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2 ■ LANDSCAPES
Lifelong Love of the Land
O’Neill bought the property in 1994 and Canada where he met his wife, Margaret.
named it Wicklow after the county in Ireland He spent 11 years in Canada as an iron and
where he grew up. He was raised in a small steelworker, and another three years building
town about 35 miles south of Dublin where homes in Spokane, Washington, before mov-
his family owned five farms totaling 450 ing to San Francisco in 1962. He started build-
acres. The O’Neills were the leading potato ing apartment houses and has owned and
farmers in their part of the country. They also managed rental units in the city ever since.
grew wheat, barley, oats and sugar beets, and Today, at 80, O’Neill still leaves for work
grazed 160 head of cattle and 500 sheep. at 5 a.m. and personally does all the main-
Mike was the second-oldest of 13 chil- tenance on his apartments. Margaret keeps
dren. He showed an early interest in work- the books.
ing the land and won the county plowing “They call it work. To me it’s pleasure,”
championship when he was 12 years old. He Mike says. “I look at life as give-and-take.
went into the family business and quickly The most important thing is to know where
gained a reputation as one of the most to give and where to take. I’m not interested
productive farmers in Ireland. in making a mint on this property. I’m inter-
In 1949, wanting to strike out on his ested in making sure it’s left as it is. That’s
own, he left his homeland and moved to what I’m after.”
SPRING 2003 ■ 3
PEDRO POINT PACIFICA
HEADLANDS
The Property
Wicklow has a rich and diverse history. The bowl- SAN PEDRO VALLEY
COUNTY PARK
shaped parcel was used for cattle grazing in the MCNEE RANCH
STATE PARK Montara
early 1800s and later became the Blue Gum Ranch, X Mountain
GOLDEN GATE
the first settlement in the area. When renowned MONTARA STATE
NATIONAL RECREATION AREA
ek
BEACH re
architect Daniel H. Burnham designed the town of ar
tin
iC
M
El Granada in the early 1900s, this land was desig-
ek
nated as a 500-acre park and planted with groves of
Cre
ra
k
nta
MONTARA ree
blue gum eucalyptus. eC
Mo
icent
nV
Sa
Today, eucalyptus trees cover more than half of k ek
ree re
nC C
sto on
nnniist
the property. Abundant wildlife, including deer, e
Dn
De
MOSS
fox, bobcat, raptors and a variety of other birds, BEACH
RANCHO CORRAL
lives here. The rest of the land consists primarily of DE TIERRA
grassland and coastal scrub, including the rare and FITZGERALD Reserved by
MARINE Donor
endemic Montara Mountain blue bush lupine. RESERVE 1
The upper reaches of Wicklow provide excel-
EL WICKLOW
lent views of Montara Mountain to the north, Half LEGEND GRANADA QUARRY
Moon Bay and the coastal bluffs to the south, Pillar PARK
eek
POST Owned Lands
io Cr
Point and the harbor to the west, and Scarper Peak Other Protected Lands PILLAR POINT
N
Med
MARSH
✵
Urban
to the east. The protection of this property will pre- SAN MATEO COUNTY
MIRADA SURF PROPERTY
serve this view shed and the highly visible, scenic HALF MOON BAY STATE BEACH
the County for park use, is directly south, immediately seven miles south of the San Francisco boundary line!
adjacent to the Half Moon Bay state beaches.
4 ■ LANDSCAPES
Wicklow
A Lasting Legacy: Major Land Gifts to POST
The O’Neill family’s donation of Associates. We then sold the proper-
Wicklow is one of several impor- ty to the Midpeninsula Regional
tant land gifts POST has received Open Space District, thereby creat-
over the years from property own- ing the Windy Hill Open Space
ers committed to permanently pro- Preserve. The $1.5 million purchase
tecting their land as open space price was used to create our land
and eliminating the threat of future acquisition fund. Eighteen years
development. later POST purchased a 204-acre
The O’Neill’s 462 acres ranks as inholding in the preserve from
the fourth-largest gift to POST. In Photo: Paolo Vescia Corte Madera Associates, prevent-
1993, we received almost 1,200 ing the potential development of
acres west of Skyline Boulevard 20 luxury housing units in the
from an anonymous donor. Two middle of Windy Hill. All but 30
years later, 564 acres near Half Mike and Margaret O’Neill acres of the land has since been
donated Wicklow
Moon Bay were donated to POST by transferred to the District.
Mimi Levitt of New York City. “It was fortuitous timing,” said Kelley, reflecting
Here’s a look back at the largest land gifts in back on the 1981 gift. “From our standpoint, it came
our history: together as the logical conclusion for a property that
had been held for almost 20 years. We had a plan at
1981: Windy Hill POST obtained this signature one time to develop it, but tuck the development
537-acre property — the scenic backdrop to Portola out of view under the trees. Ultimately, the diverse
Valley, visible throughout the Peninsula — in a attitudes of all the people in our partnership came
donation from Ryland Kelley and Corte Madera together on the idea of making the gift to POST.
Wicklow
Photo: Robert Buelteman
6 ■ LANDSCAPES
Windy Hill
Photo: Dan Quinn
“The key thing for POST was that Windy Hill 1995: Madonna Creek Ranch POST received a
had such high visibility. This very prominent, very gift of 564 acres of coastal land (now known as
visual property was being preserved. We were Madonna Creek Ranch) near Half Moon Bay from
pleased to have our project be initiating for the POST Mrs. Mimi Levitt of New York City. This donation
movement. They were able to sell our property to the inspired our efforts to acquire three nearby
District and use the money to purchase other open properties — Mills Creek Canyon, Miramontes
space. In a sense, it propelled the program forward.” Ridge and Johnston Ranch — to restore the
Pilarcitos watershed, protect critical riparian
1993: Tunitas Creek and Bald Knob An anony- corridor and provide linkage to Burleigh-Murray
mous donor gave POST two parcels of rolling hills, State Park.
redwoods and ranchland in San Mateo County “Giving away this land isn’t a loss for us, but a
totaling nearly 1,200 acres — the 480-acre Bald gain for everyone,” Mrs. Levitt said in making her
Knob property adjacent to the gift. “I do believe that beautiful land
Purisima Creek Redwoods Open should be preserved. I don’t believe
Space Preserve west of Skyline that every inch needs to be inhabit-
Boulevard, and the 704-acre Tunitas ed by humans. It’s nice to see some
Creek Ranch above Woodside. Both nature, some open land.
properties offer fantastic views of the “Nature is very restoring. Just
coast and hillsides, extensive hiking to see it does something to your
trails and prime wildlife habitat. soul, your spirit. It gives you piece
Bald Knob has since been trans- of mind. There is something very
ferred to the Midpeninsula Regional spiritual you can get out of looking
at a beautiful mountain or trees,
Photo: Paolo Vescia
to a public agency.
Ryland Kelley donated Windy Hill
SPRING 2003 ■ 7
ARASTRADERO PRES
POST helps Palo Alto
protect the scenic
gateway to an open
space preserve
8 ■ LANDSCAPES
ERVE
M
on
MROSD paid POST $1 million to effect the transfer.
ter
ey
Hi
gh
The property links the Sierra Azul Open Space NEWHAGEN
wa
MEADOW
y
ALMADEN
QUICKSILVER
Preserve to the northwest, and the Forest of Nisene COUNTY PARK CALERO
RESERVOIR COYOTE
COUNTY PARK VALLEY
RANCHO
CAÑADA DE ORO
10 ■ LANDSCAPES
Rancho Cañada del Oro
Rancho Corral de Tierra Update
The bill to extend the boundary of the Golden to begin to move a federal appropriations bill
Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) to include through at the same time.
Rancho Corral de Tierra had been approved by both POST is seeking $15 million from the federal
the House of Representatives and Senate and was government’s Land and Water Conservation Fund
ready for final passage. But at the end of the session over three years to match state funding and thou-
last year, when Congress took up the Patriot Act, sands of individual contributions.
our bill, like hundreds of others, was put on the So it’s going to be a year of intensive focus on
back burner. Washington. Our board of directors has formed a sub-
Now, as a result of the November elections, the committee consisting of Bob Kirkwood, Susan Ford,
chairmanship and membership of the House Dianne McKenna, Ward Paine and Anne Westerfield
Committee on Natural Resources have changed. to work on this. We need to generate letters of support
We now must bring our case before a new group of and create some momentum for our bill.
representatives. In the Senate, Barbara Boxer and Where we need the most help is on the House
Dianne Feinstein remain our key contacts on side. We plan to do intensive networking to find
the legislation. people throughout California and the nation who
In 2003, we need to move the boundary exten- know the chairman (Rep. Richard Pombo of Tracy)
sion bill through Congress again, and we also need or other committee members and can help influ-
ence this process along with us. The House com-
mittee list is posted on our Web site.
On the Senate side, Dianne Feinstein serves on
the appropriations committee. It is critical that
she know that people here think this is an
important appropriation. ■
003
January 2
ace Trust
Open Sp
Peninsula oad , 4-135
d Hill R
3000 San 02 5
k, CA 94
Menlo Par
Dear POST
, our U.S.
support to
es sa ge of strong G ate National
m en
s on my of the Go
ld
rral de
Please pas p an sio n ch o C o
o n gr es s for the ex A ) to in clude Ran u ce and pass
C N R od
re at io n Area (GG e C on gr ess to intr L an d and
Rec ly, I urg the
dditional on from ent prote
c-
Tierra. A $15 milli
E
riat in g ’s per m an
n approp r this lan
d
legislatio
Ln Fu n d fo
nservatio
Water Co
tio n .
MP o u n dary with
the GGN
a
RA,
dra-
SA
f b ea te
miles o would cr
ver three the park tect
Sharing o p er ty in o u ld p ro
of this pro entrance
. It w
supports
inclusion southern itat that
at ic an d logical d ch ap arral hab p la n t and ani-
m an
u e co astal scrub an d en dangered pportunit
y
uniq re o
o u s th reatened, ra w ou ld provide an lands. I
numer it
itionally, nt public
ies. Add ith adjace al suppo
rt
mal spec w o rk of trails w n an d financi
cr ea te a n et
es si o nal ac tio
rral d e Tierra as
to ngr Co
dorse Co f Rancho will
heartily en tection o Area. This
e p er m anent pro io n al R ecreation o w an d
for th Gate Nat and visito
rs n
ur Golden l citizens
part of o ef it to loca
t b en
be of grea
forever.
,
Sincerely
e)
(Your Nam
Photo: Robert Buelteman
Rancho Corral de Tierra
Djerassi Art Tours ■ Two Mile Tour dates:
The Djerassi Resident Artists Program, a well-known Wednesday, April 9
artist-in-residence program located on Bear Gulch Friday, May 2
Road off Skyline Boulevard in Woodside, has Saturday, May 17
announced its schedule of public hikes. The hikes Wednesday, June 4
provide the public with an opportunity to view this Friday, June 13
beautiful land, along with installations by the many Sunday, July 13
artists who have drawn inspiration from its natural Wednesday, July 23
beauty. Friday, August 1
Sunday, August 24
Wednesday, September 3
Friday, September 19
Saturday, October 11
14 ■ LANDSCAPES
POST’S MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) is to give
permanent protection to the beauty, character, and diversity of
the San Francisco Peninsula landscape for people here now and
for future generations. POST encourages the use of these lands for
natural resource protection, wildlife habitat, low-intensity public POST
recreation, and agriculture.
Landscapes
Landscapes is published quarterly
by the Peninsula Open Space Trust
3000 Sand Hill Road, 4-135
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Telephone: (650) 854-7696
Fax: (650) 854-7703
Robert Buelteman
Website: www.openspacetrust.org
POST is a public benefit California corpo-
ration and is tax-exempt under section
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Contributions to POST are tax-deductible.
SPRING 2003 ■ 15
Make no little plans;
they have no magic to stir men’s blood.
DANIEL H. BURNHAM
El Granada City Planner & Architect
NON-PROFIT ORG.
LANDSCAPES U.S. POSTAGE
SPRING 2003 PAID
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
PERMIT NO. 925
Peninsula Open Space Trust
3000 Sand Hill Road, 4-135
POST Menlo Park, CA 94025