Title
Parks, a division of the Chief Administrative Office, recommending the Board:
1) Adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 137-2024 authorizing the County to declare that the 62.2-acres of County-owned property at Cronan Ranch, off Pedro Hill Rd and Highway 49 in Coloma, identified as Assessor Parcel Number 104-530-10-100, is exempt surplus land per Government Code 54220-54234; and
2) Authorize and appoint the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer and Parks Manager as the real estate negotiators on behalf of the County, to enter into negotiations with the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management or their designated representative, for said property.
FUNDING: State Department of Parks and Recreation Proposition 40.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
El Dorado County owns a 62.2-acre parcel of land (APN #104-530-10-100) in the Coloma area south of Highway 49, surrounded by the Cronan Ranch Regional Trails. The U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management (BLM) owns the surrounding land which includes a parking area off Pedro Hill Rd and 12-miles of ranching roads which are maintained non-motorized multi-use trails.
The County purchased the land on May 11, 2004 via a contribution of $280,000 from Proposition 40 funding to be used for the acquisition and development of a Regional Trails Park. In 2014, Foothill Associates prepared a Proposed Scope of Work for the Cronan Ranch Concept Plan project. Twenty years later, the County has not developed any of the acres at Cronan Ranch, and no conceptual or master plans for the County parcel have been prepared.
Parks staff, Parks & Recreation Commission Chair, and the Coloma Lotus Advisory Committee met with BLM regarding the future ownership and uses of the County parcel. Due to the popularity of the Cronan Ranch trails, BLM presented staff with the possibility of purchasing the County-owned parcel in order to reconfigure and expand the parking area. BLM proposed the continued management and use of the property as open space in accordance with the Cronan Management Plan, meaning that no active recreation uses would likely be developed in the event of a transfer in ownership.
The Parks & Recreation Commission moved to recommend the Board of Supervisors explore BLM acquisition of the subject parcel at Cronan Ranch on December 21, 2023 (Legistar Item 23-2236) and specified that any proceeds from the sale of the property be used for County Parks. On June 25, 2024, the Board considered options for the subject parcel and directed staff to bring forward a resolution declaring the property exempt surplus and appoint a negotiator (Legistar Item 24-0593).
Per Government Code Sections 54220-54234, the Surplus Land Act, prior to taking any action to dispose of property, the land must be declared as either surplus or exempt surplus land. A Resolution must be adopted by the Board and provided to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for their concurrence. HCD will have 30 days to review the Resolution prior to the County’s relinquishment of the property. The Property is exempt surplus pursuant to California Government Code section 54221(f)(1)(D) as surplus land that a local agency is transferring to another local, state, or federal agency.
These actions are not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because they are activities that are excluded from the definition of a project by Public Resources Code Section 21065 and CEQA Guidelines Section 15378. The transferring of the property does not have the potential of resulting in a direct physical damage to the environment or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
ALTERNATIVES
Board could decline to declare the property as exempt surplus land and direct Parks staff to not proceed with negotiations with BLM.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
Legistar Item 23-1954- November 2, 2023 - Coloma Lotus Advisory Committee received presentations on Cronan Ranch from the Cronan Ranch Ad Hoc Committee
Legistar Item 23-2063 - November 6, 2023 - Parks & Rec Commission received presentations on Cronan Ranch
Legistar Item 23-2236- December 21, 2023 - Parks & Rec Commission reviewed options for the Cronan Ranch property
Legistar Item 24-0593 - June 25, 2024 - Board of Supervisors considered options for the Cronan Ranch property
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact with declaring this property exempt surplus land. Proceeds from the transfer of the land would result in increased revenue to the County, however, the amount is subject to the negotiation. The property was purchased with State Department of Parks and Recreation Proposition 40 funding and the land tenure requirements have been met.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
The Clerk of the Board will obtain the Chair’s signature on the original Resolution.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Jennifer Franich, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer