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Agenda Item
21. Public hearing: Pro Pony, LLC's appeal of the Washoe County Board of Adjustment's failure to approve Special Use Permit Case Number WSUP23-0029 and opposing neighbor Jill Brandin's appeal, filed to preserve her right to judicial review. Pro Pony, LLC requests approval of a special use permit to bring an existing legal non-conforming commercial stable to board 35 horses into conformance with Washoe County Code and to allow for the construction of a 13,500 SF indoor riding arena structure. Pro Pony, LLC is also requesting modifications to remove the requirement for paved parking surfaces to allow non-paved surfaces (110.410.25(e)) and to waive landscape standards for commercial uses (110.412.40(a-d)).
The applicant and property owner is Pro Pony, LLC. The address is 3400 Holcomb Ranch Lane (Silver Circle Ranch) in Reno. The Assessor's Parcel Number is 040-670-12.
The Board of County Commissioners shall consider the appeal based on the record and any testimony and materials submitted at the public hearing. The Board of County Commissioners may approve or deny the special use permit. Community Services. (Commission District 2.) FOR POSSIBLE ACTION
I strongly support the construction of an indoor arena at Silver Circle Ranch.
• Horseback riding develops confidence, perseverance, patience, empathy, courage, responsibility, self-control, self-awareness, and kindness. It teaches leadership and builds confidence. It builds core strength, leg strength, balance, coordination and stamina, improves learning and problem-solving abilities, and relieves stress and anxiety.
• An indoor riding arena is an essential component of any training program in this area. Riders cannot safely jump horses over fences outdoors during inclement weather, and year-round training is required to be successful in this sport. Virtually all other training barns in Northern Nevada have an indoor arena.
• Silver Circle Ranch is the only barn in the central Reno area that offers training and lessons in the hunter/jumper disciplines. The nearest alternatives are beyond Spanish Springs to the north, Truckee to the west, and Washoe Valley to the south.
• The addition of the indoor arena will NOT result in additional horses, riders or traffic as some opponents to this project assert. It will simply enable the existing horses and existing riders to ride safely during inclement weather.
• The initial project plans have been modified to reduce visibility from the road and meet every other requirement presented by Washoe County staff. It is legal, beneficial and should be approved.
• Approval of this project preserves the viability of Silver Circle Ranch as an equestrian business, which in turn helps maintain the beauty and unique rural character of the Holcomb Ranch Road area.
Please approve this project. Thank you.
I support the indoor arena project. I have already written to commissioners detailing the ways this arena would benefit my daughter, who is a rider. I think an indoor arena is a good move toward making equestrian activities available year-round and ensuring the safety of our riders and horses.
As a community member who spends time at this facility, I’d like to offer the commissioners a realistic picture of the impact the Silver Circle Ranch has on the surrounding area. The neighboring properties are football fields away from Silver Circle Ranch. It is a wide open area with lots of space between properties. During the warmer months, I like to wait while my daughter is in her lesson because it is a quiet and peaceful place. There is little noise and it’s a wonderful place to bird watch.
Years before my daughter rode here, I discovered this road on my commute between my home above Bartley Ranch and the school I taught at in south Reno. I drove past Silver Circle Ranch often, yet I never really noticed it was there. The entrance is gated and a very small amount of traffic turns onto the property. Other properties were far more visible to me like a peacock farm and numerous small cattle ranches. The arena will be build in an area with minimal visibility to the public, and the visual impact will likely be about the same.
This property is already secluded from its neighbors. I believe the additional structure and increased horse capacity will have little impact on the traffic and the surrounding area. Once the arena is built, the construction traffic will be gone. I believe that the members of Silver Circle Ranch are outstanding stewards of the environment and the equestrian activities that take place here are totally appropriate for this neighborhood.
The rapid changes taking place in Reno are challenging for many community members. I believe that the additions at Silver Circle Ranch will actually help preserve the area and Nevada’s rich equestrian history.
I support the building of this indoor arena because young equestrians need a place to perform, and their choices are being taken away by the elimination of many arenas in the area due to rampant construction of new buildings and homes. The traffic issues that opponents cite will come from the 24 new homes in the adjacent subdivision, not the new arena. Thank you for your consideration.
