It ain’t over ’til it’s over.

Image by Jocelyn Knight

One step. Small steps. Big steps.

And, now, just a few more.

What a remarkable journey it has been to forever protect Martha. This note is our way of saying that we still need your help. As the man once said, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.” We are so close, but it ain’t over.

It began with a vision, an idea: this treasure atop a hill above Tiburon could be saved from development. Yes, there was resolve and a collective belief: Martha could be saved.

In small steps: neighbors and friends pledged their support with time and small donations.

And then, years in the making, major donations followed: a partnership with the Trust for Public Land, the success of Measure M, significant pledges from the Town of Tiburon, Marin County, the City of Belvedere, the Tiburon and Belvedere Community Foundations. All large, important, and necessary steps.

And it continues as so many individuals and organizations pledge their additional support in the race to realize this dream. The Town of Tiburon has pledged an additional $1 million contingent upon everyone continuing to raise funds. The Belvedere Community Foundation has pledged to match up to $50,000 as a donation matching grant. There are other public and private donors who have demonstrated their support… and tireless resolve.

And, now, with the deadline just ahead, we need your help in taking just a few more steps to cross the finish line. These last few steps are actually giant steps leading to an open-to-all-and-forever Martha.

Please donate whatever you can. $1,000? $100? $50? All gifts matter as we need the funds, and very much want to demonstrate, to anyone who will listen, that this community continues to believe that saving and stewarding Martha is worth doing until it’s done.

Donate, call us. Ask someone else to send a donation. Show your support.

As we have from the beginning, we need your help. And, as always, thank you.

Tiburon Open Space

Donate here

Trust for Public Land

$1 Million to Finish Martha Land Purchase

Trust for Public Land, aided by local grassroots group Tiburon Open Space, has so far raised about $31.6 million of the $42.1 million required to buy the site from owner the Martha Co. TPL needs to close a $1-million fundraising gap by early May 2024 to ensure the Martha property is preserved as open space.

Learn more in this article by The Ark: https://www.thearknewspaper.com/live/trust-needs-1-million-to-finish-ridge-land-purchase

Important News to Share With You

Hello, again  
We hope that you are well.
We’d like to share some news about Martha.
And there is this matter of May.

There is important news to share with you about the acquisition of the Martha property.

Let’s begin with a brief review of where things stand: with Measure M and previous bond proceeds, commitments from Marin County and the Town of Tiburon, and $4.3 million raised from private foundations and individuals, Tiburon Open Space (TOS) and Trust for Public Land (TPL) are closing in on the $42.1 million needed to buy Martha. They are working now to leverage this strong showing of local support - 80% of funds in hand or pledged - to secure significant additional public funding from state conservation agencies. It’s stunning, really. This is a great achievement and moves us so close to keeping Martha open, forever.

But we have more work to do. The goal is within sight but we very much need your help to reach it.

There is this matter of May. That’s our deadline to lock in all of the funding for Martha. That's less than 100 days to get this done: we must still secure at least $1 million in additional private philanthropy to complete the transaction.

Are you able to help us do that? Do you know someone, or some entity like a foundation or family office, that can consequentially impact the acquisition of this irreplaceable landscape? How might we help you do that? Want to know more about Martha? Click here for a link to an insightful piece that TPL has prepared. Help set up a conversation or walk on the land with Jerry or our friends at the Trust for Public Land. Share this newsletter! Tiburon Open Space holds a fund at the Marin Community Foundation where tax-exempt donations are accepted here. We need you.

Oh, one last thing. When you are out this week, may we suggest that you stop, take a breath… and have a long look up at Martha... at the ridge above Tiburon... at that wonderfully open space. She has been soaking up rain and is returning it in lush, green, nearly spring splendor; there is rainwater to hear as it trickles down gullies. Right in front of our eyes, she is providing for deer feasting, birds preparing nests for new families, and she is providing sustenance to red-legged frogs, falcons, her rare grasses and flowers; and, yes, she is preparing her trails that await grateful footfalls. You will be looking up at a forever gift sitting right there. You will be looking up at our majestic neighbor.

