Community Polls

Member Comments

The Surf soccer matches create terrible traffic jams. It would make it impossible to navigate in case of fire.

We need to be aware that we can lose the rural nature of our community by turning a blind eye to issues like these.

The polo fields are a sensitive wet lands area and I think it should be preserved for everyone to enjoy and not to be used for private corporate profit. These beautiful fields were once bordered with huge, majestic trees- one could play or picnic on the fields. It was home to flora and fauna with many migrating birds. Now it's fenced and locked off- it looks like a prison in Chino. The trees were cut down, the horse stables removed. Yes, it's lovely to have children playing soccer so close to home- but what's the point of having deed restrictions and laws, if they can just be ignored by those that have the money to get around them?

Negotiate a compromise! It is clear that Surf Cup is making a huge profit on the operation, charging $20 per entry, plus whatever they charge entrants for the huge tournaments there. There are frequently several thousand cars onsite. We live in the RSF Covenant, across the street and a short distance east from the easterly entry to Surf Park. The traffic tie-ups in our area are frequently horrendous, and have on many occasions created conditions where evacuation from the field would take hours. A wildfire evacuation would be delayed for folks at the soccer fields AND for us residents who need the evacuation route. That is extremely dangerous, and cannot be allowed to happen This risk to human life is even worse when the SD County Fair, Del Mar Horse Racing, and/or other big events are in process along the Via de la Valle corridor.
A reasonable compromise could allow regular practice times for LOCAL youth soccer, and some LOCAL team matches, all without unduly impacting the local residents like us, or creating risk for those attending the facility or local residents. This could easily be accomplished by eliminating half of the soccer fields, leaving the balance of the property open for casual recreation and open space, as intended in the Grant Deed.
The City of San Diego is ignoring the legal realities because of the revenue the get from the soccer operation. The latest maneuver of trying to eliminate the deed restrictions would mean that Surf Cup will develop the property to its maximum. That would surely include the two-story 30,000 sq ft facility they proposed and withdrew last year because of the outcry.

I’m they are taking advantage of every angle and buying property adjacent under false pretenses to turn a massive project while we all suffer the negative impact

I love soccer and have played since I was 5 years old when my MOM coached us boys who all went on to play through college and even today.

But why not do it the right way instead of taking advantage of “blind eye” politics while we all play by covenant “rules” which you say is okay it is stated - but then we should turn a blind eye also?

The surf cup is a frequent and un mitigated disaster for the residence of Rancho, Santa Fe, and all areas east going into Escondido.

The traffic delays are frequent as well.

My understanding was the surf club was leasing the polo field, but apparently based upon the litigation and legal interpretation You outlined in your narrative, this is no longer the case.

Although I could only speak for my wife and myself, I can tell you that numerous other residences I’ve spoken to in various coffee, shops, Positano and the in at Rancho Santa Fe. And Mille Fluers’ share similar feelings.. Long-term local residence of the covenant do not like the surf club.

Finally, a comment about the art jury. I have often been caustic and abrasive in the past. The art jury is mercurial and capricious. The changing of the guard… So to speak; does not help. They are subjective and not based on any objectivity.

Needless to say, I am not a fan of the art jury.

I believe the ADU’s are a slap in the face to the art jury and it will allow a method for the people of Rancho Santa Fe to increase their income and in essence. “stick it to them.l”

Although monetary gain made to be the primary motivator for many my covenant neighbors installing ADU’s; believe a a nice feeling of retribution.

Feel free to contact me at any point.

David J Smith, MD.

I love having Surf Cup here. They also built the facility in Oceanside to accommodate the sport. They just need to keep it respectful in consideration for local residents. I think it is done well.

I just want them to complete the Coast to Crest trail per specs.

