El Cerrito Buys Hillside Space

The El Cerrito City Council showed its commitment to preserving open space during Tuesday's meeting by voting to purchase an area of land adjacent to the Hillside Natural Area for conservation.

The 7.6-acre stretch of open property links two areas of the hillside space. The move was supported by conservationists, bicycle groups and hikers.

The land is being held by the San Francisco-based Trust for Public Land, which helped negotiate the purchase of the property for $475,000 from the owners, according to a report from the Contra Costa Times. City officials have committed to raising the money by the end of 2014 when the City will complete the purchase of the property.

The owner of the property had planned to sell the land, reportedly to pay a tax obligation. When residents learned of the sale, city officials began looking for ways to purchase the land. A portion of the money could come from Measure WW funds, designated for park projects. The Trust for Public Land has agreed to try to help raise funds for the purchase.