A forever open Martha is the goal that is, literally, within our sight. Let’s please not take one thing about her presence for granted. Help if you can. Or help us find someone who can.

As ever, thank you for your time and thoughtfulness.

Tiburon Open Space

Contact Jerry Riessen, TOS at j.riessen@comcast.net

Trust for Public Land

Contact Erica Williams, TPL at erica.williams@tpl.org

Environmental Achievement Award for Jerry Riessen

Jerry Riessen received the Marin Conservation League’s Marin Green Award for Environmental Leadership, which recognizes an individual or organization for outstanding contributions toward preserving and protecting the natural assets of Marin County.

A Tireless Advocate

At seventy-eight, Jerry remains actively involved as President of Tiburon Open Space, driven by a deep belief in the value of open space for the general public, while also permanently protecting irreplaceable habitat. His leadership over 30 years has been instrumental in achieving these goals.

Support the Cause

As Trust for Public Land continues fundraising efforts for the purchase of Martha, Tiburon Open Space welcomes donations to help close the remaining funding gap, ensuring the long-term preservation of this cherished land.  To give, please contact Jerry Riessen or give via the Marin Community Foundation portal here.  To discuss a leadership gift in support of acquisition, please contact Nicole Brown at Trust for Public Land, nicole.brown@tpl.org

In the end, it's not rocket science that will protect this land from development; it's the persistence, vision, and collaborative spirit of individuals like Jerry Riessen and the supportive communities of Tiburon and Belvedere. Together, we will preserve this open space for all, forever.

Learn more:

Marin Conservation League Sept - Oct 2023

We Did It! Measure M Passed!

Dear friends of Tiburon Open Space,

It seems to us that the timing is particularly ideal to say two very special words: Thank You. Thanks to your efforts, we are a very important step closer to having Martha remain open for all of us, and forever.

Thank you for your remarkable, truly unprecedented support. Nearly 80% (78.81%) of those who could voted “yes” on Measure M. Wow.

Thank you to those of you who volunteered, distributed signs, stood in front of Woodlands and answered questions, knocked on doors, and made important calls. Unselfishly. Personally. With patience and conviction.

Thank you to those of you who donated the dollars we needed to navigate the sometimes difficult, and, often, delicate path forward.

Thank you for continuing to hang in there with us. After significant pledges from Marin County, the Town of Tiburon, and the funds coming from Measure M all totaling $26.1 million, there is a remaining gap of $15 million that we will need to close before the Trust for Public Land can complete the actual purchase. We are looking for donations both large and small. We will be actively soliciting major gifts from local donors, State Agencies, and Foundation entities.

All donations are tax-deductible, an especially nice prospect at this time of year.

If you would like to talk more about the joys and details of donating, please contact Jerry Riessen at j.riessen@comcast.net he would love nothing more than to help you. You can also go to the Tiburon Open Space site at www.tiburonopenspace.org/donations.

We genuinely thank you. Your neighbors thank you. Your kids, and theirs, thank you.

Tiburon Open Space

Image by Jocelyn Knight

Election Day is Approaching, Time to Help Measure M!

Please read. Please share.

There’s much at stake as we consider Measure M. By now you have heard important arguments in favor of its passing, among them:

• The reduction of fire risk;

• the protection of threatened wild- and plant life habitat;

• it can be an important factor to protect water quality in the Bay; and

• it will help avoid years of traffic and disruption on the streets of Tiburon and Belvedere.

These are real things. They alone are reasons to vote in favor of Measure M.

There are also a few other reasons that we would ask you to consider. They come in the form of grand children walking wide eyed on a trail; the benefits of a contemplative stroll with the fog rolling into the Bay; the joy of discovering the blooming of spring flowers; the site of young deer grazing, of wind bending long grasses at our feet as a city, a bridge, another bridge, and ships passing capture our imagination. This a place unlike any on Earth.

