Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era

Salisbury zoning board allows horse boarding
BY JOHN FRIEL, Correspondent

Outside storage is out, but a Narvon farmer is free to board horses and rent indoor storage space.

At its meeting Jan. 22, the Salisbury Township Zoning Hearing Board heard from Amos T. Ebersol, 590 Red Hill Road, and some of his neighbors.

Ebersol requested two special exceptions to allow horse boarding in his barn and storage in two former agricultural buildings as well as a variance to allow outside storage.

Six neighbors requested, and received, party status in the case, using it to voice concerns about aesthetics and property values.

Greg Kimes, of Thistle Drive, said he was opposed to outside storage and "farm equipment rotting away. ... Horse boarding is not an issue."

Richard Johnson, also of Thistle Drive, said his house "by design looks directly at the farm." He objected to "anything that would turn my view into a negative."

Debbie Ryan, who lives across the street from Ebersol, told the board, "We all moved there for the aesthetics ... because we had this fabulous view." She said she does not wish to see "RVs, construction equipment, farm equipment. ... We didn't move there to see that."

Chairman Larry Martin asked her: "Do you know how this land is zoned?"

Ryan replied, "Agriculture."

Martin then inquired, "And what do they do in agricultural zones?''

"They farm," Ryan said.

Martin countered, "But you don't want to see farm equipment?"

All who testified agreed they had no objection to horses, but were concerned about the outside storage issue. Ebersol said he had proposed that as "an option," but mainly wants to rent the two outbuildings, which he said would be "really nice for a contractor."

Ebersol plans a "high-tensile, three- or four-strand" fence around 7 acres of pasture on his 21-acre farm to contain up to 14 horses. Johnson said the existing fence "needs work. We've had cows and horses in our backyard" when the farm was under different ownership.

The board denied the request for outdoor storage, but approved the rest of Ebersol's application. Farm buildings no longer used in agriculture can be rented, Zoning Officer Damian Clawser said.

The board set no limit on the number of horses, noting that Ebersol must erect a fence at least 4 feet high and 10 feet inside his property line in addition to following state nutrient management guidelines for manure disposal.

In the evening's other two cases, the board approved:

n A variance allowing Daniel B. Stoltzfus to exceed the maximum permissible impervious surface coverage at 942 Gap Road, Kinzers. Clawser said Stoltzfus' planned new house will cover 17 percent of his 17,424-square-foot lot. Township zoning allows only 7 percent coverage in the rural residential district, but Clawser said that ratio is intended for larger lots such as the 3-acre minimum now in force. Stoltzfus's tract predates zoning and is surrounded by R-1 residential zoning, which permits 30 percent coverage.

n A modification of a previous decision, allowing woodworker Levi K. Esh Jr. to employ up to six nonfamily employees at his kitchen cabinet and furniture business at 568 Hensel Road, Kinzers.

In other business, the board reorganized for 2013 with the same lineup as 2012's. Larry Martin will again serve as chairman, Peter Horvath as vice chair and John Wanner as secretary. Julie Miller was retained as the board's attorney.

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