The downtown Caspar lands previously owned by the Caspar Cattle Company (before that owned by the Caspar Lumber Company), now owned by Josh McDonald & Ariana Bayer (the southern portion) and Michael St. John (the northern portion), have been the subject of several recent meetings of the Caspar Community board of directors. The landowners, board members, and others including Matt Franks of the Mendocino Land Trust have considered a range of possible outcomes.
Michael, Josh, and Ariana have considered selling some, possibly all of these lands, on the open market but want the community to have advance notice and an advance opportunity to participate in or shape the outcome. A Community meeting is planned for Sunday, October 26th from 4pm until 6pm. Topics we will explore at the Community Meeting at right.
– submitted by Michael StJohn
Our committee met today [October 10th] and discussed the following focus for the Community Meeting:
- Develop wider community awareness about all the possibilities of MSJ property land use and finding community minded people that may want to contribute to a land use solution for the caspar community
- There are limitations on what can be done on this property: The 55 Parcel is currently 1, many challenges to subdivision: After extensive and expensive research by MSJ with the planning commission has established development would be limited to 1-2 homes.
These are all decisions that MSJ needs to make with input with Community voices
The Two focus areas for presentation and discussion:
- Duck Pond public access -
- Rural Village and Corner lot for Caspar Community
– submitted by Ariana Bayer
2005 vision for Community Center and Town Square
Walkable Caspar:
One Vision of the Caspar Cattle Company Land Usage (2025) |
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One possibility is that the Mendocino Land Trust (MLT) would manage a public access easement covering the duck pond, or conceivably that the MLT would purchase the northeastern portion of the land following subdivision of the northeast portion from the northwest portion of the land.
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Another is that a new organization – a “Caspar Land Trust”, possibly aligned with a Caspar municipal services district – might be formed that would own, manage, and develop the land, the water system, the proposed community solar project, and, conceivably, a community septic system, steps that would pave the way toward development of additional housing in downtown Caspar.
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The County and the Coastal Commission have erected impediments to subdivision of the northeast portion of the land from the northwest portion of the land, but there may be a way or ways to achieve subdivision.
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It is possible that Ecology Action or another environmental or farming organization might lease or buy part of the land.
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It is possible that “the corner lot”, a piece of land to the south of the Caspar Community Center could be transferred by lot line adjustment to the Caspar Community. It is also possible that “the RV lot”, a quarter-acre lot zoned “rural village (RV)” might be transferred to community ownership.
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It is conceivable that the Caspar Community or a newly formed Caspar Land Trust could own and manage the northwest portion of the land that surrounds the Community Center.
– submitted by Michael StJohn |
