Douglas County this week purchased and set aside for preservation the 2,038-acre Sandstone Ranch near Larkspur, spending nearly $19 million to turn the historic ranch into open space.
The county tapped its open-space fund, which draws from voter-approved sales and use taxes, to make the acquisition. The deal brings the county’s open space inventory to 63,000 acres.
Douglas County will now create a master plan for Sandstone Ranch before the site opens to the public for nonmotorized use. The master plan will look at whether to continue ranching operations on the property, consider what sort of recreation and education opportunities should be be made available and examine for preservation the cultural resources and historic structures at the ranch.
A decade ago, Sandstone Ranch was slated to become a luxury getaway with 106 home sites — priced between $800,000 and $2 million in 2007 dollars — along with a world-class equestrian facility.