The Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve, which was once scheduled for suburban residential development, will soon offer a permanent new place for South County residents to hike, ride horses and cycle right in their own backyard.
The 348-acre preserve is located at the west end of Palm Avenue in north Morgan Hill, and the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority is currently in the process of gathering public input and forming a proposal to develop the property for recreational and limited agricultural use, with the intent to keep it preserved as untrampled open space forever.
Since expansive plans initially proposed by the City of San Jose to build out Coyote Valley all but expired with the housing crash of 2008, the preservation of this property bodes well for similar efforts in the future, according to OSA staff.
The compact property nestled on the western foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, which is owned by the OSA, offers habitat for rare wildlife species, serpentine grasses, Native American archeological sites, a variety of terrain from flatland to rugged inclines and the chance to connect hikers, cyclists and equestrians to nearby parkland and open space, according to OSA staff.
“It’s a huge step for us. It gives us a major presence in Coyote Valley,” said OSA board member Alex Kennett, a Morgan Hill resident. “It puts us in line for hooking up a trail to Rancho Canada del Oro (another OSA preserve), as well as Calero County Park. It will be a great base for a great trailhead for the future.”
OSA staff presented proposals for the development of trails, parking, and grazing areas at a public workshop Monday at Sobrato High School. About 40 people attended the meeting, where residents had a chance to voice their preferences on the finer details of the property’s use.
Trail proposals show a network of multi-use trails for hikers, bikers and equestrians, and an ADA-accessible loop on a section of the property that sits on the Coyote Valley floor.
The property is currently closed to the public, but previews are offered at upcoming OSA events. At 3:30 p.m. Monday, the OSA’s Citizens Advisory Committee will conduct a meeting at the preserve, located at 550 and 555 Palm Ave. That meeting is open to the public.
Also, on May 11, the OSA will host the Coyote Valley Family Farm Feast at the preserve. That event offers multicultural food made from ingredients from nearby farmers, live entertainment, guided hikes, ice cream making and other activities.
The future of the property has done a 180-degree turn since the real estate boom of the early 2000s crashed into a recession that deeply affected property values and development opportunities. Up until 2008, the City of San Jose proposed the Coyote Valley Specific Plan to build out most of Coyote Valley with light industrial, commercial and residential projects. The property that is now the Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve was zoned for medium density residential, or 10 to 20 houses per acre under that proposal.
Following the real estate crash, San Jose’s plan was all but scrapped and is now on hold until at least 2040, when existing zoning designations in Coyote Valley surrounding the preserve – mostly agricultural and low-density rural residential – are set to expire, according to OSA staff.
The OSA purchased the property for about $3.5 million in 2010 from 353 Palms Limited Partnership, according to OSA Project Manager Rachel Santos.
The website corporationwiki.com shows that Paul E. Jacobs of Saratoga is associated with 353 Palms Limited Partnership.
The purchase of the Coyote Valley Preserve was not intended to restrict development opportunities, but to enact the many benefits of open space preservation that the OSA strives for. These include recreation opportunities, protection of farmlands and water quality, linkages for wildlife corridors and protection of wildlife habitats, according to OSA spokeswoman Patty Eaton.
The OSA currently owns more than 15,000 acres of permanent open space, Kennett said. But the Coyote Valley Preserve will be only the third OSA parcel to open to the public, and the first that is located close to a human population center.
OSA Assistant General Manager Matt Freeman also stressed the “regional importance” of the Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve. He noted that trail users will eventually be able to start out at the preserve, and connect to trails over the western hills to Calero Reservoir County Park, and continue to Rancho Canada del Oro.
“If we link them it would provide a really excellent trail loop, and ensure the protection of a much larger open space area,” Freeman said.
Last month, the OSA received a grant of $150,000 from the California Coastal Conservancy to assist with the planning efforts for the Coyote Valley Preserve’s use.
Part of the preserve will be devoted to livestock grazing, Freeman added.
OSA staff expect to present a proposal, including draft trail maps, for the preserve to the board of directors by this spring, Freeman said. After that, design, planning and environmental studies will proceed. The preserve likely won’t be developed and open to the public until next year.
