New Show facility gets the go ahead - CA

[Release First]

Last night the Norco City Council voted unanimously to approve the Draft EIR (environmental impact report) and the CUP (conditional use permit) for the Silverlakes Equestrian and Sports Park to be developed by RJ Brandes' company, Belstarr. The venue will be based on the existing Oaks Blenheim facility in San Juan Capistrano and will be comprised of 122 acres landscaped primarily in lawns which will serve as soccer, football, lacrosse and baseball (w/o clay baselines) practice and competition fields when not being utilized for equestrian events, such as regular horse shows, the World Cup and Olympic Trials. The facility is also intended to host community days, concerts and other outdoor events. The facility returns to an unobstructed park when events are dark. Because this lot is larger than San Juan Capistrano, more amenities can be added - primarily RV parking (including overnight horse camping), trails, show barns and a multipurpose building which can be used for indoor sports and equestrian events.

The above approvals pave the way for Belstarr to begin applying for building and signage permits and then, finally, to begin long awaited construction.

[Sebastian]

Ahhh...very interesting. Thanks for the update.

Could it be that the burst of the housing bubble will now inadvertently benefit us horsey types?

Seb :cool:

[Dun Ciarain]

Here is the Web Site that has the plans, etc.:


http://www.ci.norco.ca.us/depts/silverlakes/default.asp

I'm glad to see there will be a replacement for the Oaks. Hopefully the Monterey Horse Park will also become a reality.

[Ambrey]

Very cool!

[Beezer]

It is indeed a very, very cool facility; the plans are great! And along the lines of what Seb said, it will be virtually across the street from THOUSANDS of homes, so there will be lots of opportunities to convert people to horses. ;)

Of course, many of those homes are in foreclosure, but still. :sigh:

But Norco being Norco, it took several trips to the Oaks by council members for them to even begin to grasp that there's a whole, huge horsey world out there beyond rodeo and the Quarter Horse/Paint circuit shows that come to town. They are in the infancy of their education, but with help, they're getting there. ;)

[MHM]

So what sort of time frame would you think? Horse shows in one year? Two years? Five years?

[maclaydreams]

Here is the Web Site that has the plans, etc.:
I'm glad to see there will be a replacement for the Oaks. Hopefully the Monterey Horse Park will also become a reality.

Ohh, I haven't heard about that; what is in the works?!

[Dun Ciarain]

Ohh, I haven't heard about that; what is in the works?!

http://www.montereyhorsepark.org/

I think they have the necessary approvals, but the money is another issue.

[Merry]

I feel like I have a foot (or hoof?) on both sides of the Norco/Silverlakes show site. I'll have some of my lesson kids who'll compete at shows there. But primarily I'm interested in the trails that will be rehabilitated along the river!

My main concern is I fear the Norco city council and the local businesses are putting too much stake in the show site bringing in tons of revenue to the city. I'm just not sure that tons of hunter/jumper folks will be dining at Rodeo Burger, the Saddle Sore Saloon or shopping at Norco Ranch Outfitters.

At any rate, I'm hoping it'll all be a huge success because it really is an expansive piece of land with many beautiful, mature oak and shade trees on site.

[Beezer]

OMG! Merry returns!! How ever did you remember your password?!?! :D :D

[Mardi]

My main concern is I fear the Norco city council and the local businesses are putting too much stake in the show site bringing in tons of revenue to the city. I'm just not sure that tons of hunter/jumper folks will be dining at Rodeo Burger, the Saddle Sore Saloon or shopping at Norco Ranch Outfitters.



There are many OTHER horse shows besides hunter/jumpers...

Won't other disciplines be able to rent the facility ?

[Coreene]

FABULOUS that he got the green light. This place should be spectacular. :yes:

[Linda]

Do you know how HOT it is out there in the summer? I was horse trailer shopping out there last year (late june) and it was SO hot, I regularly went back to the car and turned on the AC.

I cannot imagine riding and showing in that heat! (not to mention the smog too.....)

Im glad there is a new facility but seriously hope their show circuits will be in the winter!

[Peggy]

Yup, it's hot. But better Norco than nada. The plans I've seen for the facility look great and I love the multi-use concept. Besides, it's a hop, skip and a jump from my barn.

