Accord Reached in Playing Field Dispute

Peace descended Friday on the strife-torn Rancho Santa Fe youth playing fields, which have had the affluent community’s residents at odds for nearly three years.

Paul M. Thomas Jr., president of the Rancho Santa Fe Assn. board of directors, announced Friday that an agreement had been reached Thursday in which “both sides have given a little to get this thing done. Now, hopefully, we can put all the ill will behind us and move the community forward together.”

Terms of the settlement have not been officially disclosed, but according to parties in the dispute, the association agreed not to expand the playing fields and to move some starting times for games later in the day.

At issue are the playing fields where youth from Rancho Santa Fe and surrounding communities have played soccer, baseball and other sports in season for about the past 12 years. When the association acquired 17.5 acres of the property and adjacent open space in early 1988, it announced plans to expand the playing areas and practice fields to serve the growing number of youngsters in the area.

It was then that the surrounding neighbors, especially property owner Joel Broida, voiced their concerns that expanded playing fields would bring increased noise and traffic congestion.

After months of debate and unsuccessful attempts to find other suitable properties where the noisy youth activities could be held, the association directed its staff to proceed with plans to improve and expand the playing fields off Rambla de las Flores.

Broida, who is building an estate home across the road from the playing fields, and 25 other neighbors filed suit against the association and its board early this year to force the Ranch governing body to move the popular recreational area elsewhere, or at least drop plans to enlarge it. The suit contended that the Rancho Santa Fe covenant--rules governing both property and behavior in the affluent community--was being breached because the playing fields were not properly zoned for recreational uses.

In April, Ranch resident Sy Salkowitz began forming a group called Concerned Citizens of Rancho Santa Fe to counter Broida’s legal challenge by marshaling Rancho Santa Fe property owners to properly zone the playing fields and all other nonconforming recreational facilities throughout the Ranch. Included were portions of the Rancho Santa Fe Riding Club and the venerable Garden Club, a hub of community activities.

Salkowitz said Friday that he had gained a following of 950 Rancho Santa Fe residents to push for legalization of the nonconforming properties.

Salkowitz said he would step down as head of the Concerned Citizens group now that the youth playing fields would be preserved, but predicted that the Concerned Citizens “will continue to be a force in this community.”

Broida, spokesman for the neighbors who had fought expansion of the playing fields, expressed satisfaction with the settlement agreement.

“I’m not complaining,” Broida said. “They agreed never to use the undeveloped part of the property for playings fields and they agreed to move Saturday starting times to 9 a.m. from 8 a.m. That’s something, but I had wanted the Saturday starting time to be moved to 10 a.m.”

“The biggest concession by the board was not to allow any league play that generates noise to be held except during currently used times,” Broida said.

Association board president Thomas conceded that “the issue of prohibiting any intensity of use” on the playing fields was the final point separating the two sides and when it was agreed upon Thursday, the settlement was reached.