The Sierra Club has filed a lawsuit in response to the City of San Diego’s October 2025 vote to remove open-space protections on the former polo fields and exempt their long-term tenant, Surf Cup Sports, from any environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act.

The lawsuit, filed Dec. 5, 2025, challenges the City Council’s actions affecting the lands in the San Dieguito River Valley and sets out numerous reasons for strict environmental review including impacts on natural resources, public safety, and equitable access.

The Friends of the San Dieguito River Valley fully supports and commends the Sierra Club for taking this important step to protect our sensitive river valley environment and the recently restored wetlands just downstream of the fields.

“These lands were never meant for private or commercial exploitation. They were meant for everyone – the community, for nature, and for future generations,” according to Pam Heatherington, Sierra Club’s representative to the San Dieguito River Valley.

See the full press release below: