Heather Guild Leads Volunteers To Rescue Barn

The Barn Restoration Project began 9 months ago when Heather Guild returned to the SLLA board as Facilities Director. Previously, the Board believed the existing structure was beyond repair and that replacement could be in excess of $300k.

A lifelong rider, she was certain the barn could be saved with the goals of 1) improving horse and human safety and 2) enhancing the aesthetics at the gateway to the Seven Lakes North & South community.

Substantial safety improvements were undertaken in the fall including installation of (10) new stall doors, window grills, and rubber mats; replacing (3) sets of exterior sliding doors; removing rot around the lower 12 inches of the exterior siding; and replacement of the old shingles and rotted sub roof. This work was completed within a budget of $50k.

The focus then turned to painting the barn and returning it to its original “barn red” color. With an estimated cost of $16k-$18k, Bill Gialanella, a member of the SLLA  Facilities Committee and retired professional painter, suggested he could lead a team of volunteers to do the work.

Victoria Levinger with Granddaughter Julia

A mix of dedicated North and South siders, parents of riders, youth riders, and retirees joined to complete the task over two weeks under Bill’s leadership: Darrell Layton, Joy Smith, Don Kelly, Lee Williams, Charlotte Kennedy, Lilith Fravel, Sydney Wofford, and Heather Guild. 

With a materials cost of $2000, these volunteers saved SLLA between $14k-$16k.   

More importantly, during the process, friendships were formed and there was a real sense of community spirit and comradery.   

The barn was the SLLA’s first amenity. With the lakes not yet filled and the golf course only a concept, the developers wanted to give prospective buyers a reason to build a home.

Fast forward 47 years and the popularity of the stables has never been higher. Ridership post Covid closure is back on track to surpass 8000 rides over a 12 month period and 600 SLLA residents taking a trail ride or lesson at least once a year.

Go back 35 years. When our son Brandon was 4 yrs old (in 1987) he couldn’t wait to visit Grandma & Grandpa and ride the ponies. Now in 2021 our grandkids ride the ponies. I  hope our grandkids…grandkid’s get to ride in the future.