462 Acres in San Mateo County
Donated to POST
December 2, 2002
In one of the largest land gifts ever made in San Mateo County, a prominent Bay Area builder and his family have agreed to donate 462 acres near Half Moon Bay to the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST).
The land borders the coast side community of El Granada and includes grassy hillsides, coastal ridges, and a massive eucalyptus forest. Recently appraised at $3.6 million, it is being donated to POST by Mike and Margaret O'Neill and their family.
Mike O'Neill, 80, is the owner of Mike O'Neill & Sons and C&O Construction in San Francisco. His company owns and manages apartment units in the City. He bought the property eight years ago and named it Wicklow House after the county where he grew up in Ireland.
"California is getting too crowded, there's no place to move," said O'Neill. "When you come down here from San Francisco, you think you're in a different world. You're in the country. There's lots of fresh air. You see the deer and bobcat running around...the rabbits, the quail. You get back to nature.
"The reason I'm doing this, is that I don't want to see anyone building anything out here. When I go out in the morning or nighttime and walk around, I like what I see, and I'd like to keep it that way. I want to see it left just as it is. I know POST will do the right thing. They'll keep it as open space."
The bowl-shaped property offers sweeping views of Montara Mountain, Half Moon Bay, Pillar Point, and Scarper Peak. Originally used for cattle grazing, it later was designed by renowned architect Daniel H. Burnham as a 500-acre "pleasure park" for El Granada and planted with groves of Blue Gum Eucalyptus.
Wicklow House includes a total of 482 acres. The family will retain a 20-acre parcel that includes the home, built by J. L. Johnston, where the senior O'Neills reside.
"We're delighted to receive this gift and ensure that this beautiful property will be permanently protected as open space," said Audrey Rust, POST President. "At a time when there is a lot of retrenching taking place, it's nice to see someone step forward and make a significant gift to the community. I find it very inspiring."
The property, which could have been developed into four luxury homes, is bordered by three other protected parcels: Rancho Corral de Tierra, a 4,262-acre property acquired by POST in 2000; Quarry Park, a 40-acre community park owned by San Mateo County and maintained by Midcoast Park Lands (a local nonprofit); and Mirada Surf, a 40-acre parcel being purchased by the County for park use.
"This property provides important linkage to other protected lands and will allow a fabulous trail connection from the peak of the Santa Cruz Mountains all the way down across Highway 1 to the Coast," Rust said. "There are wonderful opportunities for hiking, biking and equestrian activities.
"We plan to transfer the property into public ownership, so it can be managed for recreational use. We'll work very closely with the county and get a lot of public input. In this case, the local Midcoast Parklands Group introduced us to Mr. O'Neill. It shows how important it is to have local citizens involved in these issues."
POST is a leading private, non-profit land trust dedicated to preserving the beauty and character of the Peninsula's natural resources. Since its founding in 1977, the organization has been responsible for saving over 50,000 acres as permanent open space and parkland in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties.
The O'Neill donation is the third largest gift of land ever received by POST. In 1993, the organization received almost 1,200 acres between Skyline Boulevard and Half Moon Bay from an anonymous donor. A year later, 564 acres near Half Moon Bay were donated to POST by Mimi Levitt, a resident of New York City.