The Farm struggles to stay afloat amid city ordinances
For approximately 50 years, a local woman has turned her 5-acre agriculture land into a weekend farmers market and formed a sanctuary for abused and neglected animals. But due to the lack of volunteer assistance, financial support and strict city code regulations, The Farm faces the possibility of closure.
The Farm, 7222 W. Grand Teton Drive, is home to more than 400 animals, including a two-legged dog, pigs, cows, white peacocks and most recently, six of the Sagebrush Ranch horses, which were impounded by Clark County Animal Control out of concern for their health and welfare.
“I’ve been on this property since 1961,” said owner Sharon Linsenbardt. “When we moved up here, we didn’t have a neighbor for 15 miles. I started taking in sick and injured animals, but I’m almost 70 now, and I need help.”
The business was scheduled to have its two-year review in May, but Linsenbardt filed for a two-year extension to fulfill a permanent business license requirement to create an 88-car parking lot.
Now she is faced with a different issue.
The Farm survives with a volunteer staff of roughly 24 people, but Linsenbardt said she must hire paid workers to continue the tedious work and attract more customers.
“I can’t do this without help any longer,” Linsenbardt said. “I have to be able to afford help, and in order to afford help, I’ve got to utilize 13 use permits that I’ve acquired — one of which was for a gift shop and a little cafe. In order to operate the cafe, I need the sewer.”
The city requires county residents to annex their properties in order to hook up to city sewer.
However, Linsenbardt refuses to annex her property because she said she does not want her taxes to go up and to have her permits re-evaluated. She also does not want to use city water for her farm because she has a well on the property.
“There really is no other option if the owner wants to build a cafe at that location in question,” said Jace Radke, spokesman for the city of Las Vegas. “The ball is in the property owner’s court and has been for a number of years. The annexation process is pretty simple and only requires that the property owner request to be annexed into the city.”
However, Clark County Commissioner Tom Collins said there is an alternative. Linsenbardt could go through the Southern Nevada Health District, which could waive the sewer requirement and let her install a commercial septic system.
“There are hundreds of residents and thousands of acres of land and developers that are impacted by these same issues,” Collins said. “The city should respect Sharon’s rights as an individual to hook up to sewer and pay a bill without bullying her into annexation.”
Stephanie Bethel, spokeswoman for the health district, said Linsenbardt would have to provide a city-issued letter stating that it is OK with the health district issuing a commercial permit, which may be another challenge on its own.
“I think they’re just going to find another ordinance to push me into annexation,” Linsenbardt said. “No matter which direction I turn, I’m screwed.”
If she cannot get connected with the sewer to hire paid workers, Linsenbardt fears she will have to shut down The Farm. The nonprofit Barn Buddies Rescue, which is funded by The Farm, would be affected by a closure.
The nonprofit focuses on the rescue of mistreated and abandoned farm animals. As its parent organization, The Farm donates $5,000 a month toward food and bedding for the animals, Linsenbardt said.
To add to her worries, Linsenbardt said the constant roadwork on Grand Teton Drive and Tenaya Way has devastated her business by two-thirds.
“They’ve blocked off Tenaya Way so many times that my customers couldn’t get to me,” Linsenbardt said. “Not only do they do construction during the day, but they service their trucks at night. The dust never ends; we never have peace, and we never have quiet.”
Volunteer Dr. Jodi Politz said she hopes to see The Farm continue its work.
“Every animal here has a story,” Politz said. “Many have been beaten, starved and abused in horrible and unimaginable ways. They’ve been through a lot, and now they’ve found sanctuary. This place is just such a valuable asset to the community.”
For more information on The Farm, visit thelasvegasfarm.com or call 702-982-8000.
Contact North View reporter Sandy Lopez at slopez@viewnews.com or 702-383-4686. Find her on Twitter: @JournalismSandy.