The Santa Clarita City Council will consider authorizing the purchase Tuesday of 54 more acres of raw land near the planned Cemex sand and gravel mine in in Soledad Canyon, for preservation as open space.
The city owns the Cemex property but can’t stop the mine from going forward without an act of Congress – literally. Since purchasing the Cemex property several years ago when the city was fighting the federally and county-approved mining project in court, the city has purchased much additional acreage in the vicinity. Among the city, the Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority (Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy), Santa Clara Watershed Recreation Conservancy Agency and the county of Los Angeles, 2,500 acres in Soledad Canyon area already in public ownership.
The latest planned addition involves the so-called Williams property, which consists of two parcels that abut existing protected open space and the Pacific Crest Trial. A city staff report says the parcels, which will cost the city $178,582, will “increase trail access opportunities in Soledad Canyon and expand the greenbelt and protected wildlife corridor in this conservation area.”
The bulk of the money would come from the city’s Open Space Preservation District; $17,500 would come from a developer fee account.
The two purple parcels are the ones under discussion. Click map to enlarge.
City Poised to Buy 54 More Acres Near Cemex Property
