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California Riding Magazine • August, 2010 Why We Have Term Limits by Judy Duncan |
What has the San Diego County Board of Supervisors been doing for the past 15 years? And what happened to the equine-friendly Department of Planning and Land Use that existed 15 years ago as evidenced by a kind-spirited Variance letter granted to a “non-conforming use” boarding stable in Bonsall? The goal of the Department of Planning & Land Use (DPLU) is “full revenue recovery,” and based on the costs for a discretionary permit, it is some recovery! Does it make sense to over-regulate, over-administrate and over-burden business owners with unreasonable fees and requirements, closing down businesses and eliminating jobs? Why not encourage responsible enterprise, generate revenue and create jobs? It is no surprise that wealthy horse business owners are leaving San Diego to purchase land in other counties. San Diego County’s exorbitant regulations and permit fees are 1,000 times greater than other California counties. The public stable permitting process includes outlandish fees, over-the-top CEQA studies, extensive road improvements, never-ending rules and regulations, paving of horse ranches, and continued government interference for the life of the permit. The permit applicant must be willing to offer themselves up as a cash cow on the altar of the DPLU, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars without any permit guarantee, and without a cap on fees or requirements. The cost of an initial “pre-application meeting” where a prospective applicant hopes to get their questions answered costs $11,000 and is “mandatory.” Contrast this with other counties’ pre-app meetings, which are applicant-friendly and free. It appears that the Board of Supervisors, who oversees the DPLU and hires its staff, is keeping the County out of debt through over-administration and increased government, the opposite of what we need. The cost of the permit required for a horse business (boarding, breeding, sales, training, camps, clinics, lessons, etc.) has gone from an average cost of $3K in 1982, to $15K in 1994, to $300K in 2010. These permit fees and requirements make money for the County in the short term, however, this is not “smart revenue planning.” I know of three wealthy investors who have turned their backs on San Diego County due to these costly and oppressive regulations. We have county staff sitting in their offices making up laws about an industry with which they are so disconnected they don’t understand why a stable needs to park horse trailers on the property, nor do they know the definition of a farrier. Other California Counties have solutions. Their permit process is not difficult (the applicants can do the paperwork themselves) nor lengthy (three to five months as opposed to six to nine years in San Diego County), nor costly ($6K as opposed to $300K). All California counties must comply with CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act), so how do other counties keep permit fees and requirements inexpensive when San Diego County continues raking in huge permit fees? San Diego has the largest number of horses per capita in the country. The San Diego horse community has the largest economic impact to its county in the country. The horse industry contributes approximately $7 billion to California’s dynamic economy, with horse racing being the largest sector ($2.5 billion). Accounting for off-site spending of spectators would result in an even higher dollar figure. The California horse industry produces goods and services valued at $4.1 billion, which is more than the state of Texas producing $3.0 billion. There are 698,000 horses in California, over 70 percent of which are involved in showing and recreation. California is only exceeded by Texas, which has 979,000 horses. 311,100 Californians are involved in the industry as horse owners, service providers, employees and volunteers. Even more Californians participate as spectators. The California horse industry directly provides 54,200 full-time equivalent jobs. Spending by suppliers and employees in California and other states generates additional jobs in California for a total employment impact of l30,200 jobs. Several San Diego County Equestrians have joined together to work for positive change in the reduction of the Equine Zoning laws and permit fees and requirements. Send your suggestions to equinezoning@gmail.com and please read & sign the petition at www.equinezoning.com. Steve Gronke, Bill Horn’s campaign opponent for the November election, will be meeting with the horse community on August 2 at The Hunter Equestrian Center in Eden Valley/Escondido.
Author Judy Duncan is a trainer with 60 years of experience in the equine community. |
