Fullerton : City Puzzle: How Many Horses Can Fit on a Lot?

Horse lovers want to loosen zoning requirements to allow more horses in smaller lots--an idea narrowly approved by the city’s Planning Commission and under review by the City Council.

Members of the Fullerton Recreational Riders Assn. asked the city to allow--on an individual basis through conditional use permits--two horses per half-acre lot as long as the horse owner meets one of three criteria: The land is next to a three-fourth-acre lot, it is near a trail or is on a rural street.

City law now allows two horses per three-fourth-acre lot and an additional horse for each 15,000 feet, chief city planner Barry Eaton said.

The city’s staff thought the association’s proposal too lax, Eaton said. Planners suggested instead what they believed was a compromise position: One horse would be allowed for a one-half-acre lot, but two--not one--of the criteria would have to be met before a permit would be granted.

Last Tuesday night, after a three-hour discussion, the City Council postponed a decision until Sept. 2. Last month, the Planning Commission approved the ordinance change on a 4-3 vote, Eaton said.

Between now and the September meeting, the staff will draw a map to see how many parcels in which areas would be affected by the proposed changes.

Association members have said the current ordinance discriminates against horse owners who cannot afford larger lots. Some city planners, however, have argued that a one-half-acre lot is not big enough to hold a home, a driveway, any other building or setback and two horses.