A longtime horse training and boarding facility in Longmont will be able to expand after a 2-1 vote Tuesday by Boulder County County commissioners.
Commissioners Elise Jones and Deb Gardner approved the buildout for the 35-acre NIghthawk Equestrian Center at 5555 Nelson Road. Owners want to expand or replace several of the existing structures on the property, which has been training and holding horse events for over 30 years.
Gardner said the expansion seemed essential to secure the economic viability of a business with solid roots in Boulder County agriculture.
“I think one of our priorities in this county is to maintain the agricultural heritage in Boulder County and the agricultural feel of our county,” Gardner said. “I think this is the kind of business we should support.”
Commissioner Matt Jones voted against the expansion, citing the owners’ desire to build new housing for an additional worker and family on the property. Approving the additional housing could allow agricultural operations to become larger and more commercial, Jones said.
“Adding more housing sets a precedent for the county and I just think it is a mistake,” he said.
The expansion includes a 900-square-foot addition to the facility’s indoor arena, a new grooming barn, replacing bedding storage and a vehicle barn, installing permanent roof covers over three temporary stall clusters and expanding the number of temporary horse stalls to 40, according to a staff report.
The owners want to hold up to 12 competitive events a year, each lasting one to three days. They also requested camping be allowed on site solely for participants in the public competitions, the staff report stated.
The total floor area on the property would go from 36,126 square feet to 46,587 square feet, county planners said. There are currently 43 horses boarded at the center and that number will not change, added planners.
Planners, like Matt Jones, objected to the addition of a second dwelling unit on the property for the facility’s workers, which would house a third household. They said expanding or replacing the existing worker dwelling unit is “more appropriate.”
Commissioners Elise Jones and Gardner said the new 1,200-square-foot home for a worker was needed to help maintain and care for the horses on the property.
“There is no doubt having more hands there 24/7 would result in better outcomes should there be a sickness among the horses,” Elise Jones said. “This will also keep workers from traveling every day to the ranch. There is a net environmental benefit.”
