BONSALL, Calif. — Equestrians and horses have been riding along Old River Road in Bonsall for decades, but the trail has turned a rocky path. The new Bonsall Community Park will sit in the center of the 18-plus miles of historic trails, and plans for the layout could lead to a dead end.
The park is designed for active recreational activities including baseball fields, basketball courts and a skate park. It will still have multi-use trails but the equestrian community said lack of parking and amenities will make it almost impossible to ride.
"There's nowhere to actually stage our vehicles, there's nowhere to put our horses safely to get out to those places," Nicole Benitez said.
The group came up with a proposal and a few design options to present to the County Board of Supervisors at the next meeting. Some things they're asking for are equestrian parking, access to water for the horses and a round pen and arena to qualify for funding since its an active park.
"Something to still continue to be active, which is the point of the park, but to keep everyone safe and to continue to just enjoy this beautiful space," Benitez said.
Plans for the park have been in the works for years and is based on public input. However, outreach was done only a mile and a half outside the park and equestrian and focus groups say they weren't notified.
"In North County there's a huge equestrian presence, whether you start as a young kid, whether you find it later in life, this is for us, like we live here for a reason," Benitez said.
The San Diego County Department of Parks and Recreation chose the location because it is a more densely populated part of Bonsall and was previously a golf course, so construction will have less of an environmental impact. I reached out to the department for comment but have not heard back yet.