Posted on 09/30/2017 3:11:40 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Clearing the way for what could potentially be the biggest open space deal in the Santa Cruz Mountains in years, Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday signed a bill that would streamline the sale of up to 6,500 acres of land owned by San Jose Water Company, allowing it to become a public open space preserve.
The bill would allow the sale of the land — which includes 1,100 acres of redwood forests and could easily eclipse $30 million in price — to the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District without approval from the state Public Utilities Commission. The commission regulates San Jose Water, and its processes are often bureaucratic and slow-moving.
Talks are still in the very early stages. The water company says the land, which it has owned since the late 1800s, is not listed for sale. But company officials were told of the bill and did not oppose it and say they are willing to continue discussions.
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SJM-L-OPENSPACE-0929-web“We are aware of their interest,” said Jayme Ackemann, a spokeswoman for San Jose Water Company, on Thursday afternoon. “But we aren’t actively seeking to sell the property.”
The sprawling, undeveloped property lies between Summit Road and Lexington Reservoir in Santa Clara County. Home to deer, mountain lions and other species, along with steep hillsides and redwood groves, it forms much of the headwaters of Los Gatos Creek, and includes Lake Elsman. The lands also include a property surrounded by El Sereno Open Space Preserve near Saratoga.
A decade ago, San Jose Water ran into a buzzsaw of controversy when it proposed to log the redwoods, which grow east of Highway 17. Neighbors in Aldercroft Heights, Redwood Estates and other mountain communities fought the plan, even enlisting the help of former Vice President Al Gore, and in 2007 state forestry officials
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
I'd rather it become a county or state park. The Open Space Distict gives far too little access to the public.
As it is now, Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve is 17k acres, and there are less than 25 miles of trails, after the new ones they opened this summer.
Thanks, Nick. What a great thing...hope the sale gets approved by SJ Water and approved by the PUC. Seems like a win-win. SJ Water keeps,the water rights and the land is protected. This could lead to another big trail to the ocean: “Lexington Reservoir to Mount Umunhum, over Summit Road and through the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in Santa Cruz County, all the way to the Pacific Ocean.” That’s in addition to Castle Rock SP to Waddell Creek and the in-development Bay Trail which I believe will go from the Bay opinion Palo Alto over to the coast some day.
This complements what the mountain biker was telling me on Montara Mountain about the knuckle dragging San Fran Water Co and their sloth at opening up the watershed on the north end of the peninsula. The PUC and water companies are very slow at opening their lands.
OPEN SPACE DISTRICT?
That is between the ears of these Eco-commies.
Using my money to purchase (probably) my land, to lock me out, and allow access only to the elites.
No kidding. The king’s forest.
I’m sick of governments spending money on parks while letting our infrastructure fall apart Open space and parks drive up the cost of existing land.
Enjoy all that untouchable land and your increased water pricing
Crap like this is just one of the reasons I left calufornia
The water companies lock up the land and keep people out. They levy HUGE fines if you trespass. This land has been locked away for over one hundred years.
The Open Space District makes the land available for public use.
This is steep mountainous terrain not suitable for any residential or commercial use.
Open space is not available for public use. we have thousands of acres in Sonoma county that are off limits. The government already controls millions of acres in the west. Some sates, that majority of their land is federally owned/controlled.
They couldn’t use the land to develop a mobile home park?/S
You up for that hike to Um Uhn IN?
We can start where ever you like but, prefer a good morning start ....then hamburgers at that place I like.
Weekend off the 21st looks good or the 28th?
Lemme know.
Or the Pinnacles?
I can’t think of any open space on the peninsula, east bay, or South Bay that is off limits to public use. The only lands down here closed to the public are city owned watersheds which is utterly ridiculous. East Bay MUD land is open to public use and there are no problems. There is some irrational fear in SF and SJ that people will harm the watershed.
Santa Clara Open Space Authority has three properties open to the public. I hope they open some of the others, like Blair Ranch and Doan Ranch soon. They also have property that would allow a hiker to go from Almaden Quicksilver County Park to hike into Calero County Park and Ranch Canada del Oro Open Space. That would be excellent. The property they bought from United Technologies is supposed to open as Coyote Ridge OSP IN 2018. They only bough it in 2018, which since they bought it in 2015, doesn't seem like turnaround.
I have hiked at Blair Ranch and Doan Ranch on one-off says that they opened it to the public.
Doan Ranch is East if 101, and rolling golden hills.
Blair Ranch is right next to Rancho Canada. It has some really steep grades, it would make a nice addition to the Rancho Canada/Calero County Park complex, especially if they connect it to Almaden Quicksilver.
That sounds good. Let me look at my schedule. Can’t wait to get up to the tower.
Actually, the opposite is probably true. Allowing hikers a wide swath means less illegal activity on public land. Specifically, less dumping and growing illegal substances.
What Pof is saying is true. What is now Sierra Azus owned by developers from the 50s to the 70s, but due to water issues, steepness, and other issues, it just wasn't a viable spot for development.
Cotoni-Coast Dairies is a 5,800 acre property that POST donated to the BLM, and Obama made it a national monument before he left office.
San Vincente Redwoods is 8,500 acres between Davenport and Big Basin. It has 70 miles of roads and trails. I'm not sure when it will open, or what it will be under.
The folks on black mountain road would disagree
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