A full-service equine surgical hospital that would be the only facility of its kind in the region is in the works for Patton Township.
Dr. Catherine Radtke, owner of Abington Equine Hospital, plans to create a 6,300-square foot equine surgical hospital on a 25-acre parcel at 156 Abington Lane, off of West Buffalo Run Road/Route 550.
Patton Township Planning Commission reviewed the final land development plans on Monday, recommending only minor changes. The plans next will go to the Board of Supervisors for approval.
Founded in Clarks Summit, Abington Equine Hospital expanded in 2017 to Patton Township, where it offers ambulatory services and clinic care out of the existing white barn on the same property where the new facility is proposed. Currently it provides general medical and reproductive services as well as routine and minor emergency surgical services.
The new facility will allow it to offer “colic surgery, arthroscopy, and more,” according to Abington’s website. It will include five stalls for horses, two surgery rooms, an examination area, consultation room, treatment rooms, offices, laundry and other support spaces.
Plans also include a 12,800-square-foot equine arena for evaluating horses before and after surgery. The arena will not be open to the public, nor will any of the facilities be rented out.
Bob Myers, project manager for Hawbaker Engineering, said that while there is a small equine hospital in Somerset, the nearest comparable facilities are at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
“Basically there’s not very many equine hospitals,” Myers said. “There’s definitely a need.”
Planning commission member Bill Burnett said he’s found a full equine hospital is much desired in the area.
“I have a few friends that are horse owners and when they found out about this they were ecstatic,” Burnett said.
Planning commission chair Brian Rater added that because facilities of its kind are in demand, it likely will be a boon to the area.
“When this first came to us I was excited because I think it’s also bringing in people from outside the area that are going to come and they are going to be here for however many days, maybe weeks,” Rater said. “So I think it’s a nice influx of money coming into the area.”
The property is zoned A-1 rural/agricultural and the equine hospital is a permitted agricultural use. Because it is not a traditional agricultural production facility, township staff asked planning commission to consider whether the A-1 front and side yard setbacks of 100 feet should be maintained or reduced to the conditional use setback of 40 feet.
Planning commission members recommended keeping the setbacks at 100 feet and Myers said that would have no impact on the plans for the site. They also recommended minor lighting for safety on the signs at the entrance.
The plans also include 13 parking spaces as well as spaces for horse trailers. Upon completion of the new facility, the existing barn will be used for Radtke’s personal horses.
Myers said that the expansion of Abington Equine Hospital’s services comes at a good time. For many years, Dr. Scott McAllister of Centre Equine Practice was the sole equine-only veterinarian in Centre County, and McAllister is retiring.
“I grew up riding horses here in the area and Scott McAllister at Centre Equine was basically the only strictly equine vet around,” Myers said. “Now that he’s retiring [Radtke is] stepping in and is going to hopefully fill that void.”
