Union-Tribune Opinion Highlights Concerns Over Fairbanks Ranch Lease and Public Open Space

A recent San Diego Union-Tribune opinion column underscores growing community concern regarding the City of San Diego’s approval of a new exclusive lease covering 114 acres of public land in the San Dieguito River Valley floodplain.

The column details how the City Council approved a revised lease arrangement benefiting a private nonprofit sports organization, removing prior restrictions and paving the way for expanded commercial use of land historically intended for passive recreation and public access. The property, commonly known as the Fairbanks Ranch “polo fields”, is subject to a grant deed limiting uses to passive recreational, equestrian, and hiking activities.

As noted in the article, community groups, neighboring cities, and environmental advocates have raised serious concerns regarding loss of public access to open space, traffic congestion and evacuation impacts, environmental degradation within the River Valley floodplain, failure to complete promised public trail connections, and removal of lease safeguards without proper environmental review. The opinion piece further highlights that the matter is now the subject of litigation filed by the Sierra Club challenging the City’s removal of lease restrictions and alleging violations of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and state law.

This dispute reflects broader, longstanding tensions over land-use decisions in the San Dieguito River Valley and the proper stewardship of publicly owned open space. Chatten-Brown Law Group represents Sierra Club in this matter and remains committed to protecting public open space and ensuring compliance with environmental laws.

San Diego Union Tribune Article

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