Edhat Staff
By edhat staff
Local activists are working to raise funds to purchase the West Mesa area of the San Marcos Foothills that is slated for housing development.
Last week the Save the San Marcos Foothills Organization announced they’ve reached an agreement with an option to purchase and preserve the 101 acres from the Chadmar Group, developer of the land.
Grading and development of the land will be halted for 90 days, allowing the nonprofit organization to raise $20 million to purchase the land. The price of the land is $18 million and $2 million will go toward and endowment and campaign efforts.
The cut-off date is June 2, 2021, if the funds aren’t met by then, both sides agreed developers can proceed with the housing development.
This agreement comes after activists blocked heavy machinery from gaining access to the property in the past few weeks. During one exchange, eight people were arrested by Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Deputies and transported to the County’s Mail Jail for willfully obstructing the free movement of any person, a misdemeanor violation. The charges were later dropped.
The Chadmar Group purchased 377 acres of foothills in 2005 with the intent of donating 300 acres to the county. The San Marcos Foothills Preserve is a protected area of 200 acres between Santa Barbara and Goleta in the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains. The West Mesa area of the foothills, 101 acres, is still owned by the Chadmar Group where 25 of these acres are permitted for eight large homes.
As of Thursday, the group had raised just over $1.6 million from more than 1,000 donors. They have a March 24th deadline to reach $5 million.
Organizers plan to purchase the property and place a permanent restriction that prohibits development, establish an interest-bearing endowment that will fund long-term habitat restoration and management, and then convey title of the property to Santa Barbara County or another appropriate entitey.
Tax-deductible donations can be made here or a tax deducible contribution by check can be sent to the below address:
Foothills Forever Funds
c/o Santa Barbara Foundation,
1111 Chapala St, ste. 200
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(Include “Foothills Forever Fund” in the memo line)
It would be quite nice if some of our local ultra-wealthy celeb residents would step up to the plate, I hope that I am proven wrong, but doubt any of them will fork out a single dime to save this precious property. Most, if not all, talk-the-talk, but that’s about it. Eco conscious….oh no, private planes. Water conservation…..oh no, we have pools, spas, fountains, and a bathroom for each day of the month. Anti-gun….you bet….we have armed guards 24/7/365 so we don’t need ’em. If any of you have been unlucky enough to work in a service industry and come across these peeps, you know what I’m talking about….almost never a “thank you” and tipping….well let’s say they’re penny pinchers (not all…but many are like this in my 1st-hand experience).
People get offended by a different view point. How many years has this area been ready for construction. Why is it that everyone joins the bandwagon to save a preserve thats privately owned. Santa barbara was once empty land. You are living inside a home that was once open space. Everyone will live happily even if homes are built here. Maybe others want to pitch in when construction workers are out of work.
You are actually pretty close to the heart of this issue. The 25acres is not the preserve, its a glorified dog walking park. The ones who started this all only found out in the summer of 2019 and were afraid they couldnt walk their dogs there anymore. They admitted they never know about the approval back in 2005-6 and wanted to change what was already settled. They didnt want to walk dogs in the neighborhood. No sidewalks on foothill rd in that area..lol
I hope for all of you. Its great to have open space with wild life but this isn’t going to happen. People have to be real about it.
Bo Derric, Jimmy Connors, Kathy Ireland………..
What’s the amount needed for it to be called the DUKEMUNSON Preserve? Is that $5 million or…?
We’ll just put in the “putting your money where your mouth is pile”. Maybe the same group can raise a matching amount to address the homeless situation in a sustainable way as an encore.
Why don’t you spend this money to help elect people who aren’t dumb enough to send $1400 to people who don’t need it.
The eight homes are directly next to the walk path of the preserve. No one keeps dogs on a leash there and the dog walkers have been crossing over into the private property where the eight homes are to be built. Once the homes are built proper fencing will be up preventing them from further trespassing. This whole protest is to keep that trespassing option open.
These homes do not threatened the existing county preserve but the marketing tactic they are using says its threatened. ThenEIR that was done says 90% of the terrace is “non native grasslands,” but protesters claim they want to save the “last native grassland”…and people buy what they are selling.
Go read the bio section in the EIR. See for yourself.
I don’t appreciate the Uber wealthy lecturing me on climate change as they private jet off to Cabo, Hawaii or one if their 2nd or 3rd homes.