WHITTIER : City to Buy Unocal Land for Wildlife Corridor
The city has signed a deal with the Unocal Corp. to acquire 300 acres of undeveloped land in the Whittier Hills.
The parcel, described by officials as a key section of a wildlife corridor between Whittier and Anaheim, could be available to the public for hiking, horseback riding and other activities by late September, said City Manager Tom Mauk.
Whittier will pay $3.7 million for the land with funds allocated to the city from Proposition A, a countywide ballot initiative passed in 1992 to improve parks and acquire open space.
The land, just northeast of the city limits, is the site of 15 abandoned Unocal oil wells. John Murphy, manager of real estate and development for Unocal, said the company will remove the wells and pay for some cleanup of soil around the sites.
Murphy said the overall cleanup should be minimal, but the city has hired an environmental consultant to evaluate the area.
Murphy said Unocal had received offers from some developers, but the company opted to sell the land to the city with the understanding that it remain vacant. Unocal wanted to avoid the negative publicity that would accompany commercial development of the area, he said.
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