A proposal to designate Oceanside’s Ivey Ranch Park as a state or national historic site has divided park users and local Native Americans who see the property as part of their heritage.
More than 50 people addressed the Oceanside City Council when it considered the proposal Wednesday. Most of the speakers were employees, clients and volunteers at the park’s equestrian center who fear the designation could curb the center’s therapeutic riding programs for people with disabilities.
“We serve over 300 individuals each week,” said Tonya Danielly, executive director of the Ivey Ranch Park Association, who urged the council not to pursue the designation. “We are stewards of the property. Ivey Ranch Park is a community asset, and it belongs to the citizens of Oceanside.”
Members of the San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians requested the designation. Native Americans lived throughout the region for thousands of years before the first Europeans arrived, but the Ivey Ranch site is noteworthy because of a Luiseno village there and its connection to the creation of the San Luis Rey Mission founded in 1798.
“This is as ‘first contact’ as we get,” said Carrie Lopez, a representative of the San Luis Rey Band.
“It’s not just pre-Oceanside or pre-California,” she said. “It is pre-mission, which is very unique for the entire region of north San Diego County and Camp Pendleton. It is very difficult to pinpoint an exact location where the populations were integrated.”
Residents of the Luiseno village were forced to help build the mission and baptized into the Catholic faith. Registration as a historic site could help protect artifacts or human remains likely to be buried there.
The council voted 3-2 to begin the process of applying for the designation, which will take time for studies and other preparations before the city staff returns to the council with results for approval. Councilmembers Peter Weiss and Rick Robinson were opposed.
“If this is approved, the tribe could have the final say about what takes place out there,” Robinson said. “My fear is that the tribe could deny the renewal of the lease” for the equestrian center and other facilities in the park.
Other City Council and tribal members said the present uses would continue under the historic designation.
“This is not to impede or hinder the programming that takes place,” said Councilmember Jimmy Figueroa. “Both things are possible … I don’t think it’s one over the other.”
City staffers will “do the research” to determine what effects the designation might have on the current uses as part of preparing the application, said City Manager Jonathan Borrego.
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