We Need Your Help—Please Attend the Meeting Tonight to Oppose Removing the Rohr Park Arena

Susan Heavilin
1 day ago
3 min read

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION PLANNING COMMISSION

December 11, 2025 (today!) at 6:30pm

Norman Senior Park Center Conference Room

270 F Street, Chula Vista, CA 91910

Come one, come all, to voice your thoughts on the removal of the Rohr Park Horse Arena, a cherished community icon used by horse owners for over 40 years.

They've already removed the day corrals at the Sweetwater Campground. Just a few years ago, you could meet up with friends to camp and put your horses in the corrals. Your horses were merely feet from your campsite and these were highly-prized campsites to secure. Any time of the day, you could saddle up and head out on the extensive trail system through the beautiful countryside.

Now they want to take our arena. If that occurs, I believe the trails will be next. What is the City of Chula Vista up to?

"This is an extinction level event."—John Fischer, longtime resident and former horse owner

Below is the Parks and Recreation Commission Agenda for Thursday, December 11th. Note that it is a SPECIAL MEETING and scheduled in a busy Holiday Season.

Click on images to enlarge

Presentations 5.3 and 5.4 are of particular interest to horse owners and horse lovers. The removal of the arena would change the entire fabric of Bonita-Sunnyside.

I believe they're trying to sneak another goalpost past the community like the October 17, 2023 City Council Meeting when the arena was closed using a Consent Item hidden among several Consent Items and passed on a "one vote" for all.

The Chula Vista City Council Meeting scheduled for December 9, 2025 was CANCELLED.

Then there was that Rohr Park Master Plan final meeting where over 100 people showed up and were silenced by Director of Parks and Recreation, Frank Carson.

Mr. Carson has the floor on tonight's Presentations.

Did You Know?

Some thoughts regarding tonight's meeting—it's still vague—shared by Bonita homeowner and horse owner Stacy Jett:

The City’s Inaction allowed the Imminent Destruction Threat to proceed unchecked

The City is now advancing plans to remove the equestrian arena from the Rohr Park Master Plan, even though:

⦁ no formal public meeting has ever been held specifically discussing or approving its removal;

⦁ no public notice naming the arena was provided;

⦁ no CEQA analysis has been conducted;

⦁ no replacement facility has been proposed, as required by the Public Park Preservation Act;

⦁ the arena was already removed from Master Plan maps before any formal hearing occurred.

The first formal meeting where the public could theoretically speak on the matter is scheduled for December 11, 2025, but even this meeting:

⦁ does not list “equestrian arena removal” on the agenda, only a general “Master Plan Update”;

⦁ provides inadequate notice to affected population, who learned of the removal plan only on November 20, 2025;

⦁ is being held after nearly all outreach events have already occurred;

⦁ is so last-minute that even two Parks & Recreation Commissioners publicly stated they cannot attend due to prior commitments, underscoring how abrupt and insufficient the notice period was.

Result: The City’s failure to act — and its decision to proceed toward demolition without lawful notice, hearings, or replacement planning — has magnified the harm to Petitioners and the entire equestrian demographic. This inaction directly enabled the ongoing threat to a deed-protected recreational facility and now poses an imminent risk of irreversible loss.

Can You Image a "Horse Country" Community Without its Arena?

The idea that they would even consider removing this arena gives a strong indication of what is in the hidden scheme for rural Bonita-Sunnyside.

What Can I Do?

Your attendance at tonight's meeting greatly matters!

Norman Senior Park Center | Photo by Samuel Torres

270 F Street, Chula Vista, CA 91910

If you are unable to attend, please join the others in leaving a comment opposing the arena.

Electronic Public Comments: At  www.chulavistaca.gov/boardmeetings, locate this meeting and click on the comment bubble icon. Select the item and click on "Leave Comment." The deadline to submit e-comments or any comments emailed to PRC@chulavistaca.gov will be three hours prior to the meeting start time.