Gilroy Family Sells Ranch For $18M In Deal That Halts Sprawl

GILROY, CA — A Gilroy ranching family has sold and expansive swath of South Bay land to a group committed to preserving open space, The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Tilton Ranch, which has been in the hands of the same family for more than a century, sold for $18 million according to the report.

The 1,861-acre ranch has been in the same family since Howard Tilton purchased it in 1917.

A coalition of government agencies and environmental groups will preserve the open space for wildlife habitat and outdoor recreational activities.

The Coyote Valley property sits in an unincorporated near Hale Avenue and Willow Springs Road west of Highway 101.

Deer, mountain lions, bobcats, golden eagles are seen on this property along with several endangered and threatened plant species.

The encroachment of development in the region that’s brought increased traffic and the scarcity of veterinarians that are able to care for animals were cited as pivotal factors in the family’s decision to put the land on the market, the report said.

The family has decided to move operations to Montana, Janet Baird Burback, who was raised on the property, told the publication.

“If I could pack up the whole ranch and the house and move it somewhere else, I’d love it,” she said.

“But I can’t. I miss what we did there. We were in our own little world. But it’s not financially stable to do ranching there any more.”

Read more in The San Jose Mercury News