
LAKEPORT – On the evening of Nov. 13, following a few strokes of a pen and the handing over of a big check, the county took ownership of 1,344 acres on Mt. Konocti.
The property will be used for a public park, the master plan for which is still in the crafting by a committee. County Public Services Director Kim Clymire anticipated that the land itself will officially open to public use in May of 2010.
In November 2007, the Fowler family approached the county, offering it first right of refusal on the 1,344 acres and another 176 acres that includes Buckingham Peak, as Lake County News has reported. But the terms of the agreement included the deal closing by Nov. 15.
The county spent about $3.7 million for all of the land – $2.5 million for the larger parcel and $1.2 million for the Buckingham Peak property, which the county purchased in 2008.
The telecommunications facilities on Buckingham Peak now have contracts that generate $104,000 annually, which will be used for maintaining the property, said Clymire.
A serendipitous windfall of geothermal lease money helped fund the purchase, according to county officials.
The purchase enjoyed a large amount of public support, as well as unanimous approval from the Board of Supervisors.
This week, County Administrative Officer Kelly Cox called the county's property acquisition on Mt. Konocti “one of the most significant achievements of this decade if not this generation.”
Cox added, “It is the one thing I am certain that future generations will appreciate the most. The current Board of Supervisors will be remembered for this accomplishment long after they have left office, as will the group of dedicated citizens who worked so hard to make this happen.”
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