To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Regional Parks
Staff Name and Phone Number: Steve Ehret, (707) 565-1107
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Fourth
Title:
Title
Acquisition of Russian River Access Off Geysers Road
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a resolution accepting a Quitclaim Deed conveying the fee title under a two-mile long County-held highway easement comprising the most northerly stretch of Geysers Road allowing the improvement of public access to the Russian River. (Fourth District)
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Executive Summary:
By accepting the Quitclaim Deed the County is acquiring the fee title underneath a 48-acre County highway easement that will allow the development and management of a new river access park between Cloverdale and the Mendocino County line.
The two most northern miles of the County’s Geysers Road right of way lie within a 48-acre highway easement granted to the County by the State in 2007. The highway easement extends down to the Russian River at a couple of places, together representing approximately two thirds of a mile of river shoreline. The public has enjoyed these popular river access points for many years, but the lack of ownership of the fee title underlying the highway easement has limited the County’s ability to develop safe and sanitary public access facilities and to manage the public access. By accepting the Quitclaim Deed the County will have the right to provide the North County with a new 19.1-acre river access park.
Discussion:
The County’s most northern stretch of today’s Geysers Road right of way was incrementally assembled by the State of California between 1932-1944 to create the original Highway 101. In 2007, after Highway 101 was developed as a freeway west of the Russian River, the State conveyed the right of way to the County. The rights the State assembled in the years of 1932-1944 were all fee acquisitions with the notable exception of the largest acquisition- a 48-acre highway easement.
First Bank, the grantor of the donated Quitclaim Deed, is the successor in interest to the Bank of San Francisco. In 1989 the Bank of San Francisco extended a construction loan to a developer who owned the Preston estate, a 1000+ acre holding in the area. In 1994 the Bank of San Francisco foreclosed on the construction loan and subsequently sold the acreage in three parts to three different buyers. The deeds to the three new owners had legal descriptions that were slightly different from all previous deeds. The legal descriptions were based on Certificates of Compliance that had been recorded on July 30, 1990, which descriptions did not transfer the fee title underlying the 1938 highway easement. First Bank was approached with evidence of this oversight and readily offered to donate a quitclaim deed for the entire 48 acre 1938 highway easement.
Of the three segments of the Geysers Road right of way that extend down to the Russian River, the most northern segment, up against the Mendocino County line (4.7 acres, 0.2 miles of river frontage), is already owned by the County in fee. This Board action results in the acquisition of the County’s title to the Middle and Lower river access parcels as shown on the attached map. The lower river access parcel is approximately 2.6 acres in size and has 0.2 of a mile of river frontage. The middle access parcel is approximately 11.8 acres in size with 0.44 of a mile of river frontage. Together, the three river access parcels totaling 19.1 acres will compromise a new, as-yet to be named park.
Acceptance of the quitclaim deed will allow for the improvement of safe public access to the Russian River at a heavily used location. Regional Parks has secured State and local funding for the planning, environmental compliance, and development of the first phase of parking, restrooms, and river access trails. The planning and community engagement is starting this summer, with the goal of constructing improvements by spring 2022.
Prior Board Actions:
June 11, 2019 - Board received the County of Sonoma Capital Project Plan 2019-2024, including subject Preston River Access and Wohler Beach Improvement projects.
February 4, 2020 - Board authorized the application for a River Parkways Proposition 68 Specified Grant in the amount of $1,125,000 for the capital improvements at three river access points including the two being granted by First Bank.
Fiscal Summary
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The acceptance of the donated deed will have no fiscal impacts.
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
The acceptance of the deed will have no staffing impacts.
Attachments:
Resolution
Map
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
Notice of Exemption
First Bank Quitclaim Deed, 10/21/19