What about the permanent structures from The Wave. This isn’t about kids anymore It’s about professional soccer business

This Grant Deed with "restrictions" is designed to protect and preserve this beautiful open space and curtail any activities that would harm the environment and/or diminish the quality of life and beauty of the existing open space and surrounding areas. Surf willingly agreed to the restrictions when they signed the lease. Surf is not just a youth soccer league, it hosts multiple international men's and women's mega sporting events and several other festivals causing very dangerous traffic jams, noise, safety concerns, and pollution -- and our local kids are not even able to use the fields (unless they pay exorbitant fees to Surf). If there were no restrictions the potential harm to our community is limitless..

Yes, I have school aged kids, and yes, surf should be restricted by the grant deed

FYI, the city did not decide "it wanted more residents to make use of it". The Polo Club's lease was up and the city decided it wanted to make more money off the land that is supposed to be public open space. There are actually less residents able to use it now, due to them permanently fencing off the property, leasing part of it to the women's professional team, and now leasing part to a local gym training facility, as well as putting containers on the Coast to Crest Trail to block it off to public access, rather than restore it as a condition of their lease from 9 years ago. So many violations, too numerous to mention. And yet another accident on Sunday due to the hazardous drivers racing in and out on our 2 lane roads - a Covenant neighbor's teenage daughter was hit by an out of town driver from Texas attending Surf. Road backed up for a mile causing gridlock. These are bad actors/tenants who don't care about our neighborhood and few people here benefit.

Respect the Grant Deed

I looked into the traffic study done on the Via de la Valle corridor. The Surf traffic makes up for a minor percentage of the overall traffic in the 2-lane road. I have children in Roger Rowe who have benefitted greatly from the elite training and confidence building/leader-building for our future.
I also looked to see if there has been any land sold by Surf (or its entities) to eminent domain. It has! The sold a stop of land to widen the road at ElCamuno Real. There is a bridge in plan too.
Please, for the future of our children, explain both sides thoroughly.
The PAC is suing their own residents in this Surf punishment. It’s incomprehensible. The PAC is suing their tax-paying citizens.

I think surf should have to do a better job with parking. Backups caused by lack of parking is absurd during big tournaments but it’s great we have a great facility close by. So may surf should have to increase parking or have less games during tournaments

The property needs not be fenced off. It appears to be private and that the public is not welcome to use the fields. Traffic needs to be mitigated, and no permanent structures should be built.
It needs to be a welcoming open space that the public can enjoy for free. I don’t think Surf Cup or anyone else should be profiting from parking fees.

I have never had an issue getting stuck in traffic during an event. I love that people are getting outside and being active and enjoying life.

The corner of El Camino Real and Via de la Valle (by Market Restaurant) is always a problem - soccer or not. Otherwise, I feel Surf Cup does a good job of mitigating with traffic cones, signage, and people to direct traffic. I feel more sorry for the people who have to go into the Surf Cup fields to watch a game. Pay $20 a day to hunt for a parking space in the mud, pee in a porta-potty, and hike a mile carrying soccer gear in a wagon. We live on Via de la Valle, and never mind going west, but on occasion, we will get off the freeway early and take an alternate route during soccer tournaments.

As long as they widen El Camino Real I’m good.

I live almost as close as you can get in the Covenant (on Las Palomas). I personally think they do a really good job with controlling traffic. I want kids outside exercising. I just take Linea from the 5 on the few times Via de la Valle (we should care more about getting it repaved) is really backed up.

Thanks!

Convent member here. Some people are so shortsighted on this one.

We should be happy that we have sports fields SO close to RSF with no night lights and essentially zero use Mon-Fri until 3pm. Imagine a larger Silvergate going in here instead - Want to complain about the fire evacuations now?! How about low income housing with hundreds of units/cars added to our roads at all times of day/night? This is the best use for such a large parcel of land and we should stop poking a bear (aka turning this into apartment land like Quail Gardens in Encinitas).

Those who live on the south west side of the covenant get the effects of SURF. If I lived elsewhere in the covenant I would probably say no big deal. When we are aware of a tournament we avoid Via de la Valle. I feel for the people who live above the fields who constantly have to spectate. And on the other hand I appreciate the kids having a space to play soccer.

