FALLBROOK — The North County Fire Protection District is preparing to sell the historic ball fields in Fallbrook to the County of San Diego to develop an affordable senior housing project.
County officials began exploring potential sites for affordable senior housing developments in Fallbrook in 2023, and identified the piece of land on the corner of North Orange Avenue and East Ivy Street owned by the North County Fire Protection District.
The baseball diamonds at Zeke Weaver Memorial Field were established over 100 years ago as part of the original Fallbrook Union High School campus, which opened in 1913. The fire protection district acquired the land in the 1960s and utilizes around two acres for its Station 1 and shop while maintaining the fields, which have been leased to Bonsall Fallbrook Little League for around 25 years.
On Tuesday, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors agreed to return for a hearing in June to enter into a $2 million purchase agreement with the fire protection district for the property, declare it surplus land, and issue a request for proposals for the project.
“The repurposing of this land will not only aid in the creation of affordable housing options, but will meet the needs of low-income residents for years to come,” said county Housing and Community Development Services Director David Estrella.
North County Fire Chief Keith McReynolds said the district does not need those three acres of land for any fire district uses, and said they would like to utilize the money from the sale for critical improvements to Station 4 in Pala Mesa.
“We’re going to reinvest these dollars, if we’re successful with the sale, into that fire station,” McReynolds told supervisors on Tuesday.
It will likely be several years before any housing is constructed on the site. A General Plan amendment for the land and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process will need to be completed before any housing can move forward.
The size and affordability level of the possible development have not been shared, as the county still needs to conduct a market study to determine the specific low-income housing needs in Fallbrook. However, a staff report states that whatever is built will include a regulatory agreement requiring 100 percent of the residential units to be affordable housing.
The announcement has been shocking for those involved in Little League and the Fallbrook community at large. The fields are considered a community hub, where thousands of youth, going back generations, have played sports and created memories.
Bonsall Fallbrook Little League President Daniela Ramirez said losing the fields would devastate the community. Zeke Weaver regularly hosts around 150 kids from at least 10 Little League teams, with practices and games six days a week. It is also used by local soccer teams and residents recreating independently.
Ramirez said there are no other parks nearby for the league to move to that also allow sports lighting, which the league requires nine months out of the year for evening practices and games.
“It’s just such a staple to the community, and so many people rely on it,” Ramirez said. “If they shut down this field, there’s a good chance we [the league] are gonna have to eventually shut down.”
Residents at large have also raised concerns. Fallbrook resident Todd Yetzer told supervisors on Tuesday that while affordable housing is essential, this is not the place to put it.
“You’re removing one of the only open grass baseball fields or parkland in the area,” Yetzer said. “I support low-income housing and adding that, but you need to find another location, because getting rid of a little league facility for low-income housing is kind of backwards planning.”
Supervisor Jim Desmond said that even without the county’s plans, the site would likely be developed as affordable housing at some point because it qualifies as surplus land. However, he said the county would continue to honor the Little League lease at the fields after it acquired the land.
“I’d like them to be able to use them as long as possible,” Desmond said.
He also moved to require the developer to include some form of community space, such as a teen center, since the Boys & Girls Club is located next door.
Ramirez noted that the county’s information shared this week gave the impression that the land is unused. While she understands that the fire district needs money to update its facilities, she hopes the county will use the site for continued recreation rather than housing.
“I want to bring awareness to it, that we are here,” Ramirez said. “It’s such a big part of the community, and I want the county to know that.”
The Board of Supervisors will hold a hearing regarding acquiring the ball fields at their June 3 meeting.
