Santa Teresa foothills parcel bought for open space

The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority has acquired a 52-acre spread of scenic land near the Santa Teresa foothills for future generations to enjoy.

The land, which sits near the southern end of the foothills near Boulder Ridge Golf Course, previously was owned by the Pfeiffer family, who settled there almost 150 years ago. Among wildlife known to inhabit the property are deer, turkeys, coyotes, bobcats, golden eagles and red-tailed hawks, as well as two butterfly species: the bay checkerspot and the Santa Clara Valley dudleya. The property also offers sweeping views across Almaden Valley facing toward Mt. Umunhum.

“It was a very good purchase,” Open Space Authority external affairs manager Marc Landgraf said about the $250,000 price tag. The agency paid for the parcel with a combination of general and Measure Q funds, he added.

In addition to being a natural habitat, the land is steeped in local history. Stone excavated from the old Greystone Quarry, which operated there from the late 1800s until 1906, was used to build many South Bay landmarks including the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, San Jose Museum of Art and numerous buildings on the Stanford campus.

Andrea Mackenzie, Open Space Authority’s general manager, said in a written statement the purchase “brings us another step closer to creating an interconnected system of open space, parks and trails and will provide new opportunities to connect communities with nature.”

District 10 Councilman Johnny Khamis told the Resident he’s pleased the land won’t “get clogged up with houses” and added that the purchase brings the community one step closer to achieving a long-term goal.

“Preserving the entire Santa Teresa foothills has been an idea that I’ve wanted to have happen since I ran for office, only because the community wanted it,” Khamis said. “I said that’s something I can work on.”

Khamis said he met with Open Space Authority officials and property owners along the 312 acres that make up the Santa Teresa ridge to see if all the land could be bought at once, but that didn’t work out. Now “we’re trying to take down the elephant one bite at a time,” Khamis said, explaining that landowners will be approached one by one to work out a deal.

Acquiring as much open space as possible along the foothills is part of the agency’s plan to prevent more urban sprawl and establish an urban greenbelt, Landgraf said. Officials want to eventually build a trail connecting Coyote Valley and Rancho Cañada del Oro Open Space Preserve with Almaden Quicksilver, Santa Teresa and Calero parks. The public’s desire for more access to urban open space is what helped Measure Q pass in 2014, Landgraf said.

“In our community meetings, we heard last spring that people wanted more connectivity,” he added. “This is really getting us well on our way to both.”

The property will be managed by Open Space Authority staff, and volunteers from several neighborhood associations and community groups will help with routine patrols. Docent-led tours will give visitors a chance to enjoy the site’s natural setting until it is open to the public some time later this year.

Originally Published: May 18, 2017 at 6:34 PM PDT