NEWBURY PARK : Agency May Acquire Broome Ranch Land

The Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency at its meeting today will consider formally accepting an offer to assume title to roughly one-third of the 640-acre Broome Ranch property in Newbury Park.

MM COSCA, a joint agency representing the city of Thousand Oaks and the Conejo Recreation and Park District, would take control of about 210 acres stretching from Potrero Road south into the foothills from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. Both the city and the park district have conceptually approved a COSCA-run golf course on that site.

The conservation agency’s constituent groups, the city and the park district, have each kicked in money to help the purchasing arm of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy acquire the ranch for $4.2 million.

The city put up $1 million and the park district $1.9 million, in the form of loans. The loans are to be paid back by revenue from a future golf course, or possibly another unspecified source. A golf course would provide a steady stream of money, generated by playing fees and cart rentals, for COSCA to preserve and acquire open space elsewhere in Thousand Oaks.

The conservancy expects escrow on Broome Ranch to close Monday, said COSCA chairwoman Rorie Skei, who also works for the conservancy. The transfer of lands to COSCA would take place shortly thereafter, once boundaries are set and legal documents written, she said.

The National Park Service plans to buy at least 144 acres of Broome, which sweeps through Point Mugu State Park to the Pacific Ocean. Eventually, the conservancy will be left holding little or no land on the mountainous ranch, officials said.