The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) closed the Avenel Equestrian Center in December citing safety concerns.
The barn, dating back to the 1940s, sits on the Avenel Farm in Potomac – land that the WSSC has owned since the late 1980s. The center – which has been called central to Avenel’s identity – was a horse stable and riding facility. (The barn is adjacent to the TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm golf course.)
The center’s lease expired on Dec. 1 after an 180-day notice by WSSC. The owner has until June 1 to fully move off of the property.
A spokesperson for WSSC said in an interview with Montgomery Community Media that the the center was closed due to worries about the structural integrity of the aging barn.
“We have serious safety concerns not only for people but also for the animals,” spokesperson Chuck Brown said.
The barn’s walls were leaning, had rotting wood, some were not connected to the foundation and had large structural gaps according to photos shown in a Dec. 4 presentation to the Avenel community.
Brown said WSSC will hire an outside company to assess the structural integrity of the barn and conduct an environmental assessment of the property. After the assessment, the commission will present the findings to the community and figure out next steps. Brown said it is to early to say what could happen to the barn after the assessment.
Recently, the commission “expended approximately $100,000 for an emergency stabilization repair to ensure temporary safety of the barn” according to the presentation.
In an October statement to MCM, WSSC said that it is not an appropriate use of customer’s water and sewer bills to rehabilitate an equestrian barn.
Neal Gillen, the former chairman for the Avenel Equestrian Center Council, said in and October interview that the WSSC has neglected to maintain their contractual obligations to repair and maintain the barn facility. He said that in 1992 the WSSC agreed to take on this responsibility from the center council, something they have fallen back on in recent years.
WSSC purchased the property and the surrounding area in 1988 to build an Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant. This plant was never constructed.
The sanitary commission has continued to own the property since the purchase and allowed for public recreation facilities, storage for the Avenel homeowners association, the equestrian center and trails on the land.
According to the Monday presentation, WSSC has supported the operation of the equestrian center since 1992 without public or private support.
While there are no current plans to build a wastewater treatment plant on the site, Brown said that could change. Early in 2024, WSSC will restart its facility planning process to determine how the utility company can adjust to new growth in the county.
Stephanie McGovern, an Avenel resident, was interviewed by MCM about the barn in October.
“It was a very integral part of Potomac, which was always known and was a horse equestrian community,” McGovern said.
McGovern and others in the community have accused WSSC of violating an 1988 agreement to “consult with and consider in good faith” the views of the community association. If a treatment plant were to arise in the Avenel community, the understanding at the time of the agreement was that the barn and horses would likely remain and if not, the community would be contacted to find a solution according McGovern.
The equestrian center has strong community support. Hundreds attended the Monday meeting in the Avenel community and a change.org petition has garnered over 2,000 signatures advocating against the barn closure.
