Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Tired of Dodging Golf Balls? Try Equestrian Living.

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by

James A. Bacon
in

I’ve heard of subdivisions built around golf courses, but not subdivisions built around equestrian centers. But NASCAR driver and Lynchburg-area land developer Stacy Compton is planning just such a thing — a subdivision of 300 luxury, single-family houses on 1,200 acres, according to the News Advance. Lot sizes will range between two and 10 acres.

I believe that developers should be allowed to experiment with new housing concepts — even if it means contributing to a scattered, disconnected, low-density pattern of development. But the Campbell County board of supervisors needs to make sure that the project covers its location-variable costs. What will be the impact on traffic congestion and the need for road improvements and cul de sac maintenance? Will the County have to build a new school and library? Will it cost more to provide faster response times for fire, ambulance and police? Campbell County needs to know the answers.

Whether Campbell supervisors employ proffers, impact fees or special tax districts, they should ensure that the project offsets the strain it places upon local government finances. Ideally, they should consider also the traffic impact on neighboring jurisdictions — although, admittedly, there is no incentive under the current governance structure to do so.

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3 responses to “Tired of Dodging Golf Balls? Try Equestrian Living.”

  1. COD Avatar
    COD

    I think it makes a lot of sense. Barns and riding facilities cost a lot of money, and are the perfect sort of thing that can be shared across a community. It costs a lot of dollars to put in a high quality riding ring that a recreational rider will use an hour a day. Not to mention the cost of a modern barn…

    If it were closer to the Richmond – DC corridor I might be a perfect candidate. It hasn’t escaped my notice that horse board is a lot like rent – it’s money down the drain.

  2. Larry Gross Avatar
    Larry Gross

    I’ve seen these kinds of communities in NOrth Carolina also… there is one near Pinehurst.

  3. Ray Hyde Avatar
    Ray Hyde

    Isn’t this what I’ve said I wanted to do? Add another house with equestrian facilities and keep it as a profit center for the farm? Of course I only want one house, not three hundred.

    What I don’t understand about this is that if you put 300 homes on an averag 4 acre lot, where are these people going to ride? On each others lawn? Where will all those animals graze? It takes what, six acres to support a horse?

    Never mind the schools and library, what about the equestrian sewage treatment plant?

    It turns out that the single thing you can do to improve the value of your home, more than a new kitchen, swimming pool or anything else is to add equestrian facilities. If these are luxury homes, they will be well above the usual $700,000 threshold for homes that pay their own way, but what the heck, let’s hit them with proffers anyway.

    But the idea of affinity housing covers a lot more than equestrians and golf courses. There are aviation communities clustered around landing strips where each home has not only a garage, but a hangar(s) for the airplane(s). That wouldn’t be my cup of tea, but some people will live anywhere they will let you build a house near people like themselves.

    I think they call them suburbs.

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