ARCADIA, Calif., Aug. 31 (Our Los Angeles) — Santa Anita Park has proposed removing 34 oak trees and disturbing the root zones of 45 more to make room for an equestrian cross-country course tied to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The proposal has drawn opposition from Arcadia residents and people from nearby communities.
The affected trees are described in City of Arcadia planning materials as protected under the city’s oak-tree preservation rules. The proposal is subject to review by Arcadia, and the available reports do not show that a tree-removal permit has been issued or that construction has begun.
What is being proposed?
The plan would create a cross-country course for Olympic equestrian eventing at Santa Anita Park. Eventing includes several equestrian disciplines, and Santa Anita officials have said the goal is to hold all three at the park so horses and athletes can share services such as equine hospitals and veterinarians.
Santa Anita officials have also said an arborist would be present throughout construction. A current proposal described in local reports includes planting 34 new trees.
That replacement plan has not ended the opposition. Residents have argued that newly planted trees would not immediately provide the same shade, habitat or appearance as established oaks. One resident told Hey SoCal, “Once they’re removed, the replacement trees cannot immediately provide the same beauty and majesty and the same habitat and shade benefits.”
Why are residents objecting?
Arcadia residents raised concerns at a City Council meeting on Aug. 21, 2026, and at a community meeting at Santa Anita Park on Aug. 27. Their objections focus on the loss of protected mature trees, the effect on additional root zones and whether the Olympic course can be designed without removing the oaks.
Jessica Richards, identified by ABC7 as an Arcadia resident, said, “We are not backing down. We will pursue every option to oppose this destructive plan.”
The dispute is local in its immediate effect: the trees and proposed construction area are at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia. It also involves a regional event and a city review process that must weigh the park’s Olympic plans against Arcadia’s tree-preservation requirements.
Has the plan been approved?
No final decision on the cross-country course had been announced in the reports available for this story. An LA28 spokesperson said the organizing committee was working with the City of Arcadia, Santa Anita Park and the relevant international federation to address community concerns.
“A decision on the best path forward for the Cross Country course for Olympic Equestrian Eventing has not yet been made,” the spokesperson said in a statement reported by ABC7.
Santa Anita could modify its application to the city or leave it unchanged, according to ABC7’s account of the review process. The Los Angeles Times reported that a decision was expected after the community hearing. The available information does not resolve whether those statements refer to separate stages of the review.
What remains unclear?
The available reports do not include the full city application, arborist report, construction maps, environmental review documents or a formal city decision. They also do not establish whether the proposal has been changed, whether an alternative course location has been selected or what specific mitigation measures would be required.
The dispute is about the environmental effects of a proposed construction project, not evidence of a broader climate trend. No monitoring dataset, peer-reviewed ecological study or environmental agency assessment was identified in the available material. For now, the central questions are whether the course will proceed at Santa Anita, how many trees and root zones would be affected, and how Arcadia will apply its protections for oak trees.
