The owners of a controversial horse arena that angered adjacent property owners have withdrawn their request for a conditional use permit to operate the facility.

Mike Melton, who owns the facility with his wife, made the announcement at the start of a public hearing held Monday in front of the Warren County Commission that was to determine the status of a permit that had been renewed by the county planning and zoning board in May.

The debate involved a yearlong fight, with both sides hiring lawyers and neighboring property owners filing a lawsuit against the Meltons and county.

The horse arena is located on Pin Oak Road, just off Highway A, northwest of Warrenton. The facility operated last year after the conditional use permit was approved by the planning and zoning board and the decision upheld by the county commission following an appeal.

Mike Melton said his decision was aided by the opening of a horse arena in Hawk Point off Highway 47.

“Nobody won,” he said. “We wanted to do it because there was a need for it. We argued that from the get go. Now there is a place to do it so there is no longer a need in my opinion.”

He  later added, “I know I’m not hurting nobody with four shows in two years. The bottom line is nobody wanted to back down. Nobody wanted to give up.”

The Meltons have owned the property since March 2008 and have lived in the county for 10 years. Excluding lights, the couple estimated a year ago they had spent $75,000 on constructing the arena.

After winning approval a year ago, the Meltons had to reapply for the permit after its initial one-year permit expired May 31 and undergo the same planning and zoning review process.

A two-year permit was approved by the county planning and zoning board on May 20, but a protest was filed by Joseph Gruber, one of several neighboring property owners who had voiced their displeasure with the Meltons operating the arena.

Opponents of the facility argued that it was a public nuisance and stated that four real estate agents said their property values would decrease due to its close proximity. They were also angered by two instances last year when permit guidelines were violated, including one for noise. Concerns also were raised that the Meltons were operating a commercial entity on the property which used to be farmland.

“I think it’s a good decision,” Gruber said. “We want him to enjoy his property and we want to enjoy ours.”

By withdrawing his permit request, the Meltons can essentially do as they please on their 100-acre property without the regulations that were part of the approved permit. 

Melton added that both sides “lit money on fire” from legal bills and only grew more frustrated with each other as the debate dragged on. With plans on building a house on the property, he said he was tired of fighting.

The family had hosted four events last year, but none this year.

“I want everybody to realize, I’m still going to ride my horse,” he remarked. “If I want to ride till midnight, play music over my PA, as long I’m not violating state statutes, I’m going to play. Now I have no restrictions.”

Presiding Commissioner Arden Engelage also warned the neighboring property owners to be aware that any future disputes would be a civil nuisance and not under their jurisdiction.

“Hopefully you all can be friends and neighbors,” Engelage said. “That is what the conditional use is supposed to do. It’s supposed to get everybody in a neighborly environment so that you can do your thing and it wouldn’t harm what you all are out there doing also.”

In May, the planning and zoning board amended the permit guidelines by increasing the noise level at the property line from 50 to 60 decibels and adding pole bending to the list of events that were allowed, along with barrel racing and team roping.

Other permit regulations that the Meltons had to follow included a limit on the hours of operation and the number of events that could have been held each month, prohibiting alcohol on the property, and not having any accumulation of animal waste.