TOWN OF FAIRFAX
COUNCIL MEMBER MEMORANDUM
Councilmember Memo
MEETING DATE June 3, 2026
PREPARED FOR Mayor Hellman and Town Council
PREPARED BY Barbara Coler, Councilmember
SUBJECT Consider a request from Fairfax Open Space Committee (FOSC) for the Town Council to authorize donation of $75,000 to Marin Open Space Trust (MOST) for their acquisition of Sky Ranch Knoll in Fairfax and adopt a Resolution making findings as appropriate
RECOMMENDATION
Consider the request from Fairfax Open Space Committee (FOSC) for the Town Council to authorize donation of $75,000 to Marin Open Space Trust (MOST) for their acquisition of the Sky Ranch Knoll property in Fairfax and adopt a Resolution making findings as appropriate.
BACKGROUND
On April 28, 2026, FOSC met and unanimously supported the acquisition of Sky Ranch Knoll property and a donation of $75,000 to MOST for the purchase. The Sky Ranch Knoll property is open space within the Town of Fairfax boundary. The property has been in private hands and has been threatened by development for many years.
Last year MOST contacted the out-of-state owner of the Knoll and negotiated a purchase price well below the current assessed value of the property. MOST secured a purchase option on the 7-acre Sky Ranch Knoll property, which, if purchased, completes the Bald Hill Preserve. The San Anselmo Open Space Committee (SAOSC) has already dedicated $800,000 toward the purchase; MOST has launched a fundraising campaign with a June 15, 2026 deadline, to raise funds for the purchase, project costs, and stewardship of the property.
The Bald Hill Open Space Preserve originated in 1993 with the purchase of 17 acres in San Anselmo. It has been expanded with four additional acquisitions, most recently the summit of Bald Hill in 2023. Its 106 acres includes ridge lands and wooded hillsides accessible by hiking trails and fire roads. All these properties include the Towns of Fairfax, San Anselmo and Ross.
In 2015, MOST worked with Fairfax and San Anselmo to save the historic Sky Ranch from development, in 2023 Upper Hawthorne Canyon, and now has the opportunity to buy the prominent 7-acre Sky Ranch Knoll. It is surrounded on three sides by the Bald Hill Open Space Preserve, rises over two hundred feet above the center of Sky Ranch and is visible from many parts of the Ross Valley, providing views of Bald Hill, Bolinas Ridge, Mount Diablo, the Bay and downtown San Francisco, making it a prime site for housing.
The Town of Fairfax and FOSC can build on our earlier Sky Ranch, Upper Hawthorne Canyon and the 100- acre Wall Property partnerships with the Town of San Anselmo and its SAOSC and MOST, through provision of these funds, which will preserve and expand open space in Fairfax, and furthers our commitment to our 2 visual landscape, our ridgelines, hiking trails, wildlife corridors and biodiversity for future generations of Fairfaxians.
DISCUSSION
If the Council wishes to approve the requested use of funds, the Council will need to make findings that the allocation will be in the public interest of Fairfax. The attached resolution contains findings drafted by Councilmember Coler.
FISCAL IMPACT
Donate to MOST $75,000 - $45,000 to be taken from the Town’s Measure A Open Space and Parks funds (FUND 23 Measure A – Parks, DEPT 715 Miscellaneous) and $25,000 from the undesignated balance funds (FUND 73 Open Space, DEPT 673 Open Space – these funds are raised by FOSC through fundraisers, sales of FOSC merchandise, and donations through the FOSC section of the Town website).
