LA’s equestrian zone residents worry about government encroachment

There are seven equestrian zones in Los Angeles County where residents can keep horses without having to adhere to minimum lot-size requirements.

But life with horses doesn’t necessarily go without a hitch in those communities, many composed of Mexican families, according to The Los Angeles Times.

In Pellissier Village in the San Gabriel Valley, Agustin Luna, a long-time resident, received a notice of violation from the county Department of Regional Planning, saying he faces fines of over $4,000 for allegedly illegally constructed horse stables and potential criminal charges. 

“They want me to buy stables that will cost me $15,000 apiece,” Luna told the outlet. “I could build one for $3,000.”

Luna and his neighbors believe that the increased code enforcement may be driven by the desire to rezone the area for more development.

Similar concerns are echoed by horse owners in other equestrian communities, such as South El Monte and Jurupa Valley. They feel that their lifestyle is being disregarded by politicians focused on economic interests and urban development.

“We’re being swallowed up by pavement and warehouses,” Uriel De La Torre, a paralegal who has lived in Jurupa Valley for 15 years, told the Times.  “Politicians don’t care about our lifestyle. They care about the almighty dollar.” 

In response, residents have organized gatherings, town hall meetings, and protests to voice their concerns and demand answers from county officials.

The Avocado Heights Vaquer@s, an environmental justice group that has been at the forefront of organizing efforts, argue that the targeting of equestrian communities is classist and racist. 

In a town hall meeting attended by representatives from various county departments, residents expressed their fears and frustrations. As a result, a 120-day moratorium on code enforcement inspections was announced for Avocado Heights, allowing for a review of policies and procedures.

While zoning changes and the suburbanization of equestrian communities are not immediately planned, residents — wary of potential future developments — feel that their way of life is being threatened.

“We can live anywhere, but we want to be here,” Pellissier Village resident Samuel Barragán told the Times. “We don’t want to fight. We just want to be left alone.”

— Ted Glanzer