Board approves long-term lease extension for El Prado Golf Course after split vote

San Bernardino County supervisors voted 4–1 on April 29 to amend and extend the revenue sublease with El Prado Development LLC for El Prado Golf Courses at Prado Regional Park in Chino, approving a 22-year lease proposal that staff says is supported by an independent broker opinion of value and includes required repairs, ongoing capital investments and a share of taxable sales.

The lease terms the board approved call for a 22-year term beginning September 2025 and ending Aug. 31, 2047, a base rent of $11,000 per month with 4% annual increases, and a package of required capital and repair work staff estimates will cost about $4.1 million within the first 24 months. Beginning in month 37 the operator must invest at least $100,000 annually (growing 5% per year) in course and facility upkeep; beginning in month 61 the operator will also pay 3% of taxable sales in addition to base rent, county staff said.

Why it matters: County staff and outside advisers told the board the longer lease term is intended to give an operator time to amortize the large repairs the property needs and to avoid recurring cycles of deferred maintenance that occur with short-term leases. Supporters argued the current operator has shown recent improvements and community engagement; critics urged an open competitive process.

What the board said and voted: Real Estate Services Director Terry Thompson told supervisors the county commissioned Avison Young to produce a broker opinion of value (BOV) and presented BOV-based, market lease terms to the current operator. Thompson said El Prado Development LLC accepted a nonbinding letter of intent reflecting the BOV recommendations, and that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the property is partly subject to a Corps lease) approved the lease terms Friday, April 25. After public comment, the board approved staff recommendation 1 (amend and extend the revenue sublease) with Supervisor Paul Cook casting the lone no vote; the motion passed and the board directed staff to proceed…