As the daughter of a veterinarian, Linda Marchi dreamed of opening a farm with various critters, but she’s now in the middle of a nightmare after Santa Barbara County officials said her petting zoo — populated with miniature donkeys and other animals — is illegal.
A county official visited Seein’ Spots Farm at 2599 Baseline Ave. in Solvang on Tuesday, a month after sending a letter warning to the Marchi family that the petting zoo doesn’t have the proper permits.
Marchi suspects someone complained out of anger because she began asking for donations from visitors, to help pay for some of the costs of feeding the animals.
“I have never made money at this,” she said. “I lose money every month. It doesn’t even come close to paying for their feed and care.”
In addition to allegations about the unpermitted petting zoo, county officials have advised that the farm’s 100 animals, ranging from miniature donkeys, sheep, goats, chickens, geese, rabbits, pigs, turtles, alpaca and more, exceed the number allowed on the five acres.
Some of the animals were rescues referred to the farm by the county. While the Marchi farm breeds and sells a few miniature donkeys, the site also is a haven for other animals, including the donkey and zebra hybrid called Zeyore.
Eric Graham from the Santa Barbara County Planning and Development Department spent about 10 minutes at the farm Tuesday morning.
“I’m just confirming that what we discussed on the phone is the truth,” he told Linda and Brett Marchi. “It seems to be everything that we talked about.”
Graham said the county agency is responding to a complaint about the farm and doesn’t seek out these violations. He would not identify the person who complained.
He also told the couple he would send a letter that will give the farm operators 30 days to comply.
“We know what the letter will be — that we’re not allowed to do this,” Linda Marchi said of the petting zoo.
County regulations would allow 10 “hoofed” animals, a number she questions since the laws target traditional horses and don’t account for smaller animals like her miniature donkeys, which weigh about 200 pounds each.
For now, they plan to wait to see what the official letter says. But if they’re ordered to get a minor conditional use permit, the cost would be about $7,500, Marchi said, adding it also could be denied.
“That is just to keep the animals. It’s not to run a petting zoo,” she added.
Supporters of the Marchi family watched and listened as the inspector talked to the owners.
“What the county is trying to do is an atrocity,” said Lee Rosenberg, a local resident.
“To take this away from the people would be a tragedy,” added his wife, Linda Rosenberg.
They were among a handful of local residents who showed up with signs to support the Marchi family operation.
“We’re going to zone these things out of existence,” said Alex Glendinning, a tour operator from Goleta who brings several groups a week to the farm. “They love this place,” he said of his customers. “They’re fascinated with it. I’m fascinated by it.”
The farm offers something to do beyond wine and beer tasting, another critic wrote, and provides an activity for families to create memories while learning about animals.
Raiza Giorgi, whose ATVs for Agriculture encountered its owns issues with the county, encouraged the county to find a way for the petting zoo to continue operating.
“How about creating an opportunity instead of closing doors.” Giorgi wrote. “How about maybe rezoning her property or allowing the use in her zone so she can keep operating. She isn’t making a profit by having a miniature donkey farm, she takes donations to help feed her animals.
“By shutting her down, you are echoing this sentiment to anyone who wants to have a small business in Santa Barbara County, basically saying, ‘Don’t have a business here because we will come after you.’”
The Marchi family moved to the Santa Ynez Valley in 2005 and bought the property in 2008 from a friend who was a donkey breeder and had goats and sheep on the apple farm, which now has about 80 trees. The former owner also let people visit with the animals, Marchi said.
The business near the border of rural Solvang and Ballard attracts tourists from all over, Marchi said.
“They end up staying in Solvang or at least eating here,” she added.
She said she also enjoys sharing her love of animals with schoolchildren, attracting them from around the county..
While most of the animals are miniature donkeys, she also has rescue animals, she said.
“These are all animals no one wanted any longer. Most of them are old and have health issues,” she added.
For instance, Miss Piggy, sunning herself Tuesday morning, is blind and can’t walk very well. An arthritic goat also has poor eyesight. Mr. Bill, a Toulouse goose, and his two female buddies came to the Central Coast from Riverside County after their previous owner died.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen to all these animals,” Marchi said. “If they close me down, I’m going to have to find homes. “
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.