Lakewood officials on Tuesday postponed a decision over whether to close its 19-acre equestrian center due to financial losses and lack of an operator.
More than 50 people spoke at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, all of them opposed to closing the facility along the San Gabriel River that offers riding lessons, a petting zoo and boarding services for 112 horses.
“Do the right thing for not only your city but for the kids all around because that’s what’s appropriate,” Matthew Marshall, who first visited the center on his 8th birthday, told the council. “We can find money, find the heart.”
The publicly-owned facility, however, has been without a longterm operator since 2019, when the city ended a lease with Sandie Mercer, who ran the center for more than 20 years, because officials said she did not plan to invest in the property. The center needs about $6.2 million in improvements, according to a third-party audit released this year.
Mercer told the City Council on Tuesday that as the landlord, they are responsible for upkeep. She said she paid roughly $3.5 million in rent over the years, and “you never put a dime back into the property except a frontage road fence in 2017.”
The city had an interim operator in place from 2020 to November 2023. Since then, city staff have been running the facility — including overseeing security and vendors, weed and pest control and general administration — in addition to their full time jobs.
Staff estimate the center will lose more than $100,000 this fiscal year, $276,468 in 2025 and $277,818 in 2026.
The center receives about $70,000 in monthly rent from 83 owners who board horses, and staff noted that most of them don’t live in Lakewood. The city also receives a small amount of revenue from vendors and trainers who operate at the facility.
In their report to the council, staff said they could keep the center open, but would request budgeting for four full time positions and a plan for capital investments.
A second option is to close the boarding facilities in favor of more passive uses that could include pickleball courts, a skate park and other community activities that would draw more local visitors.
The city owns about half the land, and could keep open various activities, including the petting zoo and pony rides, on their part of the property.
The other half of the land is owned by Southern California Edison, and the city leases it for $44,000 per year. If the city opts to open that land for passive use only, their annual payment to SCE would be reduced by more than half.
A report on the long-range possibilities for the SCE-owned portion of the property is expected to be released in December.
In the meantime, the City Council directed staff to continue searching for a long-term operator of the center and report back in 60 days with a site plan that would downsize the center to just city-owned land.
“I think this is our last, best chance,” said Lakewood Mayor Todd Rogers. “Let’s hope it works.”