El Dorado County officials are considering a transfer of Cronan Ranch property ownership to the U.S. Department of Interior – Bureau of Land Management.
The county-owned property makes up 62.2 acres of open space off Pedro Hill Road and Highway 49 in Coloma. The land is in the middle of BLM property, which is part of the Cronan Ranch Regional Trail system.
Though ideas on how to use the land have been proposed, county staff and the Parks and Recreation Commission recommend selling the property to BLM “to continue the uses that exist out there.”
A trail network does exist on the site. The Coloma/Lotus Advisory Committee previously proposed building a mountain bicycle skills park and an interpretive trail in addition to an equestrian arena and round pen. However, the county lacks funding to develop the property due to the Parks Division prioritizing other projects, according to county staff.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously voted on June 25 to explore negotiations of selling the land.
Figuring out how to best utilize the property been a “puzzling” task, according to District 4 Supervisor Lori Parlin. BLM tried to build parking infrastructure on the border of the BLM and county-owned land, she shared, adding agreements and boundary line adjustments have been discussed, but to no avail.
“It got too complicated and you could tell it was going to cost both parties a lot of money for very little, so we stopped pursuing that,” Parlin said.
Parlin, whose district includes the open space, said the property should be sold and folded into to BLM’s existing trail master plan. “I think it’s time to let it go and let BLM pursue what they see in (its) bigger trail plan,” Parlin said.
The county purchased the property in 2004 through California’s Proposition 40 grant funding for $280,000 to be used for a regional trails park or an equestrian center. Selling the land would not require the county to reimburse the money due to a 20-year statue expiring, county staff told the board.
District 1 Supervisor John Hidahl noted if the county can’t get back its investment in the property, then other uses or potential buyers should be explored.
“I want to make sure we get as much of our money back, and maybe with interest, as possible so we can take that money and reinvest it in another park,” Hidahl said.
To see the original article in the Georgetown Gazette news, CLICK HERE:
The county-owned property makes up 62.2 acres of open space off Pedro Hill Road and Highway 49 in Coloma. The land is in the middle of BLM property, which is part of the Cronan Ranch Regional Trail system.
Though ideas on how to use the land have been proposed, county staff and the Parks and Recreation Commission recommend selling the property to BLM “to continue the uses that exist out there.”
A trail network does exist on the site. The Coloma/Lotus Advisory Committee previously proposed building a mountain bicycle skills park and an interpretive trail in addition to an equestrian arena and round pen. However, the county lacks funding to develop the property due to the Parks Division prioritizing other projects, according to county staff.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously voted on June 25 to explore negotiations of selling the land.
Figuring out how to best utilize the property been a “puzzling” task, according to District 4 Supervisor Lori Parlin. BLM tried to build parking infrastructure on the border of the BLM and county-owned land, she shared, adding agreements and boundary line adjustments have been discussed, but to no avail.
“It got too complicated and you could tell it was going to cost both parties a lot of money for very little, so we stopped pursuing that,” Parlin said.
Parlin, whose district includes the open space, said the property should be sold and folded into to BLM’s existing trail master plan. “I think it’s time to let it go and let BLM pursue what they see in (its) bigger trail plan,” Parlin said.
The county purchased the property in 2004 through California’s Proposition 40 grant funding for $280,000 to be used for a regional trails park or an equestrian center. Selling the land would not require the county to reimburse the money due to a 20-year statue expiring, county staff told the board.
District 1 Supervisor John Hidahl noted if the county can’t get back its investment in the property, then other uses or potential buyers should be explored.
“I want to make sure we get as much of our money back, and maybe with interest, as possible so we can take that money and reinvest it in another park,” Hidahl said.
To see the original article in the Georgetown Gazette news, CLICK HERE:
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