Michael Sunday likes to take his boarder collie Shiloh for walks along La Cresta Ridge. There are few views of Petaluma’s landscape more grand then the ones from atop the 14 acres of La Cresta Ridge in the city’s western section. Rolling hills of grass that look out on everything from Helen Putnam Park, to the county’s rich farmland, to the small businesses and factories of the town.
For 13 years, Sunday and Amy Hogan have organized their neighbors to preserve those hills as an open space preserve for the city.
Owned by Cal-Water for close to 100 years, the twin water towers at the top of the ridge are the only sign of industry in an area that looks a lot like a state park.
“The importance of the La Cresta property is it joins two existing open space parcels and would, if it remains undeveloped, create a vital open space that people can easily access,” said Sunday.
In 2008, the Save La Cresta group joined with the City of Petaluma and applied for a County of Agriculture and Open Space District matching grant to buy the land. The company was asking $4 million for the land, but the amount of the grant came to just $1.8 million after the county appraised the property.
According to city officials, the company was interested in selling, as they would have received tax benefits in the process.
“Subsequent to the grant award, and in the midst of the recent recession, a property appraisal was conducted on the La Cresta space.
The value came in significantly lower than anticipated,” noted Sunday.
He said the recession lowered the value of the land and the county’s offer was then lowered to approximately $700,000.
His group was able to raise $1.5 million from the grant and other sources, but the company did not want to lower their asking price.
The grant expired in December 2014.
If the city and Sunday’s group want to reapply, they can, but the city has said there is no intention soon to do so.
Efforts to contact Cal Water were unsuccessful at press time, but both Sunday and Hogan said they had not stopped their efforts to preserve the land.
They said were now trying to raise funds through the private sector.
“The company wants to sell to us. The land is not going anywhere and a conservation outcome is still possible,” said Sunday. “But we need major conservation donors to step forward.”
“We’re not giving up the fight,” said Hogan. This is too important to the future of our city.”
However, Petaluma deputy city manager Scott Brodhun reported to the City Council that the project was being placed on hold until better opportunities existed to try again.
“The property owner remains a willing seller and donor,” said Deputy City Manager Scott Brodhun. “However their expectation of value is currently too divergent from the appraised value.”
Currently there is legislation pending in Congress that would make it more profitable for landowners to preserve property for conservation.
Authored by California Congressman Mike Thompson, the legislation would provide permanent tax incentives to property owners.
Called the Conservation Incentive Easement Act of 2015, landowners who donate their property’s development rights would “maintain ownership and management of the land, but forgo their rights to develop the land in the future.”
According to Thompson, the legislation would “make permanent an enhanced tax incentive for donating development rights” that expired at the end of 2014.
“Conservation easements have encouraged landowners across our county to conserve millions of acres of farm lands and scenic open spaces - so we know they work, but there’s also more we can do” said Thompson.
“By passing this bill and making this conservation tool permanent, landowners will have the certainty they need to preserve and protect even more property and natural resources for future generations.”
(Contact E. A. Barrera at ernesto.barrera@arguscou rier.com)
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