Impacts

As a City condition for approval of a development project in 1983 involving the Fairbanks Ranch Country Club, Watt Industries/San Diego, a luxury developer of several surrounding homes, deeded this property to the City with deed restrictions governing the subsequent use of the property.

Under the Grant Deed, the City was obligated to:

“keep and preserve the land as Open Space in natural condition as near as possible”, while permitting “passive, non-commercial uses (e.g., picnicking, walking, hiking, and similar activities)”; and
“active, non-commercial uses not involving large assemblages of people or automobiles (e.g., equestrian activities, jogging, Frisbee and similar activities”.)

Recent years have shown an increase in usage of the Polo Fields. It is difficult to get a precise accounting of the number of events or days that the Polo Fields are in use, however it is clear that Surf Cup is only labeling large tournaments as “events.” There is a lot of activity on the fields - games, practices, parties, fundraisers - that they are not labeling as events. Our estimates show a 193% increase in days of use from 2011 to 2019.

Usage is not limited to soccer, as tournaments have been added for other sports including lacrosse, Australian football, and Ultimate Frisbee. Some of these are for adult men, not children. Added to this was a 16-day college prep strength camp and countless weekday practices by an array of soccer teams. If “non-events” like practices and other uses that are observed but not publicized are included, it’s estimated that these fields are in use for over 250 days per year, much more than the 25 days allowable under the Grant Deed.

repeated violations of the Grant Deed restrictions:

Number of days or number of events per year
Number of cars allowed
Number of people present
Over-sized signage/banners
Noise
Lights
Commercial use
Locked gates restricting public use
Water provisions
Sales of alcoholic beverages at events
Hours of operation

All of this, collectively, with all of the massive traffic it brings has had a real, negative impact on those in the surrounding neighborhoods. These violations continue to degrade the rural character of the surrounding community.

Negative Impacts