Chula Vista’s mayor and Bonita equestrians are pushing back against a proposal to eliminate the Rohr Park horse arena for expanded athletic fields.

CHULA VISTA, Calif. — Chula Vista Mayor John McCann joined dozens of equestrians Tuesday morning to oppose a city proposal that would eliminate the Rohr Park horse arena to make room for expanded athletic fields.

The arena, which has served the Bonita community for more than 40 years, supports an estimated 500 horses in the area and the Sunnyside Saddle Club says it maintains it with it little to no cost to the city.

“The horse arena at Rohr Park is an active, valuable resource,” McCann said at a press conference at the park. “It supports responsible horse ownership, training, education and recreation, benefiting not just our local community, but the entire region. This is one of the only facilities in the south county region.”

The 60-acre Rohr Park is undergoing a master planning process to modernize its facilities. After community workshops that began in March 2025, the mayor says the latest draft proposes eliminating the equestrian arena to expand space for soccer, baseball and pickleball facilities.

Equestrians say they were never consulted about the change.

“There’s no reason for this to be terminated when the livelihood and the lifestyle of everybody around here depends on the horses,” said Terry Dillon, a 20-year member and vice president of the Sunnyside Saddle Club.

Scott Ulrich, president of the club, said removing the arena would have lasting consequences.

“It would remove the last access to a public safe facility, disrupt responsible horse care and weaken a longstanding tradition that has helped shape this arena,” Ulrich said.

The Sunnyside Saddle Club has operated at Rohr Park for 43 years. The club has been in existence for more than 60 years.


Baseball players say park needs upgrades

Not everyone opposes changes to the park. Baseball player Javier Peña, who has played at Rohr Park for 15 years, said the athletic fields need attention.

“The fields used to be in better shape,” Peña said. “When it rains, it gets really flooded on one side.”

Peña said he believes the park has enough fields but that they are not properly maintained.


City says planning process ongoing

In a statement, the city of Chula Vista said the Rohr Park master planning effort is a multi-phase process with no immediate City Council action scheduled.

The Rohr Park Master Planning effort is a multi-phase process that will ultimately provide a pathway to project completion in the coming years. While there is no pending action for the City Council at this time, the City of Chula Vista truly appreciates the strong community engagement and thoughtful input we have received in this the first phase of the planning effort. The community’s feedback will inform our next steps, which will focus on the golf course component of the plan and the northeastern section of Rohr Park, including the equestrian arena.  This work will prioritize alignment with community priorities.

 Upon completion of this next planning phase, the City will conduct an environmental review of the Master Plan, as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Multiple options may be analyzed. The CEQA process will include formal opportunities for public input.

 Prior to implementation, the proposed Master Plan will be presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission for consideration and then ultimately to the City Council for approval. Should the City Council approve the Master Plan, the next step would be to develop a financing plan for the construction of park improvements. The financing plan would also be subject to City Council review and approval. Each of these steps will provide additional opportunities for community input.

According to the master plan timeline posted online, a final draft could be presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission as soon as this month or February.

Horse owner Diana Kelly, who goes by Didi, said the arena is more than just a recreational facility.

“I will be a horse girl till I die,” Kelly said. “It is a way of life. It is something that we cannot give up.”

The mayor is calling on city staff to work collaboratively with the equestrian community to ensure the arena is preserved in the final master plan.