While it may at times seem like this decision is just a simple “yea" or “nay," it is so much more. This land actually exists. We can see it, walk upon it, and feel it on our skin as we do. It is not a political abstraction. It is a choice for open space both vast and nearby. It is a choice about the future. It is a choice to create a sanctuary of acres overlooking a vast inland Bay, a City we love, a bridge that defies description, a trail right next to us that leads to new discoveries each time we venture upon it. It is a choice to save the land that is both close to our hearts, and close to our homes.

There is a price, of course. It is real. But, for the cost of a couple of (remarkable!) Tiburon restaurant meals, we can forever taste the wind and freedom as our boots find their way to the magical feeling that only a space of this beauty can provide. And consider: there are the families that will follow us…this is a gift that we can give them. A gift that will literally bring joy to our entire community, forever.

Your vote gives permission to save open land, to save proximate and threatened beauty, to hand the joy of space, clean air and infinite sky to our Tiburon and Belvedere neighbors.

We hope that you agree. And we hope that you will choose to vote “yes” on Measure M.

As always, we are tremendously grateful for your time and support.

Measure M Facebook and Instagram pages.

Tiburon Open Space Invites You

Image by Jocelyn Knight

Yes on Measure M

Our mission at Tiburon Open Space is to ensure that the Martha Property in Tiburon is saved from development.

And with Measure M we are very close!

Measure M will ensure that this ridgeline property with spectacular bay vistas is permanently protected as Marin County Open Space.

Can you help us make this happen?

Please sign up for any of these activities to help out:

1. Phone banking

2. Neighborhood canvassing

3. Tableing

Not sure you can do this? Don't worry, all these activities include training.

Please get involved and help Measure M win!

So close to saving Martha! Now let's measure up. Vote Yes on M.

Hello again, dear friends. You have likely heard that Trust for Public Land (TPL) and the Reed Family, with the help and support of Tiburon Open Space, has announced an agreement to purchase the Martha Property. We are close to having that magnificent space open for all...forever.

We now need to finance a major portion of the purchase. Measure M, is the way we can do that.

We realize that we have asked a lot of you over the years as we have worked hard for this outcome. We humbly ask you to carry on with these last, important steps. Please read this: (www.YesonM4OpenSpace.org). It describes the multiple benefits to the community of saying “YES” to Measure M.

We further ask that you seek the support of your friends and associates to vote yes on M.

Here is a brief summary of reasons to support Measure M:

Measure M, on November 8, 2022, ballot, will protect open space, natural areas, wildlife habitats and water quality surrounding Tiburon and Belvedere.

For 50 years the Martha Property has been a source of contention in our community. Measure M will finally bring a close to that, protecting the property and our resources so that our children and grandchildren can enjoy the same quality of life that we do.

Measure M will:

• Reduce wildfire risk to our local communities

• Conserve open space surrounding Tiburon and Belvedere

• Protect wildlife habitat

• Protect the water quality of the estuary and the bay

• Prevent increased traffic congestion in our community

Thank you. As we have been through these years, we are grateful for your support in this cause that we share. With the coalition of TPL, the Reed Family, and with our continued work and support, we can achieve what we have dreamed of for so long. This, we can do.

Tiburon Open Space

At last... The News We've All Been Hoping To Hear!

Assisted by Trust for Public Land and Tiburon Open Space, the owners of the Martha Property have agreed to a purchase option of those magnificent acres above Tiburon! We extend our sincere thanks to the Reed family for this commitment to conservation. Among other things, this means that, when the transaction is completed, our collective dream will have come true: Martha will be open to all and forever!

While this gem may be located in Tiburon, when linked with the adjacent Old St Hilary’s open space and that of the Romberg Center preserve to the north and east, a new, vast open space will be created, adding 110 diverse and protected acres with world-class views and but minutes from one of the most exciting cities in the world. (see map below).

At last.

