Canyon Lake council authorizes purchase negotiation for 34.99-acre 'Goat Hill' in bargain sale

Canyon Lake — The Canyon Lake City Council voted unanimously to authorize staff to negotiate and execute a purchase-and-sale agreement to acquire roughly 34.99 acres known as Goat Hill (also called Getz Hill) from the Martin Family Trust in what staff described as a "bargain sale." City Manager Aaron Brown told the council the parcel is valued at about $3 million and the city would pay $1,500,000 in cash, with the remaining value counted as the bargain-sale portion.

City Manager Aaron Brown said there are "no immediate plans whatsoever" for the property and that the city would likely hold the land in its portfolio while council considers future uses, which could include open space, sale to another entity such as the Riverside Conservation Authority, or development if council later decides. Brown also said the purchase offers tax advantages for the seller that make the bargain sale possible.

Brown explained how the city would finance the transaction: staff proposed using a short-term line of credit while a separate HSIP project remains underway and the state reimburses eligible costs. "It just wouldn't make sense to take that much cash out of our accounts at the same time," he said, adding that the HSIP project is expected to finish in February and reimbursements would be used to pay down the line of credit; staff characterized interest costs as nominal.

Council members and two public commenters offered support and posed questions at the public comment period. Resident Darcy Burke thanked the council "for having the courage to move forward" and said she preferred the city hold the land to prevent high-density development; Joe Comation asked whether the existing Ridgeline Ordinance remains in effect and questioned the rationale for purchase if the ordinance already limits development.

When asked whether the acquisition would increase taxes, Brown replied it "does not increase the taxes" and would not change the city's operating costs. After brief discussion and expressions of support from multiple council members, an unnamed council member moved and another seconded; the roll-call vote was unanimous (Aye: Mayor Pro Tem Castillo, Council member Smith, Council member Stever, Council member Welty, Mayor Terry). The motion passed.

What happens next: Council and staff said there are no immediate plans for the parcel and that future decisions will include public input. The authorization lets staff move forward with negotiating the purchase and the city will return to council with final documents and related implementation details as needed.