Horse barn owner forced to shut down

So long horse rides and polo lessons.

The Buckhead Barn, an 11-acre horse facility in the middle of an upscale Atlanta neighborhood, has shut down after the operator pleaded no contest to operating illegally.

Johnny Imerman will have to find someplace else to keep all but five of his 25 horses. And the youngsters who rode and learned polo there will have to make other arrangements.

In an e-mail sent to supporters Tuesday, Imerman said Buckhead Barn served “kids with special needs to charities to leisure riders to campers to birthday parties and to those who just wanted to show their families that animals do exist in the city of Atlanta.”

But he was in violation of his home occupation business license. For one thing, he didn’t live at his business, a requirement of the license.

Neighbors upset about residing near so many livestock have fought the facility for years, complaining that it declined from a quiet pasture to an offensive commercial operation that included loud gatherings.

One of the neighbors — a horse owner — sued and received financial support from other residents.

Simon Bloom, attorney for the neighbors, said Imerman “completely ignored the rules.”

“When you have 20, 30 horses being boarded across the street, you can only imagine the foul odor,” Bloom said. “It basically precludes you from doing anything outside your house. It just reeks.”

Imerman called complaints about the smell, dust and flies “nonsense.” He said he spent $150,000 on legal fees but “they’ve outgunned us in terms of finances.”

“How does the city allow the zoo of Atlanta, Chastain horse park, horses downtown and other facilities to exist and target us because of political support from a few neighbors?” Imerman asked in his e-mail.

He said he bought the property in 1994. Horses have been kept at that site since 1936, long before the land was annexed into the city, Imerman said. Zoning to permit a horse business should have been grandfathered in, he said.

“The city has just as much obligation to other citizens who want a facility of green space and horse riding activity rather than another mansion built on this property,” Imerman said in his e-mail. “If there is sufficient support, we will continue the fight and if not, we won’t.”