OCEANSIDE — The Oceanside City Council narrowly voted to move forward with registering the land at Ivey Ranch Community Park as a historic cultural resource, despite a nonprofit’s concern that the move could hinder its ability to offer programs for people with disabilities.
On March 26, the council voted 3-2 to direct city staff to pursue local, state and federal historic designations for the land and the 135-year-old farmhouse on the property, located next to Mission San Luis Rey.
The San Luis Rey Band of Luiseño Indians, also known as Mission Indians, requested the designation, asking the city to recognize the site as a Payómkawichum “first contact” area, citing its historic and ancestral significance. The former village of Quechla once stood where the park is now, adjacent to the mission, and Spanish and Native American artifacts have been found on the site.
“The Ivey Ranch Park area represents one of the most significant areas in our region,” the tribe wrote in a letter to the council. “This is where our ancestors were forced to remain – living, working and were baptized while the Old Mission San Luis Rey was constructed.”
The city acquired the land from the L.O. Ivey Trust in 1981 and has since leased it to three nonprofits serving people with special needs: Ivey Ranch Park Association, Casa de Amparo and Canine Companions. Ivey Ranch Park Association provides equine therapy, after-school care, an adult day program, and other services for children and adults with disabilities.
The Ivey Ranch child development center operates out of the historic ranch house, and its equestrian program uses a barn built about a decade ago.
Volunteers and leaders at Ivey Ranch fear that the historic designation could complicate or prevent planned expansions, including a proposed 900-square-foot addition to the farmhouse for classrooms, a restroom and office space, and a 720-square-foot storage addition to the hay barn.
According to Mayor Esther Sanchez, the tribe had not been properly notified about certain past projects at the park, including expansion efforts, in violation of state law. Sanchez said neither the city, tribe, nor tenants were at fault for the oversight, which spanned over three decades.
The tribe has also requested to be included in all future discussions about the site and to form a memorandum of understanding with the city to formalize a partnership.
Council members Peter Weiss and Rick Robinson voted against the motion, arguing that the site had been denied historic designation three times due to the extent of changes made to the land. Weiss added that the city already requires historic permits for work near the mission, including cultural surveys.
Tonya Danielly, executive director of Ivey Ranch Park Association, urged the council to remember the site’s original purpose in the 1980s: a park for people with disabilities.
“We are stewards of this property. We do right by our neighbors, and we will continue to do the right things,” Danielly said.
Danielly said she had previously worked with the same tribal leaders on archaeological surveys at the site and claimed that Casa de Amparo and Canine Companions staff were not informed of the proposed designation.
Numerous volunteers and client family members spoke in opposition, expressing concern that the designation could interfere with services or lease renewals.
City Attorney Steven Burke Jr. said the city, as landowner, has sole authority over leases and explained that while a historic designation could introduce more environmental and archaeological requirements, similar reviews are already required under existing historic permits.
“There are some requests in the letter that are broader, which I think is where some are concerned,” Burke said.
Deputy Mayor Eric Joyce, who supported the motion, emphasized that the vote was solely about initiating the registration process.
Joyce pledged to preserve Ivey Ranch’s services and, if possible, help them grow.
Capt. Mel Vernon of the San Luis Rey Band of Luiseño Indians stressed that the tribe supported the nonprofit’s mission and saw no conflict between the historic destination and the current programs offered at the park.
“Understand that we also, as a tribe, are in support of what Ivey Ranch is doing with their program,” Vernon said. “It’s not about their program, it’s about the earth under the ranch there.”
Other tribal members echoed that support, calling the land sacred and urging its protection. One speaker suggested the nonprofit may have outgrown the space and should consider relocating.
