• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Horse facility plan rides again in Lyons Township

Photo

LYONS TOWNSHIP — An Illinois architect is trying again for a zoning change so he can build an equestrian show facility in Lyons Township.

Mark Knauer of Geneva Show Productions is seeking to rezone 115 acres near the intersection of Highway 50 and Back Road from A-1 agricultural to A-2.

Knauer said he is planning a "world class" facility for AA rated shows sanctioned by the United States Equestrian Federation. The rating is the highest given by the organization.

The facility would include show arenas, horse holding and handling areas and parking.

Knauer plans to host horse shows six weeks out of the year—three weeks in late spring and three weeks in early fall. The facility also could be used for other events, including smaller horse shows in the summer.

Knauer in May proposed building the facility on 80 acres near the intersection of Back Road and Sheridan Springs Road. He sought a rezone from agriculture to business, but he was met with criticism from town residents, who called the facility a "circus" that would ruin the rural setting of the area.

"What I took out of that meeting was they didn't have a problem with the concept, they had a problem with the location," Knauer said.

Knauer in July again proposed building the facility, this time on 115 acres near the intersection of Highway 50 and Back Road. He again sought a rezone from agriculture to business, and this time he was met with hesitation from town officials, who said they want preserve farmland in the area.

But town officials liked the idea of having a top horse show facility in the area, but wanted a compromise that would keep the land mostly agricultural while allowing Knauer to move ahead with his proposal, Town Chairman Bill Mangold said.

County zoning officials recommended Knauer seek a rezone from A-1, prime agricultural land, to A-2, agricultural land suitable for a commercial stable, said Michael Cotter, director of the Walworth County Land Use and Resource Management Department.

Knauer said he wanted to build the facility under agricultural zoning from the start.

"I was a little less than happy I had to go through all of this," he said. "But the town and the county have really helped make this work."

Knauer said the project is estimated to cost $3 million to $3.5 million and generate $8 million to $10 million in lodging, eating and shopping. He said he plans to run a "first-class" operation.

"Our goal is to make this a world-class facility," he said. "Our goal is to be one of the premier horse show sites in the United States.

"There are so many nuances to a business like this, and those nuances either make or break the facility, the popularity of the facility. Our goal is to pay attention to every one of those details. … We want to run a first-class operation."

The Lyons Plan Commission will discuss the revised proposal at its meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5, at Lyons Town Hall, 6339 Hospital Road. The commission is expected to make a recommendation to the town board, which will vote on the proposal and refer it to the county for final approval.

Construction on the facility is expected to begin in the fall, Knauer said.