Fairbanks Ranch

Forty acres of public land adjacent to Fairbanks Ranch Country Club Golf Course will be leased for horseback riding and polo.

The lease, which will be for 26 years, was approved Monday by the San Diego City Council over the objections of some council members that it did not spell out what kind of public access to the property would be provided by the Fairbanks Ranch Polo Club. The club intends to sublease some of the land to the North County Riding Club for horseback riding.

The question of public access was referred to the city manager’s office, as were questions about how much the polo club would charge in membership fees. Councilmen Mike Gotch and William Jones said they are worried that the city lease might allow the polo club to charge expensive fees, and thus curb public use of the land.