Angry at real estate agent!

[Jennasis]

So I'm in my barn this morning, knee deep in summer campers and their parents (on Fridays I allow parents to watch their kids ride...it's a horse back riding camp). Along comes these two guys, whom I don't know. The one guy introduces himself and it's the real estate agent representing the large (77acre) tract of land for sale directly across the street. It's been for sale for a very long time. The guy with him is some guy interested in purchasing the property. The agent wanted to introduce him to me and tell me that the guy wants to buy it with the intention of builidng...wait for it...

An AIRSTRIP!!!


What the fuzzy fudge??? Are you serious? I run a full-time horse boarding and lesson business as well as a handicapped riding program for the Special Olympics. No WAY would it be safe for planes to be taking off and landing 100 feet from my barn!! Sure, I hate being "that guy" who stands in the way of someones desire to do something, but this is too much.

Frankly, I felt ambushed by the agent and the guy. They saw that I had a barnful of people (30-40 kids and parents). They should have called and made an appointment to talk to me about it. The guy even said, we tried to come by two times and it looked busy then...SO MAKE AN APPOINMENT!

I'm freaking out a bit now. I am going to put in a call to the agent to call me back so I can try to rationally talk to him. I don't think the guy has bought the land yet. It's zoned AGRICULTURAL and he'd need to apply for Special Use Permits (presumably getting neighbor permission).

I am so mad.

 

[Subi WRX]

They should've called.

But if the guy wants to use the land for something other than what it's zoned for, wouldn't there have to be a hearing of some sort?

 

[Kim1964]

I'd suggest talking to local officials about it more than the realtor. Find out what steps he has to take to build the thing and the counter measures you can take to prevent it.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I'd suggest talking to local officials about it more than the realtor. Find out what steps he has to take to build the thing and the counter measures you can take to prevent it.

Second that motion. Might even consider an attorney since this will affect your business. At least get some info from your local government.

 

[DrCavin]

I doubt these are going to be jets landing/taking-off, so I dont think it would be much of an issue.

 

[ICF]

I doubt these are going to be jets landing/taking-off, so I dont think it would be much of an issue.

I doubt that anyone wants to have thier house be 100 ft from an airstrip with any sort of planes taking off and landing....

 

[OctMtnWoods]

I would think with 77 acres and across the street, that its not going to be "100 feet" from your barn. It could be far away depending how the 77 acres are laid out.

I would find out more before throwing a fit. Where on the 77 acres & how far is that from you? What kind of planes? What hours? How many planes? What direction will the strip run? Will you be in the flight path for landing & takeoff? It could even be gliders which only need a plane to help them take off.

If the land isn't zoned for this, he's going to go to the town anyway with all this info before he buys anything.

I've lived near (as in just a couple miles away) from 2 very small airports and really never heard much if anything.


ETA: For anyone trying to visualize how large 77 acres is, here are the WDW theme park sizes. Note, its not just the park size, but all the supporting land around it needed for entrance & behind the scene activities & PARKING.
http://www.hellers.org/horizons/wdw/tipsindex.html

 

[robinb]

I think that some people are missing the point. It's not just about the general airplane noise. It's about her horses. Horses are not the calmest creatures in the world and an air strip is bound to wreck havoc with them. I used to have a t-shirt that had two horses on it with huge wide eyes. It said "What's that?!?" "Don't know!" "Let's SPOOK!" Why in the world would she agree to something that would turn her animals and those that board there into nervous wrecks? She may lose boarders due to the noise and the stress to the horses. And what about the first time some newbie flyer comes over the farm too low and scares the heck out of one of her dead-broke lesson horses with a handicapped child on his back?

We're not talking about her livelihood here.

Jennasis, I think you're in for a real fight and I hope you come out ahead.

 

[Beca]

Oh my goodness!!! I am SOOOO sorry to hear that!! I wish you all the best of luck in the world fighting this!!!

My dd was thrown from her horse when some not very considerate folks went to the vacant lot next to her riding stable to shoot of some fireworks!!
She was only 6 at the time, and we were SOOO lucky she only ended up with a bruised thigh.

There should be some sort of protection zone of land surrounding horse stables.

Here's hoping he just finds a better parcel of land elsewhere.

 

[BCV513]

I totally understand why you're upset at the remotest possibility of an airstrip being put near your house. It absolutely would change your quality of life.

What I don't understand is why you're mad at the real estate agent. He's just trying to make a sale. He didn't even have to tell you what this guy was thinking of doing with the property.

 

[Magic Mom]

I think it would be wise to go into this fight calmly. First find out what his plans are. Is it going to be an airstrip just for his use? I agree the best outcome would be to not have a airstrip near your property, however if it ends up happening, you want to be on good enough terms that you can talk to him about placing it farther back on the property so as to minimize the impact on your place. FWIW, the stables DD rides at has a small regional airport very near by and they are in the training flight path of the helicopters from the near by Army base, and the horses (boarders or lesson horses) hardly seem to notice.

 

[Jennasis]

I would think with 77 acres and across the street, that its not going to be "100 feet" from your barn. It could be far away depending how the 77 acres are laid out.

