Plans To Turn Danny Thomas Ranch Into Regional Park Move Forward

BEAUMONT, CA — Efforts to turn the former site of the Danny Thomas Ranch into a 123-acre regional park are moving forward.

On Friday, the city of Beaumont announced it has completed preliminary discussions with the Beaumont Cherry Valley Recreation and Parks District about developing the property for public recreational use.

"The City of Beaumont and the San Gorgonio Pass as a whole would greatly benefit from a regional park that can facilitate our active and healthy community," Beaumont Mayor Lloyd White said in a released statement.

Last month, the city and the BCVRPD signed a non-binding agreement to begin discussions for the design and operation of the park. Next steps include reaching out to the leadership of the cities of Calimesa and Banning, along with other community partners. Both the city and BCVRPD have directed their respective staffs to begin meeting this month to work on an initial concept to present to the community within the next 90 days, according to the city.

The city of Beaumont has said it wants to annex the property, which is situated west of Beaumont High School, into its boundaries. However, details on ownership, funding, design, operation, etc., for the proposed park are still to be determined, according to city spokesperson Marcedes Cashmer.

The property was donated to the nonprofit Beaumont-Cherry Valley Recreation & Park Improvement Corporation by Irvine-based Shopoff Realty Investments, the developer behind the massive logistics center known as the San Gorgonio Crossing that's under construction on the outskirts of Calimesa.

The land has an interesting history. An archive Aug. 13, 1959, article in the Desert Sun newspaper reported Thomas bought the property for approximately $100,000. The article headline read, "Danny Thomas Buys 100-Acre Ranch at Cherry Valley." Realtor Frank T. Miles told the newspaper that the famous comedian "planned to make the ranch his eventual home. He will build a new home and swimming pool on the ranch and plans to breed prize livestock."

If the property is developed into a regional park, it would increase Beaumont's park capacity by 40 percent, according to the city.

Input from community stakeholders, including data from a survey sent to residents of Beaumont, Cherry Valley and Calimesa indicated there is interest in constructing sports fields at the site, especially for youth baseball, softball, football and soccer communities in the area. Walking paths, a BMX park and additional playgrounds were also desired, the city said.

“As our communities grow, so does the need for adequate athletic fields to support youth sports and other recreational activities,” BCVRPD President Dan Hughes said in a released statement.

Steve Wagner, president of Beaumont Youth Baseball and Softball, agreed.

"Our baseball and softball programs have massively outgrown our current park system and I am excited by the prospect of having quality facilities for the more than 1,000 kids we currently serve," he said.

The city of Beaumont and the BCVRPD said more feedback from the Pass community about the project is welcome.