Trails of Purpose now has a pathway to Pungo, having resolved an apparent impasse with Virginia Beach over how the city classifies equine-assisted psychotherapy.
The nonprofit group applied for a conditional use permit in early May to expand its facility to 1628 Mill Landing Road to meet a growing need for mental health services. It provides therapeutic care for military members and veterans, using horses for assisted psychotherapy and mental health education.
The expansion plans abruptly halted in July — more than two months into the process — when the city planning department determined that the proposed use of the property for equine assisted psychotherapy was recreational, and the application was withdrawn.
However, city staff and Trails of Purpose have since come to a resolution — updating the proposed use of one of the structures on the property. In doing so, the classification of the proposed use for equine assisted psychotherapy was changed from a “recreational and amusement facility” to agriculture-related.
“We are incredibly thankful, regardless of what changed their — the city’s — mind. This was very stressful for everybody involved. So we are feeling very relieved and very thankful to have the city’s support in recognizing our mission is important,” said Kayla Arestivo, co-founder of Trails of Purpose.
The property in question — a 38-acre parcel dubbed “One Red Maple Farm” — is locked into a strict contract through Virginia Beach’s Agricultural Reserve Program. The program prohibits the development of anything that is not “farm related,” barring council approval.
“After the permit was evaluated by the city attorney’s office and the zoning administrator, the planning department was advised that the applicant’s proposed use was considered recreational and was not consistent with the ARP (Agricultural Reserve Program) easement,” city spokesman Bryan Clark said in July.
The proposed use previously included converting an enclosed structure into a dedicated indoor counseling space, which Clark pointed to as the issue with the site plan.
“The applicant met with city staff and discussed significant changes to the proposed use from what was submitted in the original application. There is no longer a standalone therapy use in the proposed application. All uses are horse boarding and agriculture related,” Clark told The Virginian-Pilot in an emailed statement Friday.
Arestivo confirmed she met with city staff and agreed to removing the dedicated indoor counseling space from the site plan. Trails of Purpose will still be able to offer semi-outdoor counseling spaces in the barn and the covered riding arena.
“But had I known it was just this indoor space, we would have changed it from the start,” Arestivo said.
According to both the city spokesperson and Arestivo, Trails of Purpose was advised its proposed use was not in alignment with the reserve program, and the application was withdrawn.
“We were told by the planning department a couple of weeks ago that there was no way forward and that we needed to withdraw our application,” Arestivo said.
By then, the nonprofit had already hired three counselors and began leasing seven new horses. Volunteers have also worked for two months to clean the property, clearing overgrown vegetation, animal pens, a bunk house and a barn. They had hoped to open the location in early August.
Arestivo said they pushed back, asking what was considered agricultural.
“Dog kennels, livestock care, crop production and horse training is agricultural — that is the way the city of Virginia Beach defined it. But horse training is a human service. And in equine-assisted psychotherapy, you are engaging with a horse for the human, too. I think once we started to frame it that way, they understood,” Arestivo said.
Because the application was withdrawn, it never went to the City Council for a vote. Even so, the nonprofit’s challenges in expanding to Virginia Beach drew the attention of elected officials, Arestivo said. Among those was City Council member Michael Berlucchi.
“I woke up one morning and on the front page above the fold is this article,” Berlucchi said. “I’ve spent a large portion of my efforts on city council working to raise awareness and improve access for mental health services. And so for me to read that initial article was very disheartening because it appeared to me that we were not being reflective enough about policies when we had a good thing looking at us in the face.”
Berlucchi said he began to advocate for Trails of Purpose within City Hall “to ensure that this was reviewed in a fair and complete manner” and encouraging further exploration of “all legal and proper avenues.”
“The property is in the Agricultural Reserve Program, which I believe in the importance of preserving agricultural property for farmland and protecting the agricultural economy. But I don’t see equine assisted psychotherapy as being in conflict with that. I think it’s very much in concert with agricultural use,” Berlucchi said.
Trails of Purpose counsels about 100 military members, veterans and their families per week. Arestivo, a licensed mental health counselor, launched Trails of Purpose alongside her husband Kyle at their family’s 15-acre farm in 2019. Since then, the number of military members who seek solace with Trails of Purpose has doubled.
“There’s clearly a need for the services that they provide. And I think communities should be finding way to support organizations like this and make things easier for them, rather than more difficult,” Berlucchi said.
Trails of Purpose will submit an updated plan, as outlined in the city’s planning and agriculture departments to review. Following the staff review, the application will go to the Planning Commission and finally City Council.
The official opening of the Pungo location will be determined once Trails of Purpose completes the permitting process. But Arestivo hopes to open the gates to military members and veterans in need in the next month.
“We know our city loves our military and this was further proof that Virginia Beach is a supportive community and a great place to live,” Arestivo said.
Caitlyn Burchett, [email protected]
