Veterinarian finally defeated

Jennifer Reeger

When Dr. Susan Sickle moved home to Fayette County in 2004, she had big plans.

Sickle, a large-animal veterinarian, planned to operate her veterinary practice on her parents' Perry Township farm.

She moved to a mobile home on the property and started driving from farm to farm to treat animals with the hopes of eventually housing sick animals on the farm.

Those dreams ended when Fayette County zoning officials said the mobile home is illegal. Zoning laws don't allow multiple residences on a single property without subdivision.

Now Sickle, who is the only Fayette-based veterinarian dealing exclusively with large animals in the predominantly rural county, plans to move her operation to Greene County. But she's continuing to try to get the zoning laws changed.

"I'm fighting so that, in Fayette County, anyone like myself can come in here and start a business," said Sickle, 40.

When Sickle moved to her parents' farm, she figured she'd save some money and nurture her practice. She envisioned building a drive-up clinic where people could take their sick animals to board on the farm.

"If that horse is going to be sick four to five days, there's no reason I shouldn't be able to keep her in the barn," Sickle said. "If I was able to bring those horses here, the services I could provide are even better."

She thought she would put a new mobile home on the property where she'd live and use the old one as office space.

Sickle imagined blending her parents' farm and her practice seamlessly.

The problems began in 2006, when zoning officers cited Sickle's parents, Sara and Tom, with violating the zoning ordinance.

The mobile home their daughter had been living in was not permitted under a 40-year-old zoning law, although it had been there before the law took effect, the Sickles said. They also have been cited for using trailers as storage facilities. They have appealed the case to Commonwealth Court.

Susan Sickle said that burden of the zoning law is an onerous one for farmers, who often use second residences for their grown children or to house hired help.

"Most farm families want to come back to the farm at some point in their life," Sickle said. "And most elderly people want to die on the farm, but they require younger people be around."

Subdividing makes the property residential, she said. In some cases, like hers, there may not be enough viable property to meet the 2-acre requirement.

Sickle said she'd like to see the law changed to allow agricultural property to have a second house without subdividing.

She's been fighting an uphill battle.

She's contacted the county commissioners, who have the authority to change the zoning law, but the majority believe the law is necessary.

"The law is the law and that's what it currently is, and we have to abide by it," Commissioner Vince Vicites said. "If we change that, there's always a cause and effect for doing that."

Vicites and Commissioner Vincent Zapotosky said changing the ordinance could lead to dozens of mobile homes on one property.

"I think you have to be very cautious about allowing multiple dwellings on a piece of the property that's zoned for one dwelling," Zapotosky said. "I think you could potentially be opening up a Pandora's box. Our zoning is not just designed for a specific issue — it's designed to encompass a broad approach."

Both said the Sickles had a simple solution — subdividing the land.

"She could get approval for this by just following the procedure we've asked her to follow to comply with the law," Vicites said.

Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink said she has not made up her mind about the issue.

"I remain open until you gather all the information and the pros and cons on it," Zimmerlink said.

In the meantime, Sickle has been paying $700 a month for an office to do paperwork instead of using her parents' property.

"They have held me up from expanding a business," she said of Fayette officials. "They have held me up from building a house."

After years of waiting for a resolution, Sickle finally gave up last year and bought property in Morgan Township, Greene County, where she will move by the end of the year.

"I'm definitely not happy that she's leaving," said Dr. Curtis Geary, owner of Geary Veterinary Service in Lemont Furnace, who used to work with large animals. "I think it's going to be a hardship for the farmers in Fayette County."

There is a nationwide shortage of livestock vets because fewer young veterinarians are interested in dealing with the lower pay, travel and difficult conditions.

"We have a viable resource in the county that is being chased out because of the zoning that I think is silly," said Dr. William Shepherd, who owns Camelot Veterinary Services in North Union.

Sickle hopes her constant phone calls, and the intervention of the Fayette County Farm Bureau, might change the law.

Farm Bureau President Alvin Diamond said his group has contacted an attorney and is working at getting zoning changes made. They are considering formally petitioning the county to change the law.

"We want to get some of these zoning things straightened out because being able to put two dwellings on one property is a fair thing under a lot of circumstances," Diamond said. "We're not saying everybody who has property should be able to do that, but it should be able to under certain circumstances be done."

Any changes will be too late for Sickle, but she won't give up the fight even though she acknowledges it will be a tough battle to win.

"If the county commissioners aren't going to stand up and say, hey, this is a particular business we need in this county, who's going to?" she said.