TITLE:
title
ADOPT A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE ACQUISITION OF BANNING RANCH BY THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND
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DEPARTMENT: CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT, CONSTITUENT SERVICES DIVISION
PRESENTED BY: ALEXANDER GONZALEZ, CHIEF OF STAFF
CONTACT INFORMATION: ALEXANDER GONZALEZ, CHIEF OF STAFF (714) 754-5192
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
City Council to consider the adoption of Resolution 2022-XX in support of the acquisition of Banning Ranch by The Trust for Public Land (TPL) for the permanent preservation of public open space.
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BACKGROUND:
Council Member Arlis Reynolds has requested that the City Council consider adopting a resolution in support of the acquisition of Banning Ranch by the Trust for Public Land. The 401-acre parcel of land known as Banning Ranch is the site of a former oil field located west of Newport Beach and south of Costa Mesa, adjacent to the mouth of the Santa Ana River. It is the largest piece of privately owned coastal open space in Southern California and home to many native rare species that migrate and nest in the surrounding natural habitat. Located within the ancestral homelands of the Tongva and Acjachemen Nations and known as the site of Genga, Banning Ranch is also a sacred and culturally significant site to members of these tribal communities.
Since 2008, the Banning Ranch Conservancy (BRC), a local 501(c)(3) non-profit, has been dedicated to the mission of the "preservation, acquisition, conservation, and management of the entire Banning Ranch as permanent public open space, park and coastal nature preserve." The effort to "Save Banning Ranch" has been supported by coastal and environmental organizations, environmental justice organizations, indigenous groups, and local community members.
ANALYSIS:
In September 2016, the California Coastal Commission denied a proposed development that conflicted with the California Coastal Act. In May 2021, TPL negotiated a purchase agreement with Newport Banning Ranch LLC (NBR) to acqu...
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