I am writing in support of Pair of Aces Stables been able to improve their property to build an indoor arena. Riding horses is a big part of our states history with the ranching that goes back a couple hundred years. Being able to ride in an indoor arena during the incremental weather that Nevada often gets allows those were passion about horses to not have to cancel the riding lessons. This will also increase the safety of the riders, as the horses will be used to the indoor facility and wind, snow, rain will not agitate the horses to possible injuries of both horses and riders. Building this indoor arena will not increase traffic on the local streets as it will simply create a better environment for the writers who are already riding there. The project itself meets every Washoe County Staff finding and appears to only be having issues being built due to a few people who simply oppose it. Everything about this is legal and should be approved.
It would be nice to have an indoor area that is accessible to the public to ride in during the cold winter months and the extremely hot summer months. Many communities in other states do have such facilities for their equestrian citizens' to use. Reno would benefit and our community would be viewed as staying up to date with what is offered across the nation for equestrian citizens'.
This arena is an important part of keeping a fantastic part of western culture alive. In times of extreme weather and smoke from near annual fires, it's more important than ever to have a place where horses and riders can be safe and comfortable while still remains active in a sport that's near and dear to not only the riders and horses but to Nevadan culture as a whole.
I would like to voice my support for the new indoor riding arena at Silver Circle Ranch, located at 3400 Holcomb Ranch Lane, Reno, NV 89511. As a member of this community, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to have year-round lessons and training available in the beautiful four seasons of the Truckee Meadows. My family and many others depend on this facility for training and we are incredibly thankful to have it in our community. It provides a space for its riders to thrive which gives them confidence, self esteem, pride, determination, a sense of hard work and a safe place during an unsettling time for these youths.
I would like to mention also that Pro Pony, LLC, and the Witmer Family, have done an incredible job of honoring the history and heritage of the Silver Circle Ranch. Their stewardship ensures that the property will remain as it had been intended and provide a scenic turn in the road, for not just their neighbors, but for the community as well. They have done everything to ensure that this arena does NOT negatively impact the neighborhood and are excellent and diligent neighbors and citizens of the community.
I support approval of the permit for an indoor arena. The children in our community need activities that allow positive youth development (confidence, leadership, responsibility, persistence, physical fitness, etc) and this would allow a year round facility to provide just this for our children (future leaders of our community). Please approve this permit.
Our community is sorely lacking in year round equestrian activity options. This is an ideally located area for many Reno households to gain access to all of the many benefits of horseback riding. Having a location with an indoor arena where students can ride in all weather conditions will be a huge benefit to the area.
The Reno community desperately needs an enclosed indoor horse arena facility so that local children and adults can take horse riding lessons, practice horse riding and learn horsemanship skills all year around. This is especially true in winter and other periods of snow, cold, rain, bad weather or excessive heat when outdoor lessons are not feasible.
Since the Ranch Harrah riding arena has closed, there is nothing like this for kids close to Reno proper, without going far away to places like Washoe Valley. That distance makes it impractical for many Reno kids to get to horse lessons because of transportation issues, school, etc. This is especially true for those from families with limited means.
The area where Silver Circle Ranch is located has for decades been a center of equestrian activities. We should encourage preservation of our equestrian heritage in Reno. Horses have been an important part of our history.
The owners of Silver Circle Ranch have handled this project extraordinarily well, proving they are worthy of our trust. Reno can only benefit from this indoor riding arena! It’s all upside, no downside. Our home is on 22 acres located very near the project. We view it to be extremely planned and aesthetically pleasing. Please support the hundreds of south suburban Reno residents who are in favor of this build and seek to preserve our way of life!