[lonewolf]

Since they said they are basing the new facility on the Oaks, does that mean that they will also have both hunter and jumper rings on the grass?

I hope so. Although to me, nothing could replace the Oaks.

[Dun Ciarain]

Do you know how HOT it is out there in the summer? I was horse trailer shopping out there last year (late june) and it was SO hot, I regularly went back to the car and turned on the AC.

I cannot imagine riding and showing in that heat! (not to mention the smog too.....)

Im glad there is a new facility but seriously hope their show circuits will be in the winter!

It has to be cooler than the shows up near Sacramento that are held during the summer...

[Mardi]

Hmmmmm..
Norco may prove to be an alternative to Thermal in the winter....

[Peggy]

Hmmmmm..
Norco may prove to be an alternative to Thermal in the winter....Don't think the mileage rule will allow that (with overlapping dates).

[Wanderluster]

Hmmmmm..
Norco may prove to be an alternative to Thermal in the winter....\
Not if the mileage rules continue to restrict the recognized shows.
I am trying to be optimistic about the new show grounds but... the if coastal areas that afford better weather during the extreme temperatures of summer are getting absorbed by the developers for the profit of turning them into subdivisions then we are all in for a harsh wake up call.
California does offer a great coastal climate but if any of you remember back to the days of showing at Atlasta Ranch located in Santa Clarita during July you will also remember days of temps averaging 110 degrees.
I think it's impossible to have the location of Norco and the enthusiastic support of hunter/jumper shows. Sorry it just does not have the same appeal of the Oaks/Showpark.

[Wanderluster]

But Norco being Norco, it took several trips to the Oaks by council members for them to even begin to grasp that there's a whole, huge horsey world out there beyond rodeo and the Quarter Horse/Paint circuit shows that come to town. They are in the infancy of their education, but with help, they're getting there. ;)
You might then appreciate the conversation that I had in the mid 80's with the editor of largest newspaper in circulation in Las Vegas( the Sun) about hosting a major hunter/jumper horse show.
His opinion was that I could not comprehend the areas tradition of rodeo and that NO ONE would come to watch jumpers it was way too ELITIST. Not to mention the costs of travelling to this remote venue.
I LOL at the success of the World Cup. It is better than anything that I could have imagined.

[PonyPenny]

I have lived in Norco for almost 18 years and while it can be hot in the summer, it is not worse than Burbank (LAEC) or Hansen Dam. There is always a breaze blowing in the afternoon. The location has many existing trees, which will be an advantage, unlike Thermal. While Norco is now limited in restaurants and lodging opportunities, there are a ton of hotels near Ontario airport (about 15 minutes away). There is also the Mission Inn in Riverside, which is a very upscale place. Since the Silverlakes property is so much larger than the Oaks, It looks to be a great facility. I can't wait. My neighbor is on the Parks and Recreation Commission, so I get first hand info on the projects status.

[Mardi]

Norco is 99 miles from Thermal (per Mapquest).
Please tell me that's far enough away !

Hard to believe that the Oaks Blenheim folks would develop such a big show facility, with no hope of hosting winter h/j shows.

[Peggy]

Norco is 99 miles from Thermal (per Mapquest).
Please tell me that's far enough away !

Hard to believe that the Oaks Blenheim folks would develop such a big show facility, with no hope of hosting winter h/j shows.

Don't think so. Even the Oaks is probably too close to Thermal; hence, there are no A shows there until Thermal is finished for the year. I think it's 250 miles for two competing AA shows. AA vs C is 100 miles, and AA vs local is 75 (this is according to 2007 Rulebook - caveat emptor).

[Beezer]

There are many OTHER horse shows besides hunter/jumpers...

Won't other disciplines be able to rent the facility ?

Sorry for the delay in answering this, Mardi. While I don't think the facility will be exclusively for H/J, you have to keep in mind that Norco is already home to a huge facility, complete with a lovely covered ring, in a public equestrian park that is booked full year-round with AQHA and Paint shows, palomino clubs, mini horse clubs, driving associations, rodeos and more rodeos, gymkhanas, all-breed playdays and more. Trust me, we've tried for eons to get a date for a hunter schooling show with no success, but it's not a place you could hold a multi-day rated show for H/Js or any other discipline.

