CBLG files petition challenging the City of San Diego’s Termination of Surf Sports Park Open Space Protections

On December 5, 2025, Chatten-Brown Law Group filed a petition on behalf of Sierra Club, challenging the City of San Diego’s decision to terminate long-standing open space protections governing Surf Sports Park in the San Dieguito River Valley. The petition alleges that the City unlawfully removed restrictions contained in a historic 1983 grant deed without first conducting the environmental review required under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”).

The grant deed, adopted in 1983, conveyed land historically known as the Del Mar Polo Fields to the City with explicit requirements that it be preserved as open space for passive, non-commercial recreational uses and that it prohibit large assemblages of people and vehicles. As reported by The Coast News Group, in October 2024, the San Diego City Council approved a termination agreement removing these protections and amended its lease with Surf Cup Sports to permit up to 40 days of large-scale events annually. The decision drew widespread opposition from residents, environmental organizations, and neighboring cities.
 
CBLG’s lawsuit alleges that the City failed to analyze the environmental impacts of intensifying use at Surf Sports Park and eliminating deed restrictions not only on the polo fields, but on additional open space parcels conveyed under the same grant deed. The petition asserts that increased traffic, large events, and expanded commercial uses threaten surrounding communities and the San Dieguito River Park, and that the City relied on outdated data while bypassing required CEQA review.

The Coast News Group Article

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