San Jose city leaders Wednesday unanimously approved the purchase of 937 acres in northern Coyote Valley along with an agreement with open space agencies to permanently protect the land, ending a battle that has endured nearly four decades.
The land, which lies along the southern edge of San Jose, was sold to the city by the Sobrato Organization and Brandenburg Properties for about $93 million, the city said. Thirty acres of the property was already owned and protected by the Peninsula Open Space Trust and will be transferred to the city.
The trust and the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority are partnering with the city of San Jose on conservation efforts of the land's natural floodplains and wildlife habitats.
"Our preservation of Coyote Valley for future generations makes good on our collective obligation of stewardship of our — and more importantly their — planet,” said San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said in a statement. "I’m proud of our work, together with the Authority, POST, landowners and many community stakeholders over the last four years, to negotiate agreements, build a public campaign, pass Measure T at the ballot box and ultimately deliver on our promise to the voters."
The deal, approved by an 11-0 vote, is funded in part by $46.3 million from Measure T, a $650 million infrastructure bond approved by San Jose voters in November 2018.
Greg Peck has lived on the fringe of the Coyote Valley for almost 50 years, and he’s relieved San Jose bought and will preserve the valley.
"My heart is lifted ... very big that it’s not going to be developed, over-paved with asphalt and big buildings," Peck said.
