Sonoma County parks may be closed for the moment, but there’s a new development that should bring joy to outdoor enthusiasts, even so.
It’s a 54-acre addition to Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve that will expand the popular park right to the edge of south Santa Rosa neighborhoods.
The land acquisition, set to close Wednesday, was made possible through a $1.35 million deal put together over the past 2½ years by the nonprofit Sonoma Land Trust, in partnership with regional parks and the taxpayer-funded Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, which put up more than half the money.
The addition will eventually allow for more access from neighborhoods near the Sonoma County Fairgrounds and pave the way for future connections via the planned Santa Rosa Southeast Greenway leading to Spring Lake Regional Park and adjoining Trione-Annadel State Park.
In addition, the expansion prevents development from encroaching upon wildlife habitat centered on a tree-shaded stretch of Cooper Creek, a tributary of Matanzas Creek with headwaters on the northern slopes of Taylor Mountain.