By Casey Moore
Embarcadero Media
In an effort to connect two land preserves and provide the community with greater access to trails and viewing locations, Palo Alto-based Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) sold nearly 100 acres of La Honda-area land to Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD) on Tuesday, POST announced.
The 97.5 acres, which stretch along Alpine Road two miles west of Skyline Boulevard, closes the gap between Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve and its neighbor, Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve. The land was sold for $3.09 million, the same price POST gave to purchase the property from its private owners last December. Funding was aided by the California Coastal Conservancy, which contributed a $500,000 grant.
Future plans for the land include expanding connections to Mindego Hill and the Mindego Ridge Trail, developing a staging area for viewing Skyline Ridge and creating new parking spaces, according to POST Executive Vice President Walter Moore.