I am relatively new to the equestrian community being 77 years young and involved in learning to ride for only two years. The indoor arena keeps the ability to ride during difficult weather possible. There are many places closed off horsenanship. This proposed arena adds time and safe availability to all ages to form real relationships participate in care and concern, teamwork and to allow the real life lessons so desperately needed in today's digital culture. Further, I have attended two other hearings, and would like to note that all objections to this project have been answered, with many adjustments by the owners of this property to make this property and arena a huge benefit to our community. Please vote in favor of our children, adults and seniors to have these real life experiences and connections with horses, mixed ages and cultures all of which are vital to a healthy life, and community. Please consider the good this will bring and vote in favor of this important project. Thank you for your diligence and dedication to our community.
Sincerely,
Carolyn Junta, PT
I am speaking in support of this project. The county has done the studies and this project has met all findings. What the opposition does not seems to comprehend is that everything that is currently in place, as far as number of horses and ADTs remain THE SAME. When the weather is bad now, the same number of students come to the property for an unmounted lesson. The program that Liz Reader has in place does not change. She has a certain amount of horses, students, and lessons that fit her business model, and does not exceed that. This is what will be in place if the indoor arena is built. No stalls will be added. No horses will be added. The only thing that does change is that there will be a safe space to ride in inclement weather.
There have been so many mistruths during this process, and those spread like wildfire. So please, as you read through this case, look at the facts. Look at the information provided by the county. Look at the improvements that have been made. Look at the compromises SCR and POA have made since the beginning. LOOK AT THE FACTS. We appreciate your time and attention, and ask that you vote in favor of this project.
Thank you,
Bryn Klitzke.
I support this project I hope that it gets approved. I am writing to give my support to Silver Circle Ranch Indoor Arena project that is currently coming before the board again in January. I was present at the last hearing, and was very disappointed that the fifth board member was unavailable to vote. It sure seemed like a big waste of time for all parties involved. I certainly hope that there will be an odd number of members for the next vote so this doesn’t happen again. I am going to be out of town on the next hearing date or I would be there in person again.
I am a horse lover and I volunteer helping horses at a local horse rescue facility. The stinky and disgusting cattle on the opponents’ property cause more damage and bring more flies than this indoor arena ever will. Please add me to the list of people in favor of this Indoor Arena project. Thank you.
I strongly oppose all Pro Pony and their desire to add more buildings, horses, noise pollution and traffic to our quiet neighborhood! The only people that are in favor of Pro Pony do not live in our neighborhood. The amount of traffic and noise has increased a hundred-fold since Pro Pony purchased the original Silver Circle. We used to be able to sit in our backyard with the peace and enjoyment of living out of the city and commercial areas and now all you hear are crying dogs, whining horses, loudspeaker, traffic, tractors, voices. The Pro Pony agenda to add so much to such a small area and one that is surrounded by homes, is outrages and is not welcome in this neighborhood.
We have a responsibility to the safety of these riders in pursuit of their passion. This beautiful facility has helped espouse horsemanship, part of the fabric of our community, at a time when RanchHarrah would not. This committed team has identified a low profile, maturely landscaped location to minimize any visual impact. This professional and dedicated business has satisfied every standard to maintain a valid license. Upgrades in their facilities in the last year have been completed including an ADA compatible bathroom with the required paving, a certified manure management plan and implementation, revised engineering to allow a safe and low profile in the event of flooding, and a public water source. All inspections have been passed with flying colors. The operations have received national recognition in the form of the facility’s trainer being named to the post of Practical Horseman’s Trainer of the Year. Horse operations have been in the last year negotiated in the business license as a cap from unlimited horses down to 35.
All of these efforts display a commitment to excellence and compromise. As a viable, historically operating and now thriving business receiving national accolades, why wouldn’t our community, and our Commissioners elected or appointed to reflect us, why wouldn’t we all want to endorse a facility within this venue that promotes safety. Each Commissioner has vowed safety as a guiding principle as they have accepted their post. Each Commissioner has heard from 600 neighbors in written letters and echoed here in digital comments, that horsemanship matters in this community. Now is the time to vote to preserve history and culture while promoting the safety of our citizens and children pursuing their dreams.
Maybe neighboring states whose influence we’ve often rued would put support behind higher density, more development and evacuation of the horse culture to the adjacent valleys. Our community has galvanized instead behind this project. Our community wants it’s fabric to be something more meaningful and lasting. The pastures and pursuits around horsemanship at RanchHarrah have evaporated in this same timeline that the Historic Silver Circle Ranch has attempted to fortify such. Say YES!