It has taken decades, yes, but there is still work to do. Funds will need to be generated from multiple sources, including a successful bond measure this Fall, a share of Measure A funds, and corporate and private donations. You’ll be hearing more about this soon. As ever, we will ask for your support and enthusiasm.

We are delighted beyond measure. Stay tuned, excited, enthusiastic… the end is in sight!

Image by Jocelyn Knight

The beginning is also in sight. You will soon be able to hike along her trails again, watch birds soar high above, appreciate the wildflowers that call her home, gaze out at those unbelievable views, that Bay, that City, and marvel, daydream, and breathe deeply. And smile, knowing that we will happily pass this joy along to those who will follow. What a fine day that will be.

Please look and listen for follow-up news.

Thank you. We are delighted... for all of us!

Tiburon Open Space

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The price has dropped. We need you more than ever.

We invite you, indeed all of you, to again click on and contribute to our efforts to Save Martha.

There’s a bit of news to share: the family who owns Martha has dramatically reduced the price that they are asking for the property. On the one hand, this is encouraging. After so many years, the price, though still wildly expensive ($63 million, down from $95 million), has dropped as many problems remain: environmental issues, the 28 landslides that remain, plants and animals with special, protected status, unavoidable and hazardous construction and traffic issues should development occur, and, as we know too well, that fact that it is located in a high fire risk zone.

Be reminded, however, that there is another possibility: this price reduction could well attract other speculators who may attempt to carry on with the ill-advised plans to blanket Martha with development. Blanket development on a ridge top benefits no one.

This will only be a positive development when coupled with our collective efforts to battle development, continue to highlight the many problems that exist, then to arrive at a fair appraised value.

Tiburon Open Space (TOS) remains steadfast in our belief that these very real environmental problems make preservation the only viable path forward. And the only right one.

Please continue your support for TOS's efforts to preserve Martha for everyone forever. We need your help to carry on.

Call us if you want to talk.

Learn more here (Reprinted with the permission of The Ark.)

’Tis the Season.

Rain, glorious rain, falls upon the land.

Golden Hills magically become rolling carpets of green.

No mask or virus can mute our heartfelt response to such beauty.

Yes, ’tis the Season.

Hello. We hope, however you celebrate the holidays, that celebration is accompanied by friends and family, warmth and good cheer.

This beautiful, dripping wet season reminds us of the joys of Martha…of walking on her trails, the peace of open space, the forever views of Bay water, The Gate, the City.

We can imagine those trails calling out, asking to guide us across her hills, inviting us to experience all of her beauty. Again.

Our work progresses…plodding along, it sometimes seems. We have viewed and commented upon the Marin County trails plan. It is a digital journey, but we invite you to comment: It is not a substitute for cold temperatures, the wind, and distant whitecaps, but it is important work.

In your deliberations about Martha, and Marin County open space, we ask you to consider the consequential relationship between Old St Hilary Open Space and the Martha Property…a symbiotic relationship that would irreversibly be disturbed by the proposed development on Martha. It would amount to a tragic loss.

It is not too late to donate to this important work. There is a new address…please take note and please help us:

Tiburon Open Space

1550-G Tiburon Blvd, #614, Tiburon, CA 94920

Make checks to Marin Community Foundation. Please note "Tiburon Open Space" on memo line. You can also donate online via our website.

We offer you a digital toast: to the season, to loved ones, to preserving Martha, and to you.

All the best.

TOS

Photo by Jocelyn Knight

As things open up, we haven't forgotten a little space that's still closed.

Hello, again.

Spring has sprung. Summer is upon us. The dread of the past year? Present, but fading. For all of this, we are happy and grateful. Save just one thing:

Unlike schools and businesses and restaurants, the Open Space right here in our midst, is still closed. We haven’t forgotten. We hope that you haven’t, either. It’s time to recommit to opening Martha now…and forever.

The pandemic did not slow our efforts. We have recently filed a reply brief to our Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in Appellate Court. This continues to be a fight worth fighting. We believe that the EIR is flawