Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District may purchase 6,300 coastside acres

About 6,300 acres of San Mateo County coast land could transfer hands from one nonprofit to another public agency in a bid to preserve the property, protect sensitive species and habitats and potentially open it up to public access.

Midpeninsula Regional Open Space, a public agency focused on preserving and restoring open space in parts of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, is looking to purchase the property just south of Pescadero. Surrounded by more than 31,000 acres of open space and park land, the 6,300 acres known as Cloverdale Ranch is similarly made up of canyon lands, rolling hills, coastal scrub habitats, dense brush and woody terrain.

“It’s a really special property, particularly ecologically, on the coast side. It would be a fairly large purchase for Midpen and we’re really working to get the word out to the community about the project,” said spokesperson Leigh Ann Gessner.

Midpen’s Real Property Committee, made up of three board members, will meet at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18 to discuss whether they should recommend purchasing the property to the board as a whole who would decide on the matter later this year, Gessner said.

That meeting will be held at R&R Fresh Farms, located at 2310 Pescadero Creek Road. Immediately before and after the meeting, the organization will also be hosting an open house where the public can learn more about the potential acquisition and ask questions, Gessner said.

“It’s an opportunity for the community and public to come and chat more informally with staff about the project,” Gessner said, noting Midpen staff have been presenting on the project at a number of community meetings. “We’re trying to create a lot of opportunities for people to come out and learn about the project.”

Midpen would purchase the property from Peninsula Open Space Trust, a nonprofit Gessner said often acquires land to transfer it to other organizations seeking to preserve the properties in perpetuity.

POST has acquired more than 8,000 acres of coastal land since 1997 to protect Cloverdale Ranch as concerns around the protection of agricultural land and open space grew. Since then, POST has transferred portions of the property to different entities, including 900 acres to the state as an addition to Butano Park, another 39 acres to the state as part of Pigeon Point Lighthouse and 482 acres to a private farmer who has been tasked with maintaining the Bolsa Point Farm property.

“Cloverdale Ranch is a flagship POST project in both size and environmental impact. Its protection by POST and future stewardship by Midpen ensures that these 12 square miles of California coastline can remain the vital habitat, watershed and working lands that the future of the coast side community depends upon,” said POST President Walter Moore in an email statement.

Moore noted more than $60 million in private and public funds have gone into purchasing, restoring and maintaining the property over the last two decades. The portion of property Midpen is looking to purchase is currently valued at about $32 million but POST has offered to sell the property at half its value.

Midpen staff have searched for grant support to cover its $16 million bill. San Mateo County supervisors allocated $500,000 of Measure K funds to the organization during its meeting on Oct. 4 and another $8 million has come from the state.

“Through the generosity of POST donors and taxpayer support of Midpen, our two organizations have worked in close partnership over many years to achieve our shared long-term goals of protecting natural resources for a resilient coastside ecosystem and ensuring that working lands can thrive over the long-term alongside ecologically sensitive public access,” Moore said.

If the deal with Midpen is finalized, about 400 acres of the farmland, consisting of 250 acres of crop land and 140 acres of dry farmed land, would remain in POST ownership to be sold to private farmers.

Meanwhile, roughly 4,500 acres of the area made up of grasslands will continue to be used for grazing as part of the organization’s conservation efforts, Gessner said. Eventually, Gessner said, Midpen could explore expanding ecologically sensitive public access in the area. Recreational uses are currently limited to a 1.1 mile Wilbur’s Watch Trail at the southwestern portion of the property.

“Ecologically, it’s a very important property in terms of the habitats and water resources and wildlife that the property hosts. Under Midpen’s ownership, should that happen, the property would become a new Midpen preserve and we would continue restoration on the property,” Gessner said. “It’s a project that Midpen and the public have identified as a priority.”

Visit openspace.org/about-us/meetings/rp-20221018 for more information on the project and Midpen’s in-person community open house and Real Property Committee meeting Tuesday.

sierra@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200, ext. 106