I would find out more before throwing a fit. Where on the 77 acres & how far is that from you? What kind of planes? What hours? How many planes? What direction will the strip run? Will you be in the flight path for landing & takeoff? It could even be gliders which only need a plane to help them take off.

If the land isn't zoned for this, he's going to go to the town anyway with all this info before he buys anything.

I've lived near (as in just a couple miles away) from 2 very small airports and really never heard much if anything.


ETA: For anyone trying to visualize how large 77 acres is, here are the WDW theme park sizes. Note, its not just the park size, but all the supporting land around it needed for entrance & behind the scene activities & PARKING.
http://www.hellers.org/horizons/wdw/tipsindex.html

The flat open portion of land that is suitable for this airstrip is the portion directly opposite my front door. The strip would have to run parallel to the street. It would be as if they were landing on my front lawn. If you were standing on my front stoop looking at the property, you would understand.

I totally understand why you're upset at the remotest possibility of an airstrip being put near your house. It absolutely would change your quality of life.

What I don't understand is why you're mad at the real estate agent. He's just trying to make a sale. He didn't even have to tell you what this guy was thinking of doing with the property.

I felt ambushed. He should have made an appointment.


I called him back a little while ago and spoke to him. He agreed that it was going to be no good after he spoke with me here earlier and said that the whole plan was scrubbed.

I'll still keep my eyes/ears open in case it isn't.

For those who said that it wouldn't be jets...I assume you don't have horses? They spook at the drop of a hat or when the wind blows the wrong way. Back in NY, my old barn was actually situated in the landing zone of the local airport where commercial jets flew all day long. The airport was there well before the barn was and the horses eventually grew accustomed to the sounds. In this case, we are talking about private planes, with no schedule or warning, taking off and landing whenever.

let's not forget the loss of revenue when my boarders catch wind of this and high tail it for a quieter atmosphere, or when my students leave out of fear never knowing when the planes are coming or going, and the loss of property value.

It is absolutely a safety hazard I am not willing to live with.

 

[Beca]

let's not forget the loss of revenue when my boarders catch wind of this and high tail it for a quieter atmosphere, or when my students leave out of fear never knowing when the planes are coming or going, and the loss of property value.

It is absolutely a safety hazard I am not willing to live with.

I have to agree with you on this one. Having gone thru what we did with our dd, there is NO WAY dh or I would allow our dd to train right next to an airstrip. A horse could be fine with the the noise one day, and then, if they are upset about something else, not fine with it the next. It would just be too much of a risk for us to take.

 

[Handbag Lady]

I'm glad they scrubbed the whole idea.

 

[Jenvenza]

That is one of the worst ideas I have ever heard!! An airstrip next a place that does riding lessons. Horses spook so easy - as you know - this could be a disaster! Good luck to you and let us know what happens.

 

[kacaju]

I am so glad to hear that it will not happen!! I agree horses are just too spooky for anything like that to be built anywhere near your place!!

 

[robinb]

I would not believe the agent. He wants to sell the property and make money and may not be telling you the truth. You may or may not be contacted if the zoning needs to be changed. I would still contact someone in your local government and make sure you know the procedure if the guy buys the land anyway and wants to build an airstrip.

 

[JR6ooo4]

For those who said that it wouldn't be jets...I assume you don't have horses? They spook at the drop of a hat or when the wind blows the wrong way.

It is absolutely a safety hazard I am not willing to live with.

A horse could be fine with the the noise one day, and then, if they are upset about something else, not fine with it the next. It would just be too much of a risk for us to take.

Horses spook so easy - as you know - this could be a disaster! Good luck to you and let us know what happens.

assuming all the quotes above are from people more knowledgeable than I.

The quotes logically lead to the conclusion that horses should not be used for pleasure or business.


MIkeeee

 

[jrmasm]

I used to take my DD to shows at a farm right next to railroad tracks. Every time we were there, a train would come by. The horses from the farm never even noticed.


Not saying that situations doesn't still stink. No one wants to live next to an air strip.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

assuming all the quotes above are from people more knowledgeable than I.

The quotes logically lead to the conclusion that horses should not be used for pleasure or business.


MIkeeee

Not necessarily. As a good owner she obviously knows about horses, hers in particular and takes all the precautions necessary to keeping her clients safe. Horse therapy is used for many people with special needs and the results can be dramatic. I can't speak for Jennasis, but the ones I have seen typically have the horse being lead by a volunteer/coach with at least one other person spotting the person with special needs to ensure that nobody is accidentally hurt.

When you take riding lessons you are made well aware of the risks and a good teacher will make sure you are aware of horse safety. This includes taking necessary precautions in how you approach the horse, handle the horse, and wearing protective equipment. Animals are unpredictable, and yes, horses can spook, but taking a few comments on a thread and coming to the conclusion it is irresponsible for her to use horses in her business is quite the stretch.

Jennasis clearly know her horses and cares about her clients which is why she is upset and is deciding on what actions to take should this ill thought out plan become a reality. Not to mention that at least one of those quotes was clearly hyperbolic in nature. As long as the right precautions are taken, horseback riding is quite safe and therapeutic.