The county Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Wednesday to explore the possibility of turning a plot of land in the Valley Center community into a public park.
The board directed Helen Robbins-Meyer, chief administrative officer, to return in 180 days with options to purchase the Butterfield Trails Ranch.
Robbins-Meyer will also estimate the overall cost and explore possibilities of purchasing the land, and identifying possible funding sources.
According to county documents, the mostly vacant property is part of a 60-acre site located off Sunday Drive, just east of the Park Circle housing development and north of the Native Oaks Golf Club.
Some residents have shown support for the county purchasing the land and creating a park. Supervisor Jim Desmond thanked Valley Center residents for bringing the possibility to his attention, and the county Parks and Recreation Department for its efforts on the issue.
Delores Chavez-Harmes, chairwoman of the Valley Center Community Planning Group, said a park would benefit the community during a public comment period.
“Preserving the natural beauty of their site is consistent with Valley Center’s character of rural country living,” Chavez-Harmes said, adding the area offers picnicking, birdwatching and other recreation opportunities.
She added that based on its projected growth, Valley Center is lacking parks.
Another Valley Center resident said that as a great-grandmother, she would love the opportunity “to sit with them, walk around the property and just enjoy nature.”
City News Service contributed to this article.