It's become a truism that developers will seek to develop virtually any open space regardless of impacts to neighborhoods, congestion and/or traffic. Depending on the size and scale of the development, this makes sense in relationship to urban-infill. However, when it comes to rural, open space still supporting a natural wild ecosystem, it's a completely different matter. Such is the case with the San Marcos Foothills Preserve development.
The preserve is now a 200-acre parcel, with 10 acres set aside for a future passive park allowing for the development of a variety of recreation-related structures. Originally, the preserve was 377 acres. In 2006, a development plan for the entire 377 acres was presented to Santa Barbara County by Bermant Development Corporation.
It has become "custom" for local governments dealing with open space development to exact a donation for remaining open space from the developer. The "compromise," which changed the zoning from Agricultural to Planned Residential Development, ensured that 200 acres were donated to the Trust for Public Land, later donated to Santa Barbara County (now managed by Channel Islands Restoration) under the stipulation that it be preserved in perpetuity as open space.