Story Photos
 Photo by Roger Werth A proposed equestrian center in east Kelso would include 10 cabins overlooking the Coweeman Valley. |
Horse Haven?
Wednesday, May 12, 2004 7:21 AM PDT
By Pat Forgey
Printable version
E-mail this articleMitch Wharton wants to spend more than $1 million in Kelso building the nicest horse arena and stables in the county. And he's hoping to boost the county's tourism business with what he's calling the Coweeman Valley Equestrian Center.
Owners of some competing stables say they'd welcome him, but question his plan's viability. And some neighbors don't want him there at all.
Wharton hopes to build along Allen Street an equestrian center, offering full care for more than 60 horses, a 16,000-square-foot arena and 10 visitor cabins overlooking the Coweeman River. Those visitors are important to Wharton's plans, because he wants to draw business from beyond just the Kelso area.
Wharton, who also owns the General Mortgage building that houses Luigi's coffeehouse in downtown Longview, said his site in Kelso is perfect for the destination facility he wants to build.
"I've got a mile of Coweeman riverfront and it's literally five minutes to I-5," he said.
He envisions a place which would offer stables for people to board their horses, riding areas and training. Unlike most other area stables, where owners care for their own horses, Wharton's employees would take care of the horses, under the supervision of a veterinarian. A 30,000-square-foot building would contain the arena and horse stalls.
"It will go along with the new convention center," the county is building at the fairgrounds. "It will be another thing the town has to offer to attract people."
A Cle Elum, Wash., architect is developing plans for the equestrian center, he said.
"I'm not just throwing up a cheap barn," he said. "She's designed lots of these, it'll be something unique."
Wharton already owned 30 acres to the south of the development site, when he started thinking about the equestrian center, but needed a neighboring 11-acre parcel fronting Allen Street to make it happen. He brought in a partner, Arizona developer and Longview native Frank Boyes, to purchase the 11 acres.
In March, the Kelso Planning Commission approved a special-use permit to allow the center on land zoned for multi-family residential housing, said Kent Anderson, the city's community development director.
Anderson said the approval was "not a cakewalk," but the equestrian center likely would generate far less traffic than would the apartment buildings. A hamburger stand Wharton was interested in wasn't approved, he said.
Wharton said he never wanted to put in apartments, in part because the Olympic Pipeline Co.'s gas pipeline cuts across the property.
"I didn't think it would be a good idea to build apartments on a gas pipeline seeing as how they've been blowing up all over," he said.
Some neighbors didn't like the horse plan, however.
Ken and Joyce Craven told the planning commission Wharton's plans will intrude on their country living. It's not fair for the city to allow a development that will mostly affect neighbors in the county, they said. They voiced concerns about safety, noise, pollution, traffic and the impact on the environment, including the river and salmon.
This wasn't the first time the Cravens and Wharton battled. A feud between the two parties over a road wound up in Superior Court several years ago, and the county commissioners later barred Wharton from duck hunting on his property after the Cravens complained. Wharton said he wasn't surprised they objected to the equestrian center.
"I could bring Jesus out there to give a sermon on the mount, and they'd be against it," he said.
The Cravens did not return phone calls.
Delores Branham of West Longview's Rabbit Run Stables said there is a lot of interest in horses in the county. "We have a waiting list to get in here," she said.
She didn't know whether the county's economy could afford the expense of Wharton's full-care stable, which might range from $250 to $350 per month, compared to $120 for self-care. "He might be in for a big surprise," she said.
Still, she said a spiffy new arena could be good for the county.
"I'm glad to see a nice facility going in," she said. "If I decide to close this place I might just go board there."
Jim Ribelin said his stables on Ocean Beach Highway are currently full with 60 horses, and said Wharton's plans could work if he has some top trainers to draw people from outside the county. He questioned making an investment of that size in a stables business, however.
"I've got $800,000 in this one, and it's slow coming back," Ribelin said. "I don't think I'd do this again."
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