I support of the indoor arena since it will increase safety for our riders and horses, there will not be any changes or increase in traffic, the project meets EVERY Washoe County Staff finding, and is completely legal - and should be approved. This project speaks to our NV roots and our rural community - it is who we are as a community.
I strongly support the construction of an indoor arena at Silver Circle Ranch.
• Horseback riding develops confidence, perseverance, patience, empathy, courage, responsibility, self-control, self-awareness, and kindness. It teaches leadership and builds confidence. It builds core strength, leg strength, balance, coordination and stamina, improves learning and problem-solving abilities, and relieves stress and anxiety.
• An indoor riding arena is an essential component of any training program in this area. Riders cannot safely jump horses over fences outdoors during inclement weather, and year-round training is required to be successful in this sport. Virtually all other training barns in Northern Nevada have an indoor arena.
• Silver Circle Ranch is the only barn in the central Reno area that offers training and lessons in the hunter/jumper disciplines. The nearest alternatives are beyond Spanish Springs to the north, Truckee to the west, and Washoe Valley to the south.
• The addition of the indoor arena will NOT result in additional horses, riders or traffic as some opponents to this project assert. It will simply enable the existing horses and existing riders to ride safely during inclement weather.
• The initial project plans have been modified to reduce visibility from the road and meet every other requirement presented by Washoe County staff. It is legal, beneficial and should be approved.
• Approval of this project preserves the viability of Silver Circle Ranch as an equestrian business, which in turn helps maintain the beauty and unique rural character of the Holcomb Ranch Road area.
Please approve this project. Thank you.
I support the indoor arena project. I have already written to commissioners detailing the ways this arena would benefit my daughter, who is a rider. I think an indoor arena is a good move toward making equestrian activities available year-round and ensuring the safety of our riders and horses.
As a community member who spends time at this facility, I’d like to offer the commissioners a realistic picture of the impact the Silver Circle Ranch has on the surrounding area. The neighboring properties are football fields away from Silver Circle Ranch. It is a wide open area with lots of space between properties. During the warmer months, I like to wait while my daughter is in her lesson because it is a quiet and peaceful place. There is little noise and it’s a wonderful place to bird watch.
Years before my daughter rode here, I discovered this road on my commute between my home above Bartley Ranch and the school I taught at in south Reno. I drove past Silver Circle Ranch often, yet I never really noticed it was there. The entrance is gated and a very small amount of traffic turns onto the property. Other properties were far more visible to me like a peacock farm and numerous small cattle ranches. The arena will be build in an area with minimal visibility to the public, and the visual impact will likely be about the same.
This property is already secluded from its neighbors. I believe the additional structure and increased horse capacity will have little impact on the traffic and the surrounding area. Once the arena is built, the construction traffic will be gone. I believe that the members of Silver Circle Ranch are outstanding stewards of the environment and the equestrian activities that take place here are totally appropriate for this neighborhood.
The rapid changes taking place in Reno are challenging for many community members. I believe that the additions at Silver Circle Ranch will actually help preserve the area and Nevada’s rich equestrian history.
I support the building of this indoor arena because young equestrians need a place to perform, and their choices are being taken away by the elimination of many arenas in the area due to rampant construction of new buildings and homes. The traffic issues that opponents cite will come from the 24 new homes in the adjacent subdivision, not the new arena. Thank you for your consideration.
I am writing in support of Pair of Aces Stables been able to improve their property to build an indoor arena. Riding horses is a big part of our states history with the ranching that goes back a couple hundred years. Being able to ride in an indoor arena during the incremental weather that Nevada often gets allows those were passion about horses to not have to cancel the riding lessons. This will also increase the safety of the riders, as the horses will be used to the indoor facility and wind, snow, rain will not agitate the horses to possible injuries of both horses and riders. Building this indoor arena will not increase traffic on the local streets as it will simply create a better environment for the writers who are already riding there. The project itself meets every Washoe County Staff finding and appears to only be having issues being built due to a few people who simply oppose it. Everything about this is legal and should be approved.