I used to live in Del Mar and often drove by the Surf Club on my way to the Bridges. I loved seeing the soccer tournaments and never found traffic to be much of an issue. The current usage offers much to many in the greater San Diego community. Let’s leave them alone.

Surf cup has zero negative impact on my family, it seems to have a positive impact on the many hundreds of participants and likely brings in millions in additional local revenue. I think we don’t need to involve ourselves.

My beef is 100% related to the painful bottleneck on El Camino Real. My kids’ school is in Carmel Valley and many days it’s very difficult to get home. The fair then horse racing trifecta can be a nightmare. Why do I ever leave the Covenant ?

If Surf Cup restricted the El Camino Real access to entry-only it would alleviate much of the problem.

I feel for the folks who have homes bordering the fields who purchased them thinking the land was restricted use- used to have Sunday polo matches and bucolic fields. Now they have soccer parent car queues, traffic cones and car parks in the watershed. Seems a shame.

I would prefer to keep the valley as a subdued and generally quiet part of San Diego county.
Kids do need areas to develop and then implement their athletic skills - but perhaps a noisier,
less tranquil area could be found (like mission valley). As they prepare for the latter, bitter NIL competition.
A democracy is hard to implement when all sides are educated and speaking - and one soon understands
the English/German notation that one does not want to" watch sausage being made'" prior to its consumption
- as a well stated parallel to watching this polo grounds-now surf club property dispute as "sausaged being made"
It appears that all well-off Californians believe that their views on any topic are "the correct ones".
So the best I can do is watch this tussle as a sporting event - and perhaps look for a betting agency that will
provide odds !

Negotiate!! Better traffic control! Otherwise, let the kids get some exercise. I do miss the polo ponies though. PS. Negotiate under grounding utilities in the name of ‘widening’ Via de la Valle and/or El Camino Real near/around the fields, then underground ALL utilities in the Covenant. Someone has the power to make that happen.

The objective of the litigation is not to end soccer or other sports activities on the Polo Fields, but merely to enforce some reasonable limitations on those activities, as promised by the Grantors of the Grant Deed, including Ocean Industries. If the City and Surf persuade the Council to abolish those limitations, as they are attempting to do, we and all neighboring communities will literally be at their mercy. And since Surf’s interest is in profit-maximization, not community welfare, and the City earns 10% of all revenues Surf can command by rental of the field to other profit-maximizing entities, there would be no counterbalancing incentives to consider the welfare of neighboring communities.

The restrictive covenants the City and Surf seek to eliminate are not something new or surprising, but responsibilities both the City and Surf willingly and voluntarily undertook and promised to respect. As incorporated in the Grant Deed, they were called out in the City’s acquisition of the land in 1983, in the City’s RFP in 2015, in the resulting lease by the City to Surf Cup in 2016, by Ocean in a letter to the City and Surf in 2016, and by the California Court of Appeal in a decision in 2021 allowing the City and Surf to avoid review under CEQA. In particular, Ocean’s 2016 letter demanded that, whatever soccer practices and single day tournaments Surf might conduct, it would be limited to 25 days per year of large, "consecutive-day sporting tournaments.” It is those grandiose events, while particularly profitable to Surf because they attract attendees from all over the country, and are not even remotely focused on “San Diego youth,” that by virtue of their scale and intensity of use are particularly harmful to the welfare of neighboring communities. It is those events that cause the greatest traffic congestion, environmental damage, and related harms to the neighboring communities, and RSF should actively do whatever it can to block these latest attempts at mon

Physical activity, competition, and teamwork are important for youth, so I’m happy to see the soccer tournaments happening adjacent to our community. Negotiate to lessen the impact to traffic and noise (no play after a certain hour, for example). Sounds like a legal battle will be expensive and won’t stop Surf Cup.

It strikes me that there is an opportunity for a win-win in that by authorizing a greater number of events, there could be conditions imposed such as:

1. instituting other limits on numbers of participants/vehicles for all events.
2. requiring traffic controls (flaggers) during all events.
3. requiring intersection widening/new turning lanes/signal improvements at Via De La Valle intersection.

and so on.

