County Sets Public Meeting On Sale Of Bakas Equestrian Center

TAMPA, FL – A popular equestrian therapy park for the handicapped could be closed and replaced with two similar parks.

Although county owned, the Bakas Equestrian Center at 11510 Whisper Lake Trail off Race Track Road in northwest Hillsborough has been home to the nonprofit Horses for Handicapped program for two decades. The program offers free horseback-riding programs for mentally and physically challenged adults and children.

But earlier this year, Tom Pepin, president of Pepin Distributing Co., made the county an offer that Hillsborough County Commissioners are finding hard to refuse.

The well-known beer distributor wants to purchase the 22-acre equestrian park, which abuts his own 67-acre parcel where he has his home sits.

In exchange, Pepin has offered to construct two new equestrian therapy facilities for the county. One would be located at the county’s new Northwest Equestrian Park in Odessa and a second would be built at Sydney-Dover Trail Park in Dover.

Noting that the proposal would allow the county to expand the equestrian therapy program at no cost, county commissioners agreed in September to move forward with the Request for Proposal to allow Pepin to purchase the Bakas property at its appraised value plus $50,000. The property is worth more than $800,000. In exchange, Pepin will construct the two new equestrian therapy centers at the county-owned parks.

But before sealing the deal, the county wants to hear from the public.

A public meeting has been scheduled for Nov. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the All-People’s Life Center, 6105 E. Sligh Ave., Tampa.

Pepin’s proposal has the endorsement of the Horses for Handicapped program, which noted on its website that “this would allow us to expand our program to both sides of the county.”

However, parents of children in the program have launched a campaign to halt the sale. They’ve set up a Save Our Land & Bakas Equestrian Center Change.org website page and Facebook page, asking residents to sign a petition against the proposal.

They argue that the county should not be selling taxpayer-owned lands to private individuals and, instead, should be expanding park programs. So far, 93 people have signed the petition.

The Horses for Handicapped program offers horseback-riding opportunities for mentally and physically challenged children and adults.

Image via Hillsborough County Parks Department