It would be nice to have an indoor area that is accessible to the public to ride in during the cold winter months and the extremely hot summer months. Many communities in other states do have such facilities for their equestrian citizens' to use. Reno would benefit and our community would be viewed as staying up to date with what is offered across the nation for equestrian citizens'.
This arena is an important part of keeping a fantastic part of western culture alive. In times of extreme weather and smoke from near annual fires, it's more important than ever to have a place where horses and riders can be safe and comfortable while still remains active in a sport that's near and dear to not only the riders and horses but to Nevadan culture as a whole.
The indoor arena will allow for safe, year-round riding regardless of weather. This is imperative, especially for young riders
I support the indoor for the health and safety of the children who ride at Silver Circle Ranch.
Dear Commissioner ,
I would like to voice my support for the new indoor riding arena at Silver Circle Ranch, located at 3400 Holcomb Ranch Lane, Reno, NV 89511. As a member of this community, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to have year-round lessons and training available in the beautiful four seasons of the Truckee Meadows. My family and many others depend on this facility for training and we are incredibly thankful to have it in our community. It provides a space for its riders to thrive which gives them confidence, self esteem, pride, determination, a sense of hard work and a safe place during an unsettling time for these youths.
I would like to mention also that Pro Pony, LLC, and the Witmer Family, have done an incredible job of honoring the history and heritage of the Silver Circle Ranch. Their stewardship ensures that the property will remain as it had been intended and provide a scenic turn in the road, for not just their neighbors, but for the community as well. They have done everything to ensure that this arena does NOT negatively impact the neighborhood and are excellent and diligent neighbors and citizens of the community.
Respectfully,
Laurel Kerr
I support approval of the permit for an indoor arena. The children in our community need activities that allow positive youth development (confidence, leadership, responsibility, persistence, physical fitness, etc) and this would allow a year round facility to provide just this for our children (future leaders of our community). Please approve this permit.
Our community is sorely lacking in year round equestrian activity options. This is an ideally located area for many Reno households to gain access to all of the many benefits of horseback riding. Having a location with an indoor arena where students can ride in all weather conditions will be a huge benefit to the area.
The Reno community desperately needs an enclosed indoor horse arena facility so that local children and adults can take horse riding lessons, practice horse riding and learn horsemanship skills all year around. This is especially true in winter and other periods of snow, cold, rain, bad weather or excessive heat when outdoor lessons are not feasible.
Since the Ranch Harrah riding arena has closed, there is nothing like this for kids close to Reno proper, without going far away to places like Washoe Valley. That distance makes it impractical for many Reno kids to get to horse lessons because of transportation issues, school, etc. This is especially true for those from families with limited means.
The area where Silver Circle Ranch is located has for decades been a center of equestrian activities. We should encourage preservation of our equestrian heritage in Reno. Horses have been an important part of our history.
The owners of Silver Circle Ranch have handled this project extraordinarily well, proving they are worthy of our trust. Reno can only benefit from this indoor riding arena! It’s all upside, no downside. Our home is on 22 acres located very near the project. We view it to be extremely planned and aesthetically pleasing. Please support the hundreds of south suburban Reno residents who are in favor of this build and seek to preserve our way of life!
I am relatively new to the equestrian community being 77 years young and involved in learning to ride for only two years. The indoor arena keeps the ability to ride during difficult weather possible. There are many places closed off horsenanship. This proposed arena adds time and safe availability to all ages to form real relationships participate in care and concern, teamwork and to allow the real life lessons so desperately needed in today's digital culture. Further, I have attended two other hearings, and would like to note that all objections to this project have been answered, with many adjustments by the owners of this property to make this property and arena a huge benefit to our community. Please vote in favor of our children, adults and seniors to have these real life experiences and connections with horses, mixed ages and cultures all of which are vital to a healthy life, and community. Please consider the good this will bring and vote in favor of this important project. Thank you for your diligence and dedication to our community.
