'We should take one more chance': Lakewood Equestrian Center saved by new operator agreement
When the only other choice was to shutter the beloved facility, the City Council voted 4-1 to take a chance on a new, local operator.
The emotion could be heard in Cindy Flavin’s trembling voice as she addressed the Lakewood City Council Tuesday night, pleading her case as to why she should be given the opportunity to breathe new life into the Lakewood Equestrian Center. Minutes later, a look of relief washed over her face as cheers erupted from the crowded chambers following the 4-1 roll call vote: The treasured horse facility was saved.
“I was really nervous, of course, and excited,” Flavin said after the meeting. “I think we can make a great equestrian center for the community.”
“I’m just getting ready to spend all my money,” she added with a laugh.
The council approved a 20-year lease for Flavin to operate the city-owned facility, which takes effect Jan. 1, as well as a small amount of funding and equipment to help Flavin kick off her endeavor.
Without the contract, the facility was slated to be shuttered at the end of the month — displacing dozens of horses — after nearly 80 years in operation.
Like Flavin, Kari LaFluer said she breathed a sigh of relief after the council vote. LaFluer has boarded her horse Missy at the 19-acre facility for 22 years. At 32 years old, LaFluer said a move to another facility would not have been good for Missy.
“I’m grateful, it is a relief,” LaFluer said, adding that she is glad the City Council saw the value in the equestrian center.
“Times change, values don’t,” said LaFluer, quoting the city’s motto. “This value has value.”
The facility’s value comes not from the potential to generate revenue, LaFluer said, but rather what it offers to the community: green space that is unique from the other parcels sprinkled throughout the city, especially for children.
“Their eyes just light up when they see the horses,” LaFluer said. “They come running up because they want to see this huge animal. They light up like a Christmas tree looking at this beautiful animal.”
“Skateparks, pickleball courts, that’s not green space in the way of getting back to nature,” LaFluer added, referring to other options city staff were considering for the space.
A gallup through history
The equestrian center was established in the early 1950s when the Glenn Spiller Stables opened. In 1980, the city of Lakewood purchased the property but has leased it to several operators in the years since.
In 2019, the operator retired. City staff sought a permanent replacement to no avail, instead entering into a short-term agreement with an interim caretaker in November 2020.
At the end of the three-year agreement, the contract was not renewed and the city assumed complete management of the property late last year. During a June 25 City Council meeting, staff forecast a $110,000 net loss this year and a combined $2.5 million in losses over the next two fiscal years.
Staff presented the City Council with the option of razing the equestrian center to make way for a “wider variety of uses,” including a skateboard pump track, pickleball courts, play areas, a community building and walking paths that connect to nearby nature trails and other public areas.
But after listening to dozens of residents decry the prospect of losing the equestrian center, the council directed staff to present other options, including proposals from potential operators to keep the facility open.
The “nationwide” search for a new operator turned up five suitors — all of which came from within 45 minutes of the facility.
The city entered into negotiations with its first choice, Jerry Harris, in early November. Harris had grand plans for the facility, including a large barn suitable to host weddings and other events with a hacienda aesthetic reminiscent of early California estates.
By the end of the month, however, negotiations stalled. The city quickly pivoted to its second choice: Flavin.
The agreement and future plans
In less than a week, Flavin and city staff hammered out the details for an agreement in time to make it onto the Dec. 10 City Council agenda.
Under the agreement, officials cannot terminate the contract during the first year without cause, but during the second — and a possible third — probationary year it can be terminated “without assigning any reason whatsoever,” according to a staff report.
Annual rent paid by Flavin increases over the term of the agreement, starting at $1 per year for the first six years to allow any revenues to be funneled directly back into facility improvements. In year seven, the annual rent jumps to $56,200 and increases 3% each year to $85,000 in 2044, the staff report shows.
The agreement includes $150,000 from the city’s general fund to go toward initial critical facility improvements prioritized by city staff, including wood deck and rain gutter replacements and arena maintenance. The agreement also affords Flavin the use of a city-owned water truck, tractor and utility vehicle for three months.
“To be entrusted with the future of the Lakewood Equestrian Center is truly an exciting and humbling prospect,” Flavin said, voice quavering, during remarks to the council ahead of its vote. “It is a vital and cherished part of our town.”
Flavin, a Lakewood resident and horse owner, said she plans to foster a “thriving, accessible and inclusive community hub” under her leadership through her improvements.
In her proposal, Flavin outlined a number of community-focused demonstrations, study groups and events, including educational and competitive opportunities, to draw in more locals — not just horse owners. Something as simple as providing public seating throughout the facility could encourage people to visit the center to watch riders even if they cannot afford a horse themselves.
Flavin also plans to expand ride training offerings, as well as introduce a therapeutic riding program, a training program for thoroughbreds whose racing days are over and an import horse quarantine service.
Physical improvements on Flavin’s docket include a small, u-shaped barn that could host small weddings and community events; a tack and sundry shop that sells horse-related items, personal necessities and snacks; vending machines; horse laundry with coin-operated machines; and a horse spa with top-of-the-line amenities.
The facility will feature around 100 horse boarding stalls and, potentially, a bridal and walking path throughout, according to Flavin’s proposal. The pony rides and petting zoo will also remain.
“I am fully committed that LEC not only remains a treasured asset, but that it begins to grow and evolve in ways that increasingly benefit the people of Lakewood and surrounding neighborhoods,” Flavin said during the meeting.
Councilmember Steve Croft, the only dissenting vote, voiced numerous concerns before announcing his opposition to the agreement.
At the top of his list was Flavin’s lack of recent experience and funding. Initial improvements are to be funded by Flavin and her husband via a $250,000 home equity line of credit, a Home Depot credit card with a $75,000 limit, a Restoration Hardware credit card with a $50,000 limit and other personal lines of credit. Flavin estimates the total cost of improvements at around $722,000, for which she will need to acquire a loan to complete.
Flavin also plans to forego a salary for her day-to-day management of the facility until it is operating in the black, according to the proposal.
Croft noted the staggering difference in repair cost estimations by the city and Flavin. In June, the city estimated complete improvements would cost around $6 million.
“I’m not sure it’s realistic at this point,” Croft said, adding that the space would better serve the community with different amenities rather than “subsidizing private horse ownership.”
But the other councilmembers disagreed with Croft, voicing their desire to save the long-standing staple of the quiet city.
“I know it takes a lot to put everything together and mortgage your livelihood on something you really believe in and you have a passion for,” Councilmember David Arellano said ahead of the vote. “We should take one more chance … and I recommend that we give you that chance.”
Flavin, for her part, noted that it’s always more expensive for a public agency to improve and operate facilities than it is for the private sector due to labor costs, procurement processes and other factors.
“That’s why it wasn’t fair to expect [the city] to run the equestrian center,” Flavin said after the meeting. “The fact that they did it for a year, I think they learned a ton and that makes them kind of a good partner for me — they know about equestrian centers now.”
Flavin said she has already been in contact with various vendors, shopping around for the best prices for materials, goods and services so she is ready to hit the ground running on Jan. 1 when she assumes operational control of the facility.
“I’m ready to just get rolling.”
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