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Town of Cottage Grove Cottage Grove, WI 53527 March 20, 1997 Mr. James Gregorious Zoning Administrator Dane County Planning and Development Room 116 City-County Bldg 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Madison, WI 53709 Dear Mr. Gregorious: I believe your office has been contacted regarding a possible zoning violation at 3847 West Jargo Road in the Town of Cottage Grove. This property is reportedly owned by Bill and Lorraine Atkins but is occupied by Terry Palmer. Ms. Palmer has allegedly been operating a business where horse riding is offered for a fee to a number of customers. I believe the current zoning is A-1 exclusive and that the necessary conditional use permit (C.U.P.)has not been obtained to operate such a riding stable. Neighbors to this property have contacted me with concerns about a high volume of traffic,young children strolling near their property and livestock and possible building code and safety violations associated with conducting this type of business. It is also my understanding that Russ Bartlett of your staff has driven-by the property on one or more occasions but has not seen any evidence of illegal activity. Therefore, no notice of non-compliance or other official orders to stop the horse riding enterprise have been issued. On Sunday,March 16, I was contacted by the neighbors and informed that a usual customer had arrived and requested that I check it out. I arrived at 3847 West Jargo Road at approximately 3:15 p.m. When I entered the steel pole shed where the car was parked,I observed that it was an indoor riding arena. I observed a number of riding helmets hanging in the entry hall as well as a significant amount of other riding gear. I spoke with a young woman(first name Lisa who was from Sun Prairie)who said she leased a horse from Ms. Palmer and was there for a ride. Other evidence was given to me by the neighbors. It included a copy of a riding program schedule for different age groups and a partial list of license plate numbers of assumed customers. I then went to the house and spoke with Terry Palmer and Lorraine Atkins. They admitted that they were collecting fees for horse riding,that they had been notified by our Town Chairman regarding the violation and that they had been in touch with your office to initiate the process of seeking a C.U.P.