A dispute between neighbors over two horses has led Woodside to take a fresh look at the rules for its backyard barns.
The appeal
The council's agenda this week included an appeal of a stable permit exception allowing two horses on a property of about 19,794 square feet. Town code requires 1 acre (43,560 square feet) for two horses. The town's Livestock and Equestrian Heritage Committee had recommended approval, and the Planning Commission had upheld it.
Neighbor John Clark appealed. He argued the town was not following its own rules. “This precedent would effectively change the law in the town of Woodside,” he said, according to The Almanac. The council voted unanimously to deny his appeal, so Munish Manrao can keep his horses, Bling and Billie.
Why the rules may change
Stable exceptions don't transfer when a home is sold. Manrao said he did not know that when he kept Bling there under the former owner's permit. About a dozen local riders spoke in support. Trails Committee member Maggie Mah said many lots under an acre already have horses, and that the town does a poor job of tracking permits.
Councilmembers asked the equestrian committee and the Planning Commission to look at changes that would make it easier to keep horses. Councilmember Dick Brown said he'd been told Woodside once had 800 or more horses and is now down to 500 or fewer. “To me, that is a disaster for a town that calls itself the home of horses,” he said.