Sincerely,
Carolyn Junta, PT
I am speaking in support of this project. The county has done the studies and this project has met all findings. What the opposition does not seems to comprehend is that everything that is currently in place, as far as number of horses and ADTs remain THE SAME. When the weather is bad now, the same number of students come to the property for an unmounted lesson. The program that Liz Reader has in place does not change. She has a certain amount of horses, students, and lessons that fit her business model, and does not exceed that. This is what will be in place if the indoor arena is built. No stalls will be added. No horses will be added. The only thing that does change is that there will be a safe space to ride in inclement weather.
There have been so many mistruths during this process, and those spread like wildfire. So please, as you read through this case, look at the facts. Look at the information provided by the county. Look at the improvements that have been made. Look at the compromises SCR and POA have made since the beginning. LOOK AT THE FACTS. We appreciate your time and attention, and ask that you vote in favor of this project.
Thank you,
Bryn Klitzke.
I support this project I hope that it gets approved. I am writing to give my support to Silver Circle Ranch Indoor Arena project that is currently coming before the board again in January. I was present at the last hearing, and was very disappointed that the fifth board member was unavailable to vote. It sure seemed like a big waste of time for all parties involved. I certainly hope that there will be an odd number of members for the next vote so this doesn’t happen again. I am going to be out of town on the next hearing date or I would be there in person again.
I am a horse lover and I volunteer helping horses at a local horse rescue facility. The stinky and disgusting cattle on the opponents’ property cause more damage and bring more flies than this indoor arena ever will. Please add me to the list of people in favor of this Indoor Arena project. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Melissa Paschal
I strongly oppose all Pro Pony and their desire to add more buildings, horses, noise pollution and traffic to our quiet neighborhood! The only people that are in favor of Pro Pony do not live in our neighborhood. The amount of traffic and noise has increased a hundred-fold since Pro Pony purchased the original Silver Circle. We used to be able to sit in our backyard with the peace and enjoyment of living out of the city and commercial areas and now all you hear are crying dogs, whining horses, loudspeaker, traffic, tractors, voices. The Pro Pony agenda to add so much to such a small area and one that is surrounded by homes, is outrages and is not welcome in this neighborhood.
We have a responsibility to the safety of these riders in pursuit of their passion. This beautiful facility has helped espouse horsemanship, part of the fabric of our community, at a time when RanchHarrah would not. This committed team has identified a low profile, maturely landscaped location to minimize any visual impact. This professional and dedicated business has satisfied every standard to maintain a valid license. Upgrades in their facilities in the last year have been completed including an ADA compatible bathroom with the required paving, a certified manure management plan and implementation, revised engineering to allow a safe and low profile in the event of flooding, and a public water source. All inspections have been passed with flying colors. The operations have received national recognition in the form of the facility’s trainer being named to the post of Practical Horseman’s Trainer of the Year. Horse operations have been in the last year negotiated in the business license as a cap from unlimited horses down to 35.
All of these efforts display a commitment to excellence and compromise. As a viable, historically operating and now thriving business receiving national accolades, why wouldn’t our community, and our Commissioners elected or appointed to reflect us, why wouldn’t we all want to endorse a facility within this venue that promotes safety. Each Commissioner has vowed safety as a guiding principle as they have accepted their post. Each Commissioner has heard from 600 neighbors in written letters and echoed here in digital comments, that horsemanship matters in this community. Now is the time to vote to preserve history and culture while promoting the safety of our citizens and children pursuing their dreams.
Maybe neighboring states whose influence we’ve often rued would put support behind higher density, more development and evacuation of the horse culture to the adjacent valleys. Our community has galvanized instead behind this project. Our community wants it’s fabric to be something more meaningful and lasting. The pastures and pursuits around horsemanship at RanchHarrah have evaporated in this same timeline that the Historic Silver Circle Ranch has attempted to fortify such. Say YES!
Please approve this Indoor riding arena for our safety and consistency of horse training in Reno. Thank you. This meets every Finding!
I support of the indoor arena since it will increase safety for our riders and horses, there will not be any changes or increase in traffic, the project meets EVERY Washoe County Staff finding, and is completely legal - and should be approved. This project speaks to our NV roots and our rural community - it is who we are as a community.