For decades, park agencies have looked with envy at the coastal valley stretched between the Santa Monica Mountains in Calabasas, a 588-acre parcel that until now has eluded public purchase. Now owing to the confluence of a willing seller, unanimous government support, and a herculean fundraising effort, the property will be acquired as parkland. In a turnabout last year, the present owners, Soka University, agreed to sell, setting the price at $35 million with an April 15 deadline. Called by many the heart of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, the site is unusual because so much of it is so flat, says Steve Harris, Mountain Restoration Trust executive director’the agency that coordinated the community-support part of the funding puzzle. About 100 acres have no more than a 5 percent grade, according to Rorie Skei, chief deputy director of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, who helped negotiate the sale. With existing buildings, including dormitories and the historic Gillette ranch house, the possibilities for public amenities are broad. ‘The park agencies will not have an immediate opening to the general public,’ Skei said, adding that Soka University will lease back the property for three years while transferring activities to its campus in Aliso Viejo. ‘Through the planning process with all the parties we can flesh out what kinds of permanent uses will be in place, who will manage what, and if there will be a transfer of ownership from the Conservancy to State Parks or the National Park Service.’ In discussing the ownership question, Skei was referring to the complex mix of federal, state, county, city and private money that was cobbled together in just six months. The chief negotiating agency, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, contributed $10 million from Los Angeles County, followed by funds from state parks, the state wildlife conservation board, coastal conservancy, the cities of Calabasas and Agoura, Proposition A funding, plus significant support from over 100 individuals and 18 community organizations, including the Temescal Canyon Association which committed $5,000. ‘It’s amazing how all these bureaucrats came together,’ Harris said. ‘It’s a credit to the Conservancy, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavky, Senator Sheila Kuehl and Assemblymember Fran Pavley.’ Down to this week, the negotiating parties were still on pins and needles. Thursday morning Conservancy Executive Director Joe Edmiston and Skei were scheduled to join Pavley in Sacramento in securing approval from the Coastal Conservancy Board. ‘We arrived at the Burbank airport for our early morning flight, only to be delayed for three hours because of fog,’ Skei told the Palisadian-Post. ‘We missed the meeting altogether.’ Fortunately the Commission approved the purchase, followed the next day by approval from the California Public Works Commission, which authorized the state park’s purchase of 102 acres. ‘We worked out just about everything in putting together the funding sources and anticipated any question that these agencies might ask,’ Skei said. Skei had every reason to be cautious, for this property had slipped through the state’s fingers twice before. In 1978 a State Parks planner was eager to press to purchase. ‘The ponds, the grassy areas, the Gillette Mansion, and numerous substantial seminary structures would provide a wide variety of recreation facilities,’ he said. But the Department of Recreation and Parks’ attempt to buy the ranch failed when the department fell short of the funding needed. In 1986, the National Parks Service attempted to buy the ranch for use as public parkland, but was outbid by Soka University. That same year, the National Parks, State Parks and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy made a futile attempt to purchase the property. ‘Acquisition of the King Gillette Ranch has been a top priority of all the area park agencies for many, many years,’ said Assemblymember Pavley. ‘Once Soka came to the table as a willing seller, we simply couldn’t let the opportunity slip away.’
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