Commission allows owner to keep horses

In an effort to preserve the city's equestrian roots, the Calabasas Planning Commission decided to increase the number of horses that are allowed on one resident's private property.

According to the city's General Plan, Calabasas residents can only keep one horse per 20,000 square feet of land, which would mean just two for John Fisher, who last year bought a 51,000square-foot lot on Las Virgenes Road.

Fisher filed a request with the community development director to keep more than two, and was granted the right to keep six. But Fisher owns eight horses, and decided to appeal the director's decision.

"I'm not looking for anything that's unheard of in the area," Fisher said. "Prior to '98 (when Calabasas incorporated), they allowed eight and the previous residents were never challenged."

Fisher, who has lived in Calabasas since 1998, said all eight of his horses are for personal enjoyment, but he does rent them out occasionally for trail rides.

City staff presented a report documenting the last three owners of the property. The most recent kept six horses, so the director allowed Fisher the same number. However, the report showed that, historically, up to 20 horses had been kept on the property. The staff recommended the commission deny Fisher's appeal.

Don Wallace, pointing to his name on the founding City Council members' Wall of Honor, came to Fisher's defense.

"I think it was a mistake for Calabasas to go to two horses per acre," Wallace said. "There's a rural character that everybody has been trying to maintain forever. They deserve eight. There is nothing that contributes more to rural character than seeing horses on a hillside."

Fisher could apply for a special permit that allows for additional livestock, but said that with the permit would come conditions that he could not afford, for example--a water treatment facility.

City planner Tom Bartlett confirmed that such pricey requirements were "more than likely."

After debating the testimony of local residents who said there was in fact a history of many more

than eight horses on the property, the commissioners were divided on the issue.

Gary Klein, chair of the planning commission, wanted to support the community development director's previous decision.

"I'm having some difficulty agreeing with some of my colleagues on this," Klein said. "The owner purchased the property in 2005. The regulations were in effect since 1998. Due diligence on the property by the individual . . . could have disclosed that there were limitations on the horse keeping."

Commissioner Mark Sikand protested.

"Obviously this facility has housed up to 20 horses," Sikand said. "I would think that this facility is suitable to do this. . . . Personally, I'm not hearing any testimony that the property is an inappropriate use for this or that the number of horses on the property is diminishing the quality of life."

Commissioner Martha Scott Fritz also disagreed with Klein. "I understand staff's point of view on this one, but those goats made a difference for me," Fritz said, referring to resident Karyne Ventris' assertion that the previous resident had five goats in addition to her six horses.

Commissioner Rick Shumacher doubted the reliability of some of the testimony.

"I don't find that there's evidence in front of us that tells me we should allow . . . beyond what the director has already approved," Shumacher said. "There's a lack of clarity as to what livestock may have been where."

When Fritz and Commissioner John Mueller asked to reopen public hearing to gather more testimony, Klein refused due to time constraints.

Fritz, Mueller and Sikand voted in favor of Fisher and his appeal; Klein and Shumacher against.

"What are the children and the people who ride and the people who drive up and down the street going to care about?" Fritz asked. "They want to see us maintain that rural character."