rules rules rules dumb rules. gosh I hate stuff like that. it isn’t cuz you are inexperiences it is just weird rules some places have for their community. we all learn as we go with these matters. hope fully someone else can help you who has gone thru this insanity it sure would be nice to have your horse there with you so I would give it a try  and see. doesnt’ hurt to try and you never know something just might work out. i think there is a good chance it will. just time consuming and frustrating with all the hoops they make you go thru.

oh Lion Lop! that’s just the way these things are. they have certain rules and regulations, not to mess with you or make things difficult on purpose but b/c they’ve found (thru trial and error most likely) that this is the best way to do things. it’s possible that it won’t work. what is your back-up plan?

ah yes… red tape.  i’ve become familiar with this while working in the architectural design business since many of my client have to jump through hoops above & beyond the usual permit process that is my specialty.   i’m sorry that this is throwing a wrench into your plans. 

is there an existing barn & fence up?  you should get a survey with your legal documents of purchase which would show their locations.  if you are proposing to construct a barn and/or fence then it sounds like they are asking for a proposed survey to be drawn up showing the existing structure & your proposed barn and/or fencing.  

about the required setbacks… in residential subdivisions it is possible to apply for a variance if your proposed project will not meet the applicable setbacks.  this process usualy takes some time because it also involves submiting an application & waiting for a review & pending approval or denial.  whether this is an option in your circumstance will depend on the bylaws which apply to your lot so i can’t say with any certainty what options you may or may not have.  in these situations it helps to talk to some one who is familiar with the legal processes in your area involved to get more information about them.

here in ontario when you hire a surveyor to draw up a proposed site plan they are the experts on what zoning bylaws are applicable to the lot.  if you are proposing anything that will not be shown on your survey with your purchase docs then i think your best bet is to call up a surveyor asap (they can be pretty busy this time of year) and get started on a survey.  when you call them you should have the legal description of your lot to tell them and explain why you need a survey.  also, ask them if they have experience dealing with the rural planning commission.  if you get a friendly person they may have some insight as to the process you about to get into.

good luck!

can someone help you thru the process? your parents maybe?

Do have a backup plan. There is a possibility this will not work out so always have a back-up plan.

Babybunsmom has some great advice too :~)

I’m sure the people you are speaking with are sympathetic too but they have to follow the rules and regulations.

didn’t you say in your other post that your new neighbors have a horse? is there anyway you could introduce yourself to them and ask them how they came about being allowed to have their horse? maybe they could give you some insight on the process as well… or push come to shove if they’re kind, “board” your horse until you figure out what’s going on.

I had the same thought as Beka, introduce yourself to the neighbours and ask them about the process they went through to their barn approved. At the very least you’ll have introduced yourself to the neighbours and know who they are, which is handy in an emergency.

– Annette

i think the best thing to do is get in touch with a professional, an architect or whatever and see what they say dont worry it will be OK in the end!

Oh dear…good luck…sorry I know nothing about this kind of stuff. I don’t think your neighbors would think you are weird. They’d probably be glad to find out you’re a horse person, too!

i agree, i would enjoy having a horse person next door to me especially if i had horses, im sure they wouldnt mind

Beka said it for me, too. Also, I am sure the neighbors are curious who is moving in and would be pleased to learn there is another horse person. You might even be prevailed upon to “horse-sit” someday – potential for a mutually convenient arrangement. It is kind of obvious that they allow horses on property in your new neighborhood, so maybe the folks next door know something or someone to make it happen.

What about where your other horse (Misty?) is staying? Is there a possibility of putting them in stalls in the same barn? If the cost of taking on the project for your yard is greater than boarding at Misty’s place, or another one you can get to easily, then it might be worth just moving Kayo while you do some more research.

And you know, we all feel like kids when we come up against some wet blanket complications that get in the way of our excitement. You don’t need parental guidance as much as you need guidance from someone who knows – ie. babybunsmum.

Great advice BBM!

That is a risk L_L however if any neighbor called to complain you may have to go through this process, but if it is one you are willing to take, just keep in mind that you may have to find a place to board Kayo. Also, if push came to shove, you can also not only obtain a variance, but get waivers from your neighbors as well. As for the survey, check the Canadian version of the County Assessor’s office. They should have them on file and you will not have to pay to have it done, and another place is the Canadian version of the building and planning department where drawings etc. have to be submitted in order to obtain permits. I have to ask for plat maps or legal descriptions for my job all the time when I am processing a well permit for a land area evaluation where they only get the amount of water available – with catches of course, but that is it in a nutshell. Another thought I had was that if you can prove the structure was in place before the other houses were built, it could all be O.K. too.

Well I hope this all helps you sort things out. However since you have been in contact with the authorities they MIGHT pay your home a visit if they do not hear back from you. I am not trying to instill any kind of paranoia but if that is the route you choose, just call and tell them you are withdrawing your application and that you have changed plans and are going to board him at a facility instead.

Exactly

honestly… i’d do the same thing. i understand & respect why there is ‘red tape’ to get approvals & variances and such.  it does help to create some order and standards and protection for people & environment.   however unfortunately it also means that sometimes the obviously simple and practical is burried under paperwork. 

i wondered if perhaps the neighbors had gone ahead without going through official chains.  like scarlet_rose mentions, as long as you’re aware that they could come by & force you through this process then you’ll be fine.  it may be of comfort to have a back-up plan ready should that happen. 

before i went freelance i took a course about self-employment.  part of the course was to check for all licensing / permits etc. that may apply to your business & then go through the proper chains to obtain them.  so like a good girl i went to city hall & asked about a license to operate out of my home.  the woman there said “in waterloo we do not allow businesses to operate out of homes.  you were never here.  i have never seen you.”  lol.  it was crystal clear to me that she was saying ‘just go ahead & do it!’ 

so is there an existing structure or do you have to build something? in the US you need to have a permit to build anything on your property and it has to be inspected. i think in every case, altho i could be wrong since i’m not a homeowner.

So is the issue building a barn for the horse or having the horse on the property? I’m confused.

Do the neighbors have a barn? or just the horse on their property.

i’m guessing if the neighbors have 4 or 5 horses they probably have some kind of barn-like building. i just wonder if it was existing. if people drive by and see a whole thing getting built, they’re going to wonder.

i wasn’t sure either if she had to build a structure but lion_lop mentioned applying only for permission to bring her horse onto the property.  if she had to construct something for shelter then she would need to apply for a building permit with plans and a survey.  

keep us updated!

oh yeah! that is a good size! it’s been a loooooong time since we’ve seen pics, i couldn’t quite remember. you would probably be putting up a fence anyways for Aren, right? so no big deal!

sweet!  you must be soooo excited

Now that you’ve shown pictures (are all the shots your barn? Which is the neighbors’?) I see why you are all set to move in your horse. It kind of seems odd that a house with a barn-like structure on the property is not already zoned/approved as a barn. Maybe it’s just a storage shed where you leave your lawnmower, rake, hay, horse, tires, hose, trash cans. The usual stuff.

LOL Pam!!!^^^

I second that LOL! Nice sneaking the horse into that list…

Well congrats on the whole thing Lion-Lop. A place of your own where your horse can live too.  Pure heaven!

I hear ya Lion Lop, some of the laws regarding horse properties are so stupid. I hope to eventually have a small horse barn but for now it’s soooo much easier just to board.

boarding must be expensive?

wow thats really expensive! dont think i will be getting a horse anytime soon then hehe

why wouldn’t you be able to have them both there? if you’re gonna have one horse, you might as well have two!