A proposed subdivision for a horse training and breeding facility in East Penn Township received plan approval by the Carbon County Planning Commission.

During the commission's monthly meeting on Tuesday, the board voted to accept county planner, Ivan O. Meixell Jr.'s recommendation to grant plan approval for the proposal by Advanced Racing Operations Consultant Corp. This is the second time the plan has come before the board, Meixell said. It received conditional plan approval when it appeared before the commission in July 2010.The proposal calls for dividing two lots, owned by Robert and Debra Ann Ziegler and Gary P. and Carolyn D. Kuehner, into four lots. The land is located at 1741/1777 Ben Salem Road, East Penn Township.One major change to the plan is the owner of one of the subdivision lots. In July 2010, the plan called for subdivisions of land owned by the Zieglers and Walter J. and Carol K. Zlomsowitch. Walter passed away this past December.The new plan follows the former plan, in that two of the lots, one from each family, would then be combined with land owned by the East Penn Airport Inc. to create a 46.2886-acre plot.Meixell explained the plan met all areas of the East Penn Township Land Development Ordinances and said that the commission should recommend approval of the project.In an article published in the TIMES NEWS in July 2010, Meixell said the subdivision is the first phase of the project for the horse training and breeding facility.In November 2009, the East Penn Planning Commission took a favorable look at the project.During that meeting, Advanced Racing Operations Consultant Corp. presented a sketch plan, which calls for the establishment of a standardbred horse racetrack for training purposes only.Attorney Gretchen Stearns, at that meeting, described the proposed facility as a "condo for horse trainers with a full-size track and five barns that would be rented to trainers."The barns would be 80 by 200 feet and have a capacity for 60 horses.Officials also explained at the 2009 meeting that a proposal to use the manure on-site, turning it into methane gas, to generate electricity.