Open space is one of those wonderful concepts that those who
don’t own the
”
open space
”
are quick to embrace. Most of us enjoy being surrounded by
countryside, agriculture and unspoiled hillsides that change colors
with the season.
Open space is one of those wonderful concepts that those who don’t own the “open space” are quick to embrace. Most of us enjoy being surrounded by countryside, agriculture and unspoiled hillsides that change colors with the season.
But it takes work to turn open space dreams into preserved realities, and we have a fine example of how that’s done right in the recent deal announced by the Land Trust of Santa Clara County – the purchase of 474 acres for $6.8 million from owner Helen Wang.
The acreage is south and east of town off U.S. 101. The deal has been in the works for years and is close to completion.
It’s a creative arrangement that not only marries divergent land uses but also various organizations. The lower Sargent Ranch will be a home for wildlife and a place where crops will be grown. And it will also serve as a natural flood plain given the various creeks that traverse across the land.
It will become the Carnadero Preserve not by some wave of a magic wand, but through a process of negotiation which will conclude with a fair purchase price. After the purchase, the Land Trust will sell 40 percent of the acreage to the Santa Clara Valley Water District.
It’s the kind of open space deal that makes perfect sense, and it signals a new era because agencies are realizing that the best way to preserve land is to hammer out fair ways to purchase it and, thus, make it a win-win situation for all involved.
Said SCVWD spokesman Mike DiMarco: “This is the first purchase in the upper Pajaro watershed to keep that land out of development – the first of what we hope is going to be many.”
Given that, we urge the water district to develop a public access plan for future purchases. Recreational opportunities – no matter how limited – should become integral to water district purchases made with taxpayer funds.
Our congratulations again to all involved in this land purchase. Gilroy will have a buffer on the south end that will withstand future development pressure and be used for a variety of worthy purposes. That’s a good thing.