Surf Cup should be required to follow all City and County regulations regarding property usage, traffic flow, cleanup of the streets etc. just as we all are required to do.

It's 114 acres, not 80. Get your facts straight before you try to insert yourself into an issue as an expert

The grant deed was made to enable Fairbanks Ranch to have higher density than to which they were entitled. Taking away the grant deed for OS betrays the promise made to the city for the variance in density granted.

It was nice when my kids played flag football there. They should widen el Camino real, however.

The Surf Cup at most adds a few minutes to the transit past when an event is in process. The benefit to the children playing in the competition, the revenue to the local hotels and restaurants, greatly outweighs the minimal inconvenience on Villa de la Valle. Let's not let the residents of the Ranch come off as a grumpy group of old farts, and let the kids play the game. On weekends, just remember to take Linea de Cielo.

Living in Southern California, how many large open spaces remain undeveloped and available to host large soccer tournaments for youth sports? The Polo Fields draw soccer teams from all other the U.S. and bring revenue to the greater San Diego area. The deed restriction should be renegotiated to allow for a limited number of events per year. San Diego has amazing weather and we should be so lucky to share our community with others.

The Surf Cup Soccer is completely a commercial facility serving families from all sorts of our region. Not our local teams. I miss polo. I miss less traffic. We were swindled.

This land was supposed to be for the use of the PUBLIC free of charge. Surf Cup, while appearing to be for the "kids", is really a greedy corporation who is playing fast and loose with the laws. AND cheating the City of San Diego out of payments by setting up satellite corporations. What kind of example is that for children? Cheat as much as you can get away with?
Also, some solution HAS to be found with the traffic issue. What's it going to take? Suing Surf Cup and the city because of multiple deaths due to dangerous traffic conditions? Tragedy because people couldn't evacuate during an emergency? Heaven forbid we have a repeat of the Los Angeles fires along Via de La Valle.
By the way -- another venue for soccer is available right up the road in Oceanside -- the new sports complex. So it's not like the Polo Fields are the only place in town !

The grant deed is the deal and a deal is a deal !

Traffic is terrible and if allowed for more events it will impact the ranch negatively. 3 large venues in one location ( horse races, county fairs, horse park and now Surf cup) impacts us all.

Having such a soccer/sports venue so close by — how lucky are we? People drive for miles and miles to get their kids to such quality soccer clubs, and we have one in our own backyard. It’s been fun for my kids to be away at college and meet kids from all over the place who know San Diego because they came to play at Surf Cup!

The lawsuit seems fair and the current administration seems to ignore the rules established. What are rules for if they are not enforced.

We don't need the traffic and out of towners. Keep RSF, and the covenant in particular as a quiet and peaceful town focused exclusively on the best interests of its residents and not any out of towners who seek to invade our space.

The area cannot handle this volume of traffic which is obvious to all of us who live here. Surf Cup should live up to its agreement to the letter.

The traffic, noise and wear and tear on Via de la Valle is obscene. The property use has transitioned from polo fields, horse stable and soccer fields to various sports year roundn. There needs to be guidelines that dial back the gross mismanagement of the property that respects the adjacent neighbors, community and wildlife.

The traffic is so frustrating and handled so poorly. Combined with fair and race track traffic we feel like prisoners in our homes. The impact on wildlife in the adjacent wetland environment seems to be completely ignored.

The traffic is horrible when surf cup is there but we do want some families to have access to this with kids who do sports. Would be nice to find a compromise that makes everyone happy. Restricting the number of days could be one way. Similar tot he fair , we don’t love the traffic but at least we can predict when it will start and when it will be over.

This land is in a flood plain and has flooded numerous times. With climate change more intense storms will occur and thus, it will flood more often with more intensity. Do we want to see death and destruction such as seen in Kerr Texas on the San Dieguito River?

