The Region - News from Oct. 2, 1985

The expected rush to buy 3,500 acres of public land on a first-come, first-served basis at the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s office in Riverside did not to materialize. Some prospective buyers complained that the parcels in Los Angeles, San Diego and Riverside counties were unsuitable for development or that their appraised values, ranging from $25,000 to $1.25 million, were too high. The office had been inundated with calls from people wanting to get in on the novel sale. Previously, the bureau required prospective buyers to submit sealed auction bids. When the doors opened, there were about 50 people waiting; by closing time, 856 acres had been sold. A bureau official said there are no plans to repeat the sale.