A 242-acre parcel in Rancho Santa Fe once slated for residential development was sold to the Escondido Creek Conservancy for $13 million to be used as public open space.
The sale was announced Monday by Colliers International’s San Diego office, which represented the seller. Ann Van Leer of Land Conservation Brokerage represented the conservancy.
“This property will remain in pristine condition as open space in perpetuity. It is truly an honor to be a part of conserving beautiful sites like Cielo De Norte in their natural state,” said Ciara Trujillo, vice president at Colliers International.
The property , located southeast of Elfin Forest Road and Harmony Grove Road, was originally approved for a 77-lot residential development. It is located just north of Cielo, a 1,740-acre private community with more than 528 luxury homes and 60 percent open space
The mission of the Escondido Creek Conservancy is to protect and restore the Escondido Creek watershed, a 26-mile creek that forms at Lake Wohlford and meets the Pacific Ocean at the San Elijo Lagoon.
