Michalski
8:41 pm on Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Lisa, it is my understanding that there are several local "horse farmers" that are only paying portions of the tax as a business while they "hide" most of the land in Ag. Thus paying a much lower tax revenue to the village. I believe that all that land used by the "horse farm" should be taxed for what it is used for. If it is "for profit" then pay your fair share.
Love2playgolf
6:26 am on Wednesday, September 7, 2011
I agree Duane . Fair is fair.
Love2playgolf
6:34 am on Wednesday, September 7, 2011
One other thing Duane that people probably don't realize is that horse boarding facilities have to pay sales tax quarterly. So the state does make some money on these businesses. I don't know what to say about people hiding their land, using it as ag while operating a horse business and living on the land as well. It is theoretically ag land, in order to have horses on the property. And caledonia has a good law that does not allow horses/ and a horse business without having someone living on the property, obviously for safety for the animals. I believe there is one property that is grandfathered in, where there is no one living on the property, but other than that particular place, the rest of us have to live on the same land with our horses.. I know from my experience, we never intended, nor do we purposefully hide anything, just because we have a boarding business . But I sure get your point
ms
6:38 pm on Thursday, September 8, 2011
Ilsa, who lives at the pony club's stables? I've never seen a house there. Do they have special rules just for them?
Tom
7:58 am on Wednesday, September 7, 2011
We have horses that we have made available to children in the 4H Horseless Horse program. We do it for the children and have always paid our full share of non-ag property taxes.
T.R.
1:08 pm on Wednesday, September 7, 2011
They should pay there fair share. These other farms that grow crops are getting away with a fast one too. Farmers and horse owners should be paying like the rest of corprate america