My daughter was involved in a motor vehicle accident just an hour ago, in which a car full of people from Texas turned left onto the Surf main entrance on Via
De la Valle into the path of my daughter’s car! We’re currently in the ER getting XRays.
My point is that this huge influx of traffic into the access roads of our community is DANGEROUS! That stretch of road is not meant to be a major intersection every weekend. The fire crew and police who responded to my daughters’s accident told it is considered to be a very dangerous area,
and that there are accidents nearly every week.
This is just one aspect of our problem with this sports park! It is just way too big for our community, especially since they hold their mega-soccer tournaments without regard
To other big local events, I.e. the fair and the track, which are often going on concurrently, with concomitant traffic snarls, etc.

Not respecting the recorded Grant Deed is kinda like not respecting a persons' will or conditions of an estates' trust.
The negotiations that governed, influenced, shaped and formed the Grant Deed should be upheld.
Both sides gave up something and both sides received something during those negotiations.
Mayor and City Counsel would only be giving up something if they vote to nullify it.
I feel there should be no further discussion on this. If the mayor and city council don't respect the Grant Deed we need to vote for replacements for them that will protect the citizens and their rights over for profit business's.

The good outweighs the slight inconvenience on event days. No restrictions seems extreme but a lot of people get enjoyment out of Surf Cup.

Member Comments

My opinion is that the entry rocks are perfect the way they are. Low-key and unassuming! Let’s keep it that way….

Some could use a little cleaning up.

I have been asking this for years for there to be more branding for the neighborhood in our entrances. I am fine with the rock display but I wish we would invest more into proper landscaping and signage. When driving up Via De La Valle and turning left onto Via Santa Fe to go into town, there should be a big rock there and nice landscaping at the bottom of the slope of that house on the corner. I think a sign like "Encinitas" has in their downtown going from one street corner to the other would be great in the downtown area as you enter West to East on Paseo Delicias. Just my thoughts.

Looks kind of dated.

I like the old school look! Thank you for asking - I agree with many of your suggestions about branding and revitalizing.

May want to also look at the logo too. I am a member of another golf club with a 100 year history in Monterey with a storied past and is recognized as one of the best clubs in the country. A bit over ten years ago, the club hired a NY marketing firm to rebrand the club including its 90 year old logo. This was very controversial move by the board not only because of the significant cost (7 figures) but legacy members convulsed at the thought of abandoning the traditional pine branch and cone logo for something new and different. Once it was unveiled it was met with a lot of negativity by the older members but in time it has become an endeared and nationally recognized logo in the golf world. It was also the beginning of a renaissance of sorts for the club as it transitions from the old guard to a more vibrant membership. This may sound familiar. Change is good but can be difficult for the old soul.

Something awesome, but classy, somewhere in between a small dirty rock and the Arc de Triomphe.

Branding for a private golf club restaurant? Why?

Replace the word “Historic”.
Modernize the text.
Work on a logo.

The boldest are nicely understated.

I would hate to see us move to flashy new signs.

What would really be nice is to have lower speed limits or even some enforcement of the existing limits.
Just walk along La Granada and you will see lots of street racing.

I feel that being “Historic“ the original branding should be preserved and not changed; it’s part of embracing the blessings that RSF holds. However I can’t help notice that the font is slightly different and feel from a marketing standpoint consistency is important to uphold. Also any changes to a historic site probably and should involve approval from the Federal Registry.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca-Cola

Some brands are timeless. Take Coca Cola as an example.

Upgrade to be in sync with new branding for restaurant etc.

I would not spend a lot of dough on this but if reasonable why not a fresh look.

Dump the “Historic”. Most outsiders think that we think we are better than them and addition of the modifier just confirms it. Every city is “historic” for one reason or another. It just makes us look like pompous twits. Of course, maybe we are pompous twits, but after living here for 30 years, i have found that the true Ranch folks are pretty down to earth.

JE

Honestly a branding firm— what a waste of money

RSF has become one of the best communities to live in without rebranding.

Too many people don’t have enough to do if rebranding the restaurant, changing the font on the rocks and redecorating the restaurant are their primary concerns Don’t spend our HOA money on things we can live without.

