More than 147 acres of open space for hiking and horseback riding in the wilderness of Valley Center will be purchased by the county of San Diego, following a unanimous vote Wednesday by the Board of Supervisors.
The Keys Creek Canyon property east of Lilac Road and west of Cole Grade Road will be purchased for the appraised value of $1,476,500 from the Saiki Family LLC Trust. The Saiki family will then donate $765,000 to the San Diego Foundation to establish an endowment for the property's upkeep.
The board approved the purchase without discussion or public comment.
In addition to the cost of the property, the board also approved spending $36,000 for staff, appraisal and ancillary costs to complete the transaction; $3,500 for closing and title costs; and $290,000 for installing gates and fencing, vegetation management, stormwater and erosion protection, and developing plans for resource management and public access. The total cost of the project is $1.8 million.
The property is within a pre-approved mitigation area in the county's Multiple Species Conservation Program Draft North County Plan. It's the first step in providing a possible future extension of the Keys Creek Canyon Community Trail, according to county documents that describe the parcel as high- quality chaparral bisected by riparian forest that grows on either side of Keys Creek, which runs through the property.
The county's Department of Parks and Recreation will manage and monitor the property in perpetuity.