ATTACHMENTS
A. Map - Sky Ranch Knoll Property
B. Resolution with findings
Friday, 29 May 2026 09:43:51 - ATTACHMENT A - preserve_map_baldhill_with Sky Ranch Knoll highlighted
ATTACHMENT A
Town of Fairfax ATTACHMENT B
Resolution No. 2026-
RESOLUTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF FAIRFAX TO DONATE $75,000 TO THE MARIN OPEN SPACE TRUST (MOST) SOLELY FOR THE
ACQUISITION OF SKY RANCH KNOLL IN FAIRFAX
WHEREAS, the Town of Fairfax and its residents deeply value our open spaces, ridgelines, wildlife corridors, and visual landscape; and
WHEREAS, in 2004, the Fairfax Town Council first established the Fairfax Open Space Committee (FOSC) as an advisory body to the Town Council dedicated to the preservation of open space in and around Fairfax; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Fairfax’s General Plan states that the Town is defined by open space and that residents value the open space in and around the Town; and WHEREAS, it is FOSC’s responsibility to survey the lands within, and adjacent to, the Town of Fairfax to determine the availability of unique, threatened, or environmentally sensitive land parcels that may be appropriate for dedicated open space for the public; and WHEREAS, in and around the Town of Fairfax, there is a vast swath of undeveloped land and natural habitat from the Bald Hill Preserve in San Anselmo to Fairfax and beyond to Loma Alta Open Space in the unincorporated area of Fairfax; and
WHEREAS, the Sky Ranch Knoll property is open space located within the Town of Fairfax boundary and is shown in the Town of Fairfax’s current planning area; and WHEREAS, the Marin Open Space Trust (MOST) works to preserve Marin’s most important remaining open space lands at risk of development; and
WHEREAS, MOST has secured a purchase option on the 7-acre Sky Ranch Knoll property, which, if purchased, completes the Bald Hill Preserve. The San Anselmo Open Space Committee (SAOSC) has already dedicated $800,000 toward the purchase; MOST has launched a fundraising campaign with a June 15, 2026 deadline, to raise funds for the purchase, project costs, and stewardship of the property; and
WHEREAS, the Bald Hill Open Space Preserve originated in 1993 with the purchase of 17 acres in San Anselmo. It has been expanded with four additional acquisitions, most recently the summit of Bald Hill in 2023. Its 106 acres includes ridgelands and wooded hillsides accessible by hiking trails and fire roads.
All these properties include the Towns of Fairfax, San Anselmo and Ross; and WHEREAS, in 2015, MOST worked with Fairfax and San Anselmo to save the historic Sky Ranch from development, in 2023 Upper Hawthorne Canyon, and now has the opportunity to buy the prominent 7- acre Sky Ranch Knoll. It is surrounded on three sides by the Bald Hill Open Space Preserve, rises over two hundred feet above the center of Sky Ranch and is visible from many parts of the Ross Valley, providing views of Bald Hill, Bolinas Ridge, Mount Diablo, the Bay and downtown San Francisco, making it a prime site for housing; and
WHEREAS, the Towns of Fairfax and San Anselmo have partnered with MOST for many years to acquire and preserve open space that benefits both our Town’s residents; and Town of Fairfax ATTACHMENT B
Resolution No. 2026-
WHEREAS, the Fairfax Open Space Committee (FOSC) is recommending that the Town of Fairfax donate $75,000 to MOST for the acquisition of Sky Ranch Knoll – SAOSC has already donated $800,000; and
WHEREAS, the Town will contribute a total of $75,000 - $45,000 to be taken from the Town’s Measure A Open Space and Parks funds (FUND 23 Measure A – Parks, DEPT 715 Miscellaneous) and $25,000 from the undesignated balance funds (FUND 73 Open Space, DEPT 673 Open Space); and WHEREAS, the Town of Fairfax and FOSC can build on our earlier Sky Ranch, Upper Hawthorne Canyon and the 100-acre Wall Property partnerships with the Town of San Anselmo and its SAOSC and MOST, through provision of these funds, which will preserve and expand open space in Fairfax, and furthers our commitment to our visual landscape, our ridgelines, hiking trails, wildlife corridors and biodiversity for future generations of Fairfaxians; and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Council of the Town of Fairfax hereby approves a donation of $75,000 to MOST for the purpose of contributing to MOST’s acquisition of Sky Ranch Knoll.
The foregoing resolution was adopted at a regular meeting of the Fairfax Town Council of the Town of Fairfax held in said Town on the 3rd day of June 2026, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
________________________________
STEPHANIE HELLMAN
MAYOR
Attest:
__________________________________
CHRISTINE FOSTER
DEPUTY TOWN CLERK