A 107.8-acre preserved horse farm on Main Road in Jamesport is set for a new chapter, with the longtime B.J. Farms property being purchased by Riverhead Council Member Ken Rothwell and his wife, Debra Rothwell, who plan to continue its equestrian use under a new name, Thunder Road Stables.
The farm, at 1394 Main Road, has been protected from development since 1979, when Suffolk County purchased its development rights. County records show the property has been owned by Brian and Jennifer Nixon since 1993, most recently through living trusts. The Rothwells said the couple, now in their 80s, were ready to step back after decades running the farm.
“We just wanted to make sure that, God forbid something happens to one of them, that that farm will continue on to the next generation,” Ken Rothwell said in a March 5 interview.
The Suffolk County Farmland Committee approved the Rothwells’ application for the preserved property last July, allowing a deed amendment to recognize commercial horse boarding and commercial equine operations, which were not permitted under the farm’s original 1979 development-rights agreement because the deed predates current county law. The approval also cleared the way for a new indoor riding arena and related improvements, subject to conditions.
The county staff report describes the property as a horse farm with boarding, training and breeding, and identifies the proposed indoor arena as a key part of the Rothwells’ plan. The resolution approving the application describes the arena as 110 feet wide by 220 feet long, with associated utility connections, drainage, fencing changes, trailer parking and signs displaying the new farm name.
Ken Rothwell said the indoor arena was essential because the farm currently relies on an arena on an adjacent parcel the Rothwells are not buying. He said he signed a one-year lease so riders can continue using that arena while the new one is built.
“What we had to do is we put in an application… to build an indoor riding arena. So we will be building a larger indoor riding arena on the property [to] exercise horses year round.”
Debra Rothwell said the new indoor will be larger than the one now being leased and designed for year-round riding and training.
“We’re building a larger, new indoor on our side of the property,” she said. “So it’s kind of state of the art, great lighting, great footing, and a little bit bigger so you can have more space to exercise our horses.”
For the Rothwells, the purchase, which was finalized Feb. 13, is both a business move and a personal milestone.
Source: RiverheadLOCAL
