I posted an invite just before the last meeting on the blogs..it was being sent around by the horse community. In it ..it mentioned that one of the reasons the bike trails take precedence over equestrian trails is because 'Bike people' are made up of Lawyers..professional people and their family's. The consensus downtown is that 'Horse people' trash the trails and are a bunch of beer drinkin rowdys.

We need to change that image. Granted in a certain part of town there are a number of those types out riding the trails..but not so in the Rosedale area. Many of the people riding out here are family's that enjoy doing things with their horse besides the weekend cowboy game...some are police officers that are members of Search and Rescue. Trainers riding horses;..people involved in all sorts of equine events..

If they are out riding drunk I don't see it..and I know many of the riders out here..these are the people who are missing out on the long rides out to hart park etc from our area due to the broken promises. When I first moved out here we could ride out to the river any time we wanted ans have a great day..now I have to trailer a horse around all the fences roads and closed off property just to get down to the river..we were promsied trails ..off loading spots and at one time an equine facility to host shows etc out here..Its not fair or right the equine people keep getting the back seat to all the other projects. We are the heart of the community and the backbone of what made our country great. Lets don't let our horses go the way of the dinosaur..

The plans only mean something if they're adopted. As far as I know, the City does not recognize either the WRSP or Casa Loma.

Thanks for the article Lois!  If we want trails we have to be involved in the governmental process and also have to be a watch dog throughout development.  I remember going to meetings on the Rosedale Specific Plan and it looked great on paper but nothing became of it once development started.  I have to take issue with the comments on the new equestrian parking area at Aera Park.  I have parked out there with my horse trailer and there is no concertina wire on the chain link fence I parked next to or rode along and the short ride to the multi use trail bridge was not dangerous though if you stay along the fence a short span of about 30 feet was not level but certainly rideable.  If you didn't want to ride along the slope you could go ride along the pavement for that short distance.  Eventually there will be signage indicating equestrian parking.  I hope more equestrians will use this parking for Kern River access as it will show the need for more equestrian staging areas since trails leading to the river as originally planned never were built. 

Observer, the City got rid of the Casa Loma Specific Plan, and the County still uses it. The County was trying to get rid of it but was stopped by the Economic Development Corporation because many of their grants required the area to be covered by a Specific Plan. I can also tell you that the County still uses and administers the CLSP to this day.
 

Lois, any comment about the City not using the Western Rosedale Specific Plan? Dollars to doughnuts, whenever you see the walking or equestrian trails stop, you're looking at a City subdivision. By the way, is the problematic equestrian trail you talk about in a City or County park?

In answer to Mattloch's question,  Aera Park, which is where the new equestrian parking area is located, is in the city.

This is one more example of a long-standing practice of developers submitting plans that include amenities that would make their project a real asset to the community but since they are not revenue generating assets they quietly seek to delete them. Arguments about affordable housing and property rights not withstanding local bad decisions tend to combine to make the whole area less desirable as a place to live. That issue contributes to a depression in property values and a tendency to discourage the most potentially contributing citizens from locating here.

In addition to eliminating or reducing the quality of planned assets removing existing infrastructure to make room for more houses can also contribute to urban problems. The above identified issues of badly designed equestrian trails indicating a lack of constructive input from those familiar with the equestrian culture can and likely will make the city more liable for injuries and damage to people and property. Limited access has the real effect of adding to traffic and pollution issues just as does removing local assets and amenities. Consider the effect of removing Rio Bravo hotel and resort on the east side. Now people living in that area will gain some new neighbors with the result of added traffic but have to drive further to go to something as simple as a restaurant.

Not only do we need wiser less ideologically driven elected leaders we need a more active citizenry willing not only to do a better job of completing a ballot but participate in public meetings and demand decisions based on better more long range planning needs vs. nonsense we hear from ignorant ideologs spouting ill informed rhetoric about property rights as they apologize for developers who are building our community and defining how we are going to live.