Santa Susana Mountains park grows

Santa Clarita buys more open space

http://www.signalscv.com/m/section/36/article/134837/

By Luke Money
Signal Staff Writer
March 29, 2015


City Council members have approved another boost to Santa Clarita’s open space by agreeing to buy about 173 acres of vacant land near the Newhall Pass. (SEE MAP ABOVE:  from right to left: AIDLIN PARCELS, Taylor Property, and Gateway Ranch)
The council signed off on purchasing the property for about $1.91 million at its most recent meeting last Tuesday 3/24/15.
The property, approximately 173.54 acres in all, is near Newhall Pass and west of other city-owned open space in Towsley Canyon.
Purchase of the property “will enhance the city’s on-going efforts to preserve open space lands and improve trail connectivity throughout the Newhall Pass,” the agenda from last week reads.
The property will also create an additional link from the Santa Susana Mountains to the San Gabriel Mountains and enhance Santa Clarita’s greenbelt west of Interstate 5, city officials say.

The city has purchased several parcels recently to expand its Open Space Preservation District in Newhall Pass.
In October, city officials dedicated the 302-acre Gateway Ranch property in Newhall Pass as open space. http://scvnews.com/2014/10/29/city-officials-cut-the-ribbon-on-gateway-ranch-open-space/

That land was once proposed to be part of the massive Las Lomas development project — a controversial plan that called for a 5,500-home community with 2 million square feet of commercial space and a 300-room hotel on the northeastern side of Interstate 5 just above the junction with Highway 14.
http://hikesantaclarita.com/where-to-go/gateway-ranch/

http://sd27.senate.ca.gov/sites/sd27.senate.ca.gov/files/outreach/sd27-201412-enewsletter.php

BACKGROUND: 302 Acres--Gateway Ranch Acquisition 

Numerous sources were tapped to secure funding to purchase the property, including:

--$1.66 million from the California Wildlife Conservation Board;

--$650,000 from the Los Angeles County Proposition A funds through the Office of Supervisor Antonovich;

--$350,000 from the California Natural Resources Agency;

--$2.06 million from the City of Santa Clarita's Open Space Preservation District

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Also last year, city officials dedicated the Taylor Open Space, which covers 114 acres and is located in Lyons Canyon west of The Old Road and north of the city-owned Rivendale Park (which is in Towsley Canyon). http://www.signalscv.com/archives/128098/

http://scvnews.com/2014/09/22/council-tuesday-city-could-buy-never-built-lyons-canyon-ranch/

http://hikesantaclarita.com/where-to-go/taylor/

BELOW: the Taylor Open Space