Zoning Regulations for Raising and Keeping Horses in Spokane County
Go to: Previous Article Next Article
As a Realtor, I have a surprising number of home buyers seeking to purchase property in Spokane, Washington area with the idea of keeping horses. They like the idea of owning their own stable, fenced pastures and riding area. Many "horse people" dream of building a covered arena for year-riding and horse training opportunities. I could go on and on but hesitate to mention dreams of a well stocked and organized tack room, paddocks, riding trails and beautifully constructed, sanitary, well-lit sables with sturdy sliding doors, hay barns, etc.
Recently a new factor has crept in the perfect horse set-up dreams. People have been inquiring lately, "How close can we get to downtown and still be able to achieve our dream of keeping our horses?"
This is a good question, and probably not as simple or clear as claimed by real estate sellers or readily apparent to buyers. Land use regulations, zoning, code enforcement, pre-existing and grandfathered land uses all become issues to consider when purchasing a home and land with an additional purpose of keeping horses.
Simply assuming just because a seller of property has a barn, stables, fenced pastures and horses doesn't mean that a new buyer will enjoy the same land use rights. It doesn't mean that the seller isn't in violation of zoning regulations and the activity simply hasn't come to the attention of authorities or caused a code enforcement complaint by any of the neighbors. Don't assume that claims that horses are permitted on a particular piece of property are correct without making sure you are correct. Don't assume that because the neighbors of a property keep horses that the property you think would be wonderful for your family and your horses - it might be against the zoning code to have horses in the neighborhood.
My research reveals many properties the public generally assumes are approved for the purpose of keeping horses really are not zoned for it. Currently, Spokane County permits animal raising and/or keeping in eight different zone classifications as follows:
Urban Residential Zones
* The Low Density Residential Plus (LDR-P) One area you can find LDR-P in is the Morgan Acres neighborhood.
Rural Zones
* Rural Traditional (RT)
* Rural-5 (R-5)
* Rural Conservation (RCV)
* Urban Reserve (UR)
Resource Lands
* Large Tract Agricultural (LTA)
* Small Tract Agricultural (STA)
* Forest Lands (F)
The closest properties the permit horse that are also close to in town conveniences are zoned LDR-P and will have a minimum of one acre. Next closest would be Urban Reserve (UR), Rural Traditional (RT) and Rural-5.
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
- Credit Cards A big selection of Cards in all flavors: Bad Credit Cards, Secured Cards, Prepaid Cards, Canada Cards, Low Interest Cards -
Word Count: 451
Reduce Your Debts Without Bankruptcy. See How Much You Can Save. Free Debt Analysis
