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Droppings fuel duel

A one-man war against horse excrement stirs up this equine haven.

By ANNE LINDBERG
Published April 1, 2007

PINELLAS PARK - It all started as a spat between neighbors.

Now, three years later, the spat has become a war that has left Pinellas Park city officials struggling to find a solution, has consumed many hours of City Council sessions and is threatening to spill over into a nearby city.

Just what exactly is this vitally important issue?

Digested oats and hay, better known as horse poop.

On one side of the fight is Joe Shelley, 79, a longtime Pinellas Park resident who touts his military service in three wars and says he does not dislike horses. He just wants riders to clean up after their animals and has driven around the city taking pictures of manure to "prove" that the equestrians are failing to remove the droppings.

On the other side are members of Pinellas Park's equestrian board, who say that while they respect Shelley for his patriotism, it does not give him the right to act as he has. They charge that he has harassed them, hijacked their meetings, misrepresented facts and blown the issue way out of proportion. They don't think Shelley will be happy until he has driven all the horses out of Pinellas Park.

"It's like a witch hunt," said Kim Rose, vice chairwoman of the city's Equestrian Board. Shelley's problem, in her opinion, is really with his neighbors.

"That's what's got his knickers in a twist," she said. "But he's certainly making life miserable for everyone else."

Shelley lives on about 2.2 acres on 86th Avenue N on the edge of Pinellas Park's northern horse community on property zoned for farms.

All was peaceful until 2004, when John Gingola bought the land next door and wanted to start a boarding stable.

Had Gingola not asked the city for permission for a boarding stable, he would have been allowed to keep as many horses as he wanted because his property was zoned farm. About the same time, another barn owner asked to increase the number of horses on her property.

Shelley came to a City Council meeting to object, which prompted the city to launch a monthslong study of the appropriate number of horses per acre. The final formula is complicated, involving "net acres" and varies according to zoning.

Essentially, Gingola was allowed to have a small boarding stable but not to have as many boarders as he wanted. That did not satisfy Shelley. He continued to appear before the council periodically to complain about Gingola.

More than manure

Among his complaints: dust generated by the horses, the fact that the horses ran when they were outside, and the manure. He also alleged that the horses, which were fenced, were a danger to children.

Gingola unsuccessfully tried to get a restraining order against Shelley, alleging that his neighbor trespassed and made threats and harassing phone calls. The judge, in denying Gingola's request, said that an injunction can only be issued if there are incidents of repeat violence. Gingola alleged none.

Gingola, who has moved away because of the dispute, declined to comment for this story. Horses still live on Gingola's former property.

After Gingola moved, Shelley seemed to stop complaining about his neighbor. He still came to council meetings and would occasionally comment on agenda items.

But horses soon became his target again. This time, the complaints did not center on his neighbors but on riders who passed on the way to the trail at Helen Howarth Park.

The city responded by paying $200 to build a fence next to Shelley's property to make sure horses did not stray onto his land, city spokesman Tim Caddell said.

"It was installed in response to his complaint; however, we have done it in other areas," Caddell said. "The riders do tend to stray off the trail onto private property if it's not clearly marked."

Eventually, Shelley's complaints lodged on horse leavings. He said he worried about horse urine seeping into groundwater and gave the council a document detailing the amount of urine and manure a horse produces in a year, figures the equestrian board would later dispute.

Shelley also began attending the Equestrian Board meetings. Board members say they welcomed his comments until they began to disrupt the group's ability to discuss business. The board instituted a three-minute rule to limit comment.

Earlier this year, Shelley came to the City Council to complain that the board had treated him rudely, reminding the council that he is a veteran and deserves respect.

Equestrian Board members also came to the council complaining that Shelley hijacks their meetings and has misrepresented their positions and decisions.

Then, Shelley sent the city pictures of horse manure that, he said, proved that equestrians are not cleaning up after themselves.

Board members fought back. They consulted a veterinarian, who corrected the information Shelley had given the council about the amount of urine and feces the average horse produces. They pointed out that at least one of Shelley's pictures was taken during a horse show. The grounds, they said, were cleaned early the next morning. Another picture was taken on the horse trail, where horse manure is most likely to be found.

Shelley conceded that he has taken pictures of horse manure during horse shows. He goes back the next day and takes another picture to prove it's still there.

"I don't go out of my way to take these pictures," said Shelley, who estimates he has taken 200 to 300 pictures of manure.

Dogs ... and diapers

Pinellas Park has an ordinance that requires dog walkers to pick up after their pets but does not have a similar rule concerning horses, said Assistant City Manager Tom Shevlin.

Equestrian Board members say they notify all area barns that riders must clean up after their animals. They conceded that not everyone complies, but, they pointed out, neither do all dog owners.

Shelley said he does not pursue dog owners because "basically, I have a problem with horses. I had the guy next door, that's what it all started out as."

City leaders have suggested a variety of solutions, like making horse owners wear numbers so people can report those who don't clean up, or even making horses wear diapers. They haven't settled on a course of action.

City workers pick up manure on the streets and sidewalks when they see it. The same goes for dog droppings and people's litter along city roads and in parks.

"It's just part of what we do," Caddell said.

Shelley's allegations were printed in a free weekly newspaper, which prompted a Seminole resident to call the Seminole City Hall to complain about the amount of manure produced by a barn in that city.

City officials there refused to take the complaint seriously because they know the barn is kept clean, said Mark Ely, Seminole's community development director.

By the numbers

750 Estimated number of horses in Pinellas Park

200-300 Photographs that Pinellas Park resident Joe Shelley says he has taken of horse manure

200 Dollars the city spent to put up a fence near Shelley's property to make sure horse owners didn't ride onto it

45 Estimated number of property owners who have stable facilities in Pinellas Park

20-50 Pounds of manure a horse produces every day

[Last modified March 31, 2007, 20:31:15]