In the midst of deep deficits and a desperate need for costly reforms, the hon. Lakewood Equestrian Center It might still find a way to survive – though perhaps not at its current size.
The Lakewood City Council was set to close the facility, home to more than 100 horses, in June, but after three hours of consultation with a crowd of the center’s supporters, the council decided to find another way to keep it open. The council gave its staff 60 days to develop a plan for a smaller, more sustainable version of the facility.
The centre, presently spread over 19 acres, was started in the early 1950s. Spillers StablesIt currently serves as a boarding house and training center for horses, as well as a place for horseback riding lessons. Five days a week, the center operates a petting zoo and offers pony rides to the public.
Some of the center’s four-legged residents are either retired or closeted, including Jennifer Meeker’s 31-year-old horse, Promise.
Meeker is a Long Beach resident who has two horses — Promise and 7-year-old Frankie.
They’re just two of the 112 horses housed in the stalls each month; the facility can house about 100 more. Like Meeker, most of the current resident horse owners are from out of town — only 16 horse owners have Lakewood addresses.
And like Meeker, many of them are concerned about the center’s fate.
The city owns half of the land occupied by the center, while the other half belongs to Southern California Edison. One family operated the center from 1987 to 2019, and since then the city “has been unable to find anyone willing or able to invest in the facility and operate it in a manner consistent with state and federal regulations,” the city said in a statement,
The city takes over operations of the center at the end of 2023, which has cost them more than their revenue. City Staff ReportIt is estimated the center will lose more than $175,000 in the current fiscal year and more than $500,000 over the next two years.
The report also found that while the city’s budget can provide funding for equestrian activities, it cannot fund many needed improvement projects or full-time facility staff.
In total, the facility needs $6 million in repairs and capital improvements to keep it operational. Among the needed projects: Eight of the nine arenas on the property need ground work because they haven’t been repaired since 2019, increasing the risk of horses stumbling and falling.
During a special meeting on June 25, the Lakewood City Council considered staff proposals to remodel the facility space, remove the boarding and training for horses (but not the petting zoo and pony rides) and instead create a nature trail, paths to Rynearson Park and the San Gabriel River Bike Path. City staff also rejected the idea of using the space for pickleball courts or a skate park.
But supporters of the center launched an online petition opposing the closure of the horse-boarding facilities, which received nearly 4,000 signatures.
After a lively discussion and 54 public commenters arguing in favor of keeping the entire facility as is, the council agreed to establish only a smaller center confined to city property.
The city wants to keep Southern California Edison’s land out, because the utility company could revoke use of its land at any time.
In its statement, the city said Edison’s lease terms would hinder long-term planning and improvements to the facility.
At the end of the 60 days, if a viable plan is developed that can gain the interest of an entity capable of making the necessary improvements, the council will prepare a request for proposals to seek a new long-term operator, the city’s statement said.
Meeker said the proposals will be presented by a working group that includes stakeholders and residents. He said a second community group is also coming together to create proposals for the city to consider.
“I hope the City Council realizes that not only Lakewood, but the surrounding gateway cities and residents who don’t have access to these services elsewhere are strongly against the closure of the Lakewood Equestrian Center,” he said.
Alexa Rodell, a social worker and psychotherapist, has started a GoFundMe Page Raising funds to develop proposals for the City to continue operating the Centre and its services.
Meeker said before housing her horses at the Lakewood facility, she housed them in Rancho Palos Verdes, which is about an hour and a half from her home.
When the owner of the stable where Promise was kept decided to retire, Meeker had to look for options closer to home, which were limited.
He discovered the Lakewood Equestrian Center in 2017. He said it’s only three miles from his residence and is the most welcoming community.
“I remember going to the stall one night and there were horse cookies stuck to my stall with a note welcoming me and Promise,” she said.
Meeker said the center also benefits non-owners in ways that are hard to measure. He pointed to how the public comes in just to see the horse trainers and how horsemen welcome people to pet their horses. He said he hopes the city will bring in programs, activities or services that will draw more people to the center and generate more revenue to keep the facility running.