Keep the boulders and consider incorporating the presumably new font developed by the agency onto the boulders
Any branding company worth their salt should do that for the original price of what they quoted to do all the other work

Rancho Santa Fe has a look and feel like no other community in the greater San Diego area. A better branding and signage exercise would benefit all. Keep it rustic and classic. I think we could all squeeze an extra dollar or two from our wallets to support better identity for our community. Great idea Phil!

Keep something historic - so much is changing

We don't need to completely re-create the signs but, I think the signs/font/style of the markers should all be the same. Pick one of the existing signs and make sure all the others look the same.

As new residents of the Covenant, we like these markers which distinguish RSF from other communities in a significant and meaningful way.

Living within the rocks is iconic and those who have lived here for some time know this.

A bit of a throwback, which is nice and in keeping with our community.

We should focus on truly important issues.

I sometimes think "Pre-Historic" Rancho Santa Fe might be more fitting.

The term “inside the stones’ is how living in the covenant is distinctive from just being in Rancho Santa Fe. Please don’t advocate for a change

need to be more prominent. As a new resident i can’t say i have ever seen them - at least consciously

This is a classic sign and signage please keep it.

Harvest Market Center has done a wonderful job rebranding as THE RANCH. Very refreshing, crisp and clean …Kudos to the owners

Perhaps all of our signs could contain the sameness tie back just like THE RANCH has

Joemize

I don’t understand why we need to hire outside branding team when we have talented individuals within the community who offer to help with numerous things & the board/art jury reject their help.

It's not about saving money. It looks good. It's quaint and quiet and we are NOT Carmel Valley nouveau riche. It's lovely. Let it be.

Ive lived in SD since 1955 and the rocks at the ranch are milestones and memories stop trying to change for change sake has nothing to do with money

I too don’t have a talent for the poll question topic. A name for the restaurant might be nice. I want to click no opinions but I do “care”
Have u noticed that RSF has the worst maintained roads? They are terrible. Second would be to get rid of as much overhead power and data lines.

these signs on a rock are "classics" and reflect the traditional values
that many of us want to maintain.
searching for a new choice would likely lead to some Berkeley/Madison Ave youthful
PR/Design type to dig (and bill) for something new and stylish - which is exactly
what we do not wish to have. thx for listening. drw

The existing signage is understated and appropriate - do we need to advertise? There's a reason that we don't live in one of the other RSF communities.

My opinion is that the signage and rock are iconic, however if it actually looked as lovely as the picture it would be nice. Most of the signage does not have beautiful flowers or nice landscaping. I realize how precious water is but used at our entrance signage it is worth the cost. When we moved here in 1998, the flowers and blooms surrounded the entry points and signage to the Ranch as well as in the village and on Acacias where the golf course splits.

Leave them alone. They are an original part of our community and survived all these years. We need historical value.

Suggest that we focus on reducing speeds and placing 4 way stop signs at dangerous intersections such as Linea de Cielo and El Camino Real. It is so dangerous, especially for our teens driving to Torrey Pines High School.
Our RSF roads have turned into a speedway with loud speeding cars that jeopardize the safety of people, equestrians, wildlife and other drivers.

Love the rocks! They are understated, classy, and subtle. I'd love to see the actual Osuna Brand be part of our new imaging. I would love to see it on shirts, license plates, car stickers and more.

SOLANA beach has really nice entrance signage.

And maybe include "Covenant"

I love our rocks. I’ve lived here my entire life and I will be extremely sad to have these changed. Its part of our history.

In my opinion RSF should be subtle and understated. The simple old rocks do a fine job. Opinion of one.

I see no need to brand the restaurant either. Let’s stop spending money on frivolous projects.

Bad idea.

The existing signage is more than fine… it’s charming and traditional.

Olivenhain have a boulder with MUCH more attractive lettering and color and the effect is very nice.

Are they just looking to waste money?

I love the idea of the new bar / restaurant having a branding / a theme / a vibe that ties in with historical RSF. The Crosby and Fairbanks have done this with their names. The RSF Inn has done it also. Great idea!!!!