ARCADIA — The Santa Anita Olympic Course plan involving 34 protected oak trees is on hold after residents raised environmental concerns. Santa Anita Park asked Arcadia to suspend permit processing while planners reconsider the proposed cross-country equestrian route.
The pause does not mean Santa Anita withdrew its application or that Arcadia rejected the project. No decision on the proposed tree removals is pending before city staff or the City Council, according to the City of Arcadia.
Santa Anita sought two permits in July. The proposal would remove 34 protected oak trees and plant 34 replacements. Construction and course improvements could also encroach within protected areas surrounding 45 other oak trees.
Details and future updates are available on the City of Arcadia project page.
Santa Anita Olympic Course Draws Concerns
Santa Anita Park will host Olympic equestrian events during the 2028 Los Angeles Games. The cross-country course would support eventing, which sends horses and riders across outdoor terrain and obstacles.
Residents questioned the proposed tree removals, grading and environmental effects during an Aug. 27 community meeting.
Santa Anita representatives said earlier course designs affected more trees. Planners modified the route while balancing environmental impacts with horse and rider safety, according to ABC7’s coverage of the meeting.
Santa Anita also said the course could remain after the Olympics and support future equestrian events.
Those concerns preceded Santa Anita’s request to stop permit processing. The International Equestrian Federation course-design team, LA28, Santa Anita and construction engineers are evaluating ways to reduce potential impacts on protected trees.
Public Review Could Begin Again
Arcadia’s administrative review is now suspended. The City Council did not postpone or overturn the application.
If Santa Anita submits revised plans, Arcadia said it will restart the public-notification process. Residents would then have another opportunity to review the proposal and provide comments.
Several questions remain unanswered. The city has not announced how long the pause will last or whether fewer trees could be removed. It also remains unclear whether designers could substantially relocate the course or reduce permanent grading.
Arcadia’s tree regulations protect qualifying oak and sycamore trees from removal, damage or encroachment without the required permit.
The current application proposes replacement trees, but young trees do not immediately replicate the canopy and habitat provided by mature trees. The eventual impact would depend on factors including species, size, planting location and survival.
For Arcadia residents, the pause shows how public participation can affect planning before officials make a decision.
The next significant development could be a revised application, resumption of the existing proposal or withdrawal of the project. Until then, the final cross-country route and the future of the 34 protected oak trees remain unresolved.