The new facility will be a place for World Cup qualifiers and other higher-end shows, although dates will be set aside for county-level and schooling shows. :) I imagine dressage clubs will also want to grab dates there, which would not be the case at the existing facility in town. And I'd bet there will be interest from any group, regardless of discipline or breed, that wants to hold multi-day shows and needs the stabling that doesn't exist at Ingalls Park. Plus, given the size of the facility, you could easily run two or more shows at the same time, depending on the groups involved.

What I don't think you'll see there are the small shows and playdays put on by the clubs and associations that already use Ingalls Park -- because that facility will continue to be open for business.

[Dune]

How's the smell?;)

[Dun Ciarain]

I still wish that someone would hold some shows at Santa Anita again. There is no racing there all summer long and I thought the horse shows prior to the 1984 Olympics were great shows. They had a great jockey's jumping class prior to one of the classics at night.

[Peggy]

The scuttlebut I heard on the Santa Anita shows is that they were held specifically to show the appropriateness of the facility, with no intent to continue them post 84 Olympics.

[Dun Ciarain]

The scuttlebut I heard on the Santa Anita shows is that they were held specifically to show the appropriateness of the facility, with no intent to continue them post 84 Olympics.

You're right, that is exactly what they were for. They held them for several years, I believe. I thought it was for 2 or 3 years, however I have something that says "Sixth Annual" for the show in 1983. Still, it was a great facility and great shows.

[Beezer]

How's the smell?;)

I'm assuming you mean the dairy farm smell off the I-15? I imagine it will still occasionally be detected, but since so very many homes have supplanted the cows, it will be far less than in past years.

The "smell," FWIW, was never from Norco. It was from all the dairy farms in Corona, Mira Loma, Ontario and environs, which is beyond the city limits and the Silverlakes property. But while some of those farms (and cows) continue to hang on, most are long gone -- as are all the Thoroughbred farms that used to share the same open land. :(

[Dune]

I'm assuming you mean the dairy farm smell off the I-15? I imagine it will still occasionally be detected, but since so very many homes have supplanted the cows, it will be far less than in past years.

The "smell," FWIW, was never from Norco. It was from all the dairy farms in Corona, Mira Loma, Ontario and environs, which is beyond the city limits and the Silverlakes property. But while some of those farms (and cows) continue to hang on, most are long gone -- as are all the Thoroughbred farms that used to share the same open land. :(


Yes, that smell that is easily detectable the minute it says "Norco" on the 15. :lol::yes: How far off the fwy is this new venue, then?

[Beezer]

Dune, if you think you can smell the cows the moment you see a sign for Norco, then either you have extremely sensitive nasal passages or else your vision is extremely acute for city limits signs. Perhaps you should get seen by medical science. ;)

Again, the dairy farms are not nor ever have been in the city of Norco; to the north of it, yes, but not.in.the.city. And honestly, if you can tolerate the smell of a large equine facility in the middle of a muddy California winter, then the remaining dairy farm smell shouldn't be an issue either. How long has it been since you've been in the area?

And if you think Norco is bad, don't bother visiting the multimillion-dollar homes in Chino Hills! :lol:

The facility will be off Hamner Avenue, between Hamner and I-15. You can see the master plan here: http://www.ci.norco.ca.us/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=3202

[Peggy]

And if you think Norco is bad, don't bother visiting the multimillion-dollar homes in Chino Hills! :lol:
Or the cow smell wafting over the new Chino Hills Shoppes from the adjacent bad boy's rancho:lol:. Our immediate part of Chino Hills is relatively free of cow odor, but there are parts of it and Chino that are more dairy adjacent.

WRT the area off the 15, I remember giving people directions that included smelling cows just before Limonite (when you smell cows, get in the right lane and prepare to exit the freeway) which, IIRC, is north of Norco.

All this talk of cow smell is reminding me of the person who proposed the USEF rule change b/c her horse objected to it.

[Chef Jade]

Aha! I could never figure out if it was on the east or west side of the 15. So where exactly are the barns going to go? Though I will miss the proximity and weather of The Oaks, this place is better than nothing...and should actually be quite nice!