To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Public Infrastructure
Staff Name and Phone Number: Johannes J. Hoevertsz, 707-565-2550
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Acquisition of Real Property at 3601 Main Street and 75 Main Street, Occidental, CA
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize the Director of Public Infrastructure to execute the proposed contingent Purchase and Sale Agreement for the acquisition of the subject real property, for a purchase price not to exceed $200,000, and to take all necessary actions to facilitate the acquisition, including executing escrow instructions, preparing related transactional documents, and incurring due diligence and closing costs in an amount not to exceed $37,000, in a form approved by County Counsel. The Purchase and Sale Agreement and related documents shall provide that this action is limited to acquisition of the Property and does not authorize any physical development or change in use.
B) Authorize the Clerk of the Board to publish a Notice of Intent to Purchase 3601 Main Street and 75 Main Street, Occidental, CA (APNs 074-312-025 and 074-312-050) pursuant to California Government Code sections 25350 and 6063.
C) Find that the acquisition is statutorily exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21080.28(a)(1)(F) because the County is acquiring the Property for preservation of open space or land for park purposes; confirm that no physical development or change in use is approved or authorized by this action; and direct staff to file the notice required by Public Resources Code section 21080.28(c).
end
Executive Summary:
This item seeks Board authorization to execute a contingent Purchase and Sale Agreement with owner Kim Jordan (Seller) to acquire two parcels of vacant commercial land totaling approximately 5,250 square feet, commonly known as 3601 Main Street (APN 074-312-025) and 75 Main Street (APN 074-312-050), Occidental, California (Property), for a purchase price of $200,000.
The proposed Board action is limited to acquiring the Property for potential future public-serving use and preserving it for open-space or park purposes. Although the County and community stakeholders have discussed preliminary concepts for a community gathering space, this action would not select or approve a development project, design, construction, grading, landscaping, public access, programming, operations, or any other physical change or change in use. The Board would retain full discretion regarding the Property's future use, including the discretion to consider different uses, no development, or other alternatives. Any future proposal would require separate definition, applicable land-use approvals, environmental review, and subsequent approval before physical changes could occur.
Discussion:
In early May 2026, the owner of the Property informed the County of a willingness to sell the Property for $200,000. Because vacant land in downtown Occidental is limited, Sonoma County Public Infrastructure staff began negotiating a contingent Purchase and Sale Agreement for the Board's consideration. The proposed acquisition would preserve the County's ability to evaluate potential future public-serving uses without approving or committing the County to any particular development of the Property.
The Property consists of two legal parcels of vacant commercial land totaling 5,250 square feet, consisting of 3,450 square feet at 3601 Main Street (APN 074-312-025) and 1,800 square feet at 75 Main Street (APN 074-312-050), in downtown Occidental, CA.
The adjacent parcels are rectangular in shape, combined they form almost a square, and are located adjacent to public parking on Main Street. In public records they are described as “vacant commercial with utilities”.
Proposed Purchase Agreement Terms.
The Purchase and Sale Agreement (PSA) provides:
Price: $200,000
Initial Deposit: $ 10,000 (due within 15 days of execution of the PSA)
Additional Deposit: None
The total acquisition-related cost of the Property is estimated not to exceed $237,000, as detailed below:
|
Purchase Price: |
|
$200,000 |
|
Due Diligence Expenses - Survey, Phase I Assessment: |
|
$20,000 |
|
Closing costs: |
Escrow Fees |
$5,000 |
|
|
ALTA Extended owners title policy |
$5000 |
|
|
Estimated Other Closing Costs and Contingency |
$7,000 |
|
DUE DILIGENCE, CLOSING COSTS, AND CONTINGENCY |
$37,000 |
|
PURCHASE PRICE AND DUE DILIGENCE / CLOSING COSTS |
$237,000 |
General Plan and CEQA: In accordance with Government Code section 65402, the proposed acquisition was submitted to Permit Sonoma for review of the location, purpose, and extent of the acquisition for conformity with the County's General Plan. The acquisition is proposed for the preservation of open space or land for park purposes and is statutorily exempt from CEQA pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21080.28(a)(1)(F). Section 21080.28(b) provides that the exemption applies even if physical changes or changes in land use are reasonably foreseeable consequences of the acquisition, provided that environmental review otherwise required by CEQA occurs before approval of an action authorizing physical changes. This acquisition-only action does not authorize construction, grading, landscaping, public access, programming, operations, or any other physical change or change in use. Prior community-space concepts are preliminary and nonbinding and are not approved by this action. The County retains full discretion to consider alternatives, including different uses or no development. Any future proposal for physical development or change in use would be separately defined and considered, would require applicable land-use and other approvals, and would undergo any environmental review required by CEQA before approval. Following approval of the acquisition, staff will file the notice required by Public Resources Code section 21080.28(c).
Procedural Authority: Government Code Section 25350 requires the Board to consider the decision to purchase property valued at more than $50,000 at two (2) Board meetings before consummation of the purchase. If your Board takes the requested actions, this matter is scheduled to return to the Board later this year.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Healthy and Safe Communities
Goal: Goal 5: Maximize opportunities for mitigation of climate change and adaptation through land conservation work and land use policies
Objective: Objective 1: Align the Board of Supervisor’s strategic priorities, policy, and operational goals with funding and resources.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
None
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY26-27 Adopted |
FY27-28 Projected |
FY28-29 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$237,000 |
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$237,000 |
|
|
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
$237,000 |
|
|
|
General Fund Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$237,000 |
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
During the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23 Budget Hearings, the Board adopted Resolution 22-0249, allocating $2 million to each supervisorial district for community infrastructure projects. During the FY 2023-24 Budget Hearings, the Board adopted Resolution 23-0312, allocating an additional $4 million to Districts 1, 2, 4, and 5 for such projects.
In October 2025, District 5 transferred its remaining community infrastructure funding balance of $3,794,032 to Sonoma County Public Infrastructure (SPI). SPI subsequently established a dedicated fund and department within the Capital Projects Division (23056-40806500) to account for these funds and related expenditures. District 5 identified $555,000 of this funding for potential community infrastructure-related expenditures in Occidental under Project 21CP40053AD. This prior funding allocation does not approve or commit the County to any particular development or physical change at the Property.
If approved, the total acquisition cost of up to $237,000-including the purchase price, due diligence expenses, closing costs, and contingency-will be funded from the $555,000 previously allocated to Project 21CP40053AD. No additional appropriations are required. Remaining funds may not be expended on physical development of the Property unless and until a future project receives all required environmental, land-use, and Board approvals.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None
Attachments:
1 - Purchase and Sale Agreement
2 - Notice of Intent
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None