Two Santa Clara County parks in south San Jose could quickly simply be a hop, skip and leap away from one another.
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors is to think about whether or not to buy a 47-acre, $8.5 million plot wedged between Santa Teresa and Calero county parks so a path might be constructed between the 2 open areas, which between them are about 4 occasions the dimensions of San Francisco’s Presidio.
The proposed path would stretch from Santa Teresa’s Stile Ranch path down by Calero’s Lisa Killough path, a comparatively flat course that crosses over two creeks. It might permit hikers, bikers and horseback riders to hyperlink up with a complete of 30 miles of footpaths all through the 2 county parks.
Tim Heffington, the true property agent for the county’s Parks and Recreation Division, stated the proposed land buy would be a part of a wider effort by the county to interconnect its parks. The county did simply that in 2016 with the acquisition of Coyote Highlands to the southeast and is at present finalizing a path that’ll join Harvey Bear Ranch and Anderson Lake Park.
“This property presents a singular alternative,” Heffington stated, noting there’s no different plots between Santa Teresa and Calero that supply a steady hall. He stated property was appraised on the identical value it's being bought for. Roughly 90% of the land is zoned for agriculture.
Heffington additionally stated the acquisition ought to scale back overcrowding within the parks. In line with the county, automobiles typically park illegally on close by roads, sparking complaints from neighbors. As well as, horseback riders and cyclists typically cross McKean Street to the south at Calero County Park with out a designated footpath, which the county has deemed as harmful as a result of automobiles on the street “typically” go over the 45 mph velocity restrict. Heffington stated that whereas there aren't any concrete plans to construct one other parking zone throughout the 47-acre space, the choice is on the desk.
Each Santa Teresa and Calero have been established by the county in 1958 and have since expanded.
Julie Hutchinson, who oversees exterior affairs and advocacy for Palo Alto-based environmental group Inexperienced Foothills, stated the proposed buy could be a great one for preservation functions.
“It’s a win,” she stated. “It’s a chance for land to be enhanced for its pure worth.”
Hutchinson added that the $8.5 million price ticket — although commonplace contemplating the property’s dimension and site — reveals how powerful it's for farmers who need to purchase land however can’t afford to.
“That’s simply the unlucky state of affairs in our valley,” Hutchinson stated. “New farmers don’t have that sort of cash.”
The proprietor of the property, Palo Alto developer Charles “Chop” Keenan, has owned the land since 1974. Keenan stated he began working six months in the past with the county on a deal.
“I’m an older man,” stated Keenan, 77. “It was time for me to exit this property. So the timing was good for this county and for me.”
Keenan, who stated he additionally owns a walnut orchard on a 90-acre plot in close by Coyote Valley, has been a longtime developer within the area courting again to the Seventies.
