Share the Trail?

If the property is zoned to allow horses then why can't someone have a horse farm? Can separate trails be made for the horses? I have to admit I have never been to Lowell woods. Does some bordering towns have trails that are used by both horses, dogs and people? I guess if I lived near Lowell woods or used them I would be concerned also. The funny thing is that residents want other residents to care about their issues. Look at Westwood Station no one cared about the residents that live near the project. As a resident why should I care about Lowell woods if I don't live near it or frequent the trails. This is a sad fact that most of us only care about things that impact us. The only reason some residents are against the horses is because it impacts them. If the horse farm is going to bring extra tax revenue to Westwood then the people that live or frequent the trails should just suck it up like the residents near Westwood Station have been forced to.

As a horse owner and infrequent rider in Noanet Woods in Dover, my experience is that horseback riders and other users of the trails and roads get along just fine. Mutual respect is the key to this co-existence. We riders slow to a walk when we see hikers, dog walkers, and bikers, and almost always without fail, they do the same for us. Most families, when they see a horse and rider, appreciate the beauty of the animal and the children always get excited as well when they see a horse pass by. As to manure, a horse may poop once in a while on a trail ride. They don't poop every 10 minutes, but about every hour to 90 minutes. Horse manure, which is about 80% grass, bio-degrades in a day or so and returns naturally to the environment. It does not have a strong odor and a single pile in nature along the trail is not that offensive. It is rare that horse manure is hazardous to human health as it is extremely low in e-coli and guardia bacteria.

A dressage barn focuses on ring work and precision riding. An owner may take the horse for a hack (easy walk in the woods for 30 minutes or so) but they tend not to trail ride much. A dressage barn of 22 horses may have 5-7 owners, each owning 3-4 horses. they will show up 5-6 times a week to work their horses in training in the indoor or outdoor ring. They may trail ride each horse twice a week as time permits. This has been my experience around dressage barns. My guess is that the residents of Sandy Valley Road will become comfortable with the presence of horses in Lowell Woods and will find the extra traffic of a few cars heading to the barn each day, not that much of an issue. Mutual respect for the care of the woods and for each other is the key to enjoying the woods for all...

I received additional information this morning on the process so far...

The current owners of 401 Sandy Valley Road have submitted a Notice of Intent to the Conservation Commission to construct a 22-stall stable and attached indoor riding facility. The proposal also calls for an outdoor riding ring and a number of paddocks. The Conservation Commission opened a public hearing to consider the proposal last month. That hearing is ongoing, with the next session scheduled for January 14, 2009.

The proposed equestrian facility is permitted by state law MGL Chapter 40A, Section 3, as an exempt agricultural use. There is no question as to whether or not the facility can be built, but only as to how it can be properly constructed and managed in a way that will not negatively effect the surrounding wetlands. The Conservation Commission is reviewing the plans and can condition its approval as necessary to make sure that the wetlands are protected. The Con Com is free to impose any reasonable conditions that are clearly related to wetland protection.

The Lowell Woods Conservation Area is town-owned property under the management of the Conservation Commission. No deed restriction prohibiting the equestrian use of the Lowell Woods trails has been found. It is within the purview of the Conservation Commission to establish management plans for any property under its control. The Con Com could adopt regulations requiring the leashing of dogs and horses, and the "bagging" of horses to prevent manure droppings along the trails. The Con Com could, theoretically, impose restrictions on this property to specifically prohibit horses, dogs, bicycles, etc. Any such restrictions would require the approval of the Board of Selectmen, since the conservation areas are owned by the Town.

Once the Conservation Commission issues an Order of Conditions for this project, the property owners are aware that they must file an application for limited Environmental Impact and Design Review by the Planning Board, as well as application for review by the Board of Health. (A previous owner had applied for and received an Order of Conditions from the Con Com to construct a smaller equestrian facility at the same site. The previous owner did not take the next step of applying for a building permit, so that project was never fully aired before the Planning Board and Board of Health.)

The Planning Board will schedule a public hearing, which will be advertised 14 days in advance of the hearing date. Abutters within 300' of the property will be notified by mail. As a courtesy, the Planning Office will also notify property owners along Sandy Valley Road and any other parties who specifically request written notice.

The Planning Board hearing will serve as a public forum for the disclosure of the property owners' plans, and the clarification of any misinformation that surrounds the proposal. It will also be an opportunity for abutters and town residents to express their concerns about the proposed facility and to request that the property owners take reasonable measures to alleviate those concerns.

The Planning Board review of an exempt use is limited to the review of the bulk, height and positioning of proposed structures, and site specific parking and circulation issues. The Planning Board does not have the authority to consider off site impacts of exempt projects. Thus, the Planning Board cannot impose any conditions relating to traffic impacts along Sandy Valley Road or potential use conflicts in Lowell Woods.

There appears to be a lot of misinformation being disseminated about this facility by opposing neighbors on Sandy Valley Road. These neighbors need to understand that the proposed equestrian facility is permitted by state law MGL Chapter 40A, Section 3, as an exempt agricultural use. There is no question as to whether or not the facility can be built, but only as to how it can be properly constructed and managed in a way that will not negatively effect the surrounding wetlands.

It is very likely that the owners, who care enough about the environment to make this a "green" facility, will work hard to treat the wetlands, Lowell woods and their neighbors with respect. However, as the last entry noted, if the owners can not build their dream they may decide to consider other options which may be even less palatable to the people down the street.

Since most people are weighing opinions, there are a lot of other points not shown here. As in all small towns, rumors tend to get out of hand but if we look at the facts available, maybe it is a different picture. The majority of people do not have a problem with people enjoying their horses for personal use. No one seems to saying that they do not like horses. We know that obviously these people like theirs. No one is condemning that. Now, let's look at this beyond this. The reality is that it is a business within a residential area. It does boarder a large conservation area which has been established as a dog walking/hiking/snowshoeing/wild animal habitat including a recent sighting of a moose. People including schools have used LW for recreational purposes as well as WHS and XHS using it for crosscountry runs and meets. Grade school children use the woods for learning science and nature. These are all facts. Sandy Valley Rd. is a narrow road that has difficulty handling two cars going in different directions at the same time. Anyone who has traveled that road knows that is can be difficult especially if a large vehicle comes and the road conditions are terrible especially when ice forms in the winter. Since Lowell Woods has been established, many people use Sandy Valley to access the woods even though it is accessible via Hanlon School. Traffic on that road has increased tremendously since Lowell Woods has been promoted. Anyone who has gone down that street has seen the cars coming and going from the woods; sometimes all too fast. All these are facts. No one can dispute this. The current owners moved into the property this past summer records show. When this facility was first talked about, the owners moved here so they had a place of their own to ride their own horses. No one was against this. As word travels fast, as it usually does in this town, it became clear that there was a lot more involved. The original website promoted Wildstar Farm as a place with direct access to conservation land and trails. I saw this website and it looked like a big operation. It has been promoted and advertised in feed stores in the area for boarding and also has been mentioned to be used as a bed and breakfast spot as a "horse destination". These statements come from people who have heard it from the owners and within the horse community. Again, these are facts. It is also a fact that the website has been changed since the conservation committee meetings when people expressed concerns and some opposition. Someone mentioned the possiblility of building houses there as an alternative. This was tried some time ago but failed to go through due to poor accessiblity to the area and the conservation issues. All who know the area can agree that it would be difficult in case of fire or some type of emergency that could happen either in the woods or on the property in question. These are all facts.

Now look at this from surrounding homes and neighborhoods. Is it unreasonable for people who have lived in there homes for many years to have to deal with so many horses and their habits? Is it unreasonable for people who want to spend time outside in the summer with family to have to change their own way of relaxing because of 22 horses next door to them? Is it unreasonable for people who have already seen an increase in traffic in their area to have to look forward to more traffic as well as large trucks who will have to make deliveries to the business? I have not doubt that this is a business even if it is referred to as a farm. Some rules on our books here is Westwood (as well as Massachusetts) have not been updated since Dedham and Westwood were one. That should be looked at as well. Money in this situation is being exchanged between owners and boarders. I hear people, other than Sandy Valley residents, think the location is not suitable for this large business. Some worry about problems in the woods. Maybe there will be no problems but again, the first time something does happen, the town will have a serious problem on their hands from all parties involved.

I also understand that the previous owner did have a plan but on a smaller scale and did not go through with it for what ever reason. I also understand that the wetlands were not involved and going into Lowell Woods was not ever mentioned. Who knows what happened in that case since the person is no longer in that location.

I guess the whole reason of writing this is after reading all the comments,I felt that people were looking at this situation from sometimes one view and there are always two sides to the story. I have not heard anything bad about the people personally. They're probably nice people but I really question the location for this facility and possible problems on many levels. Maybe they could be happier with a few horses for their personal use for I'm sure others would be too. Just food for thought.

Good point, David. How would the neighbors feel about a piggery with a slaughterhouse? Or maybe a chicken farm? Would they feel that those operations would better preserve the "quiet, rural character" of the neighborhood?

Horses and farms have always been a part of life in Westwood. In fact, it seems to me that the owners are trying to save a bit of our history, not destroy it. And is it really a "commercial enterprise?" Having a small group of horse owners keep their animals together in a stable on a large, secluded piece of property hardly seems like a big business. The fact that the horse owners will contribute to the cost of maintaining the facility and to the cost of supplies seems perfectly reasonable. From what I've heard, stables are not moneymakers; in fact, the challenge seems to be not losing money on the enterprise.

It just doesn't sound like these folks are looking to any more than share their acreage with other like-minded people who happen to own horses and would like to keep them in the beautiful town in which we're privileged to live. Will this really ruin the neighborhood--or might it help keep Westwood the way we'd like it to be?

i have to agree with GoAwayDohrety - the fact that so much time and energy is being expended on this silly topic is unbelievable when we have very serious environment issues associated with the westwood station project. i think we should rally all islington families to fully support the horse stables!! :-)

I totally agree with GoAwayDohrety.

I fully support the horse stables.

I think it was the same geniuses that said WS would have no impact on the nearby neighborhoods. The local road would not be used as feeder roadfs for the project. Remenber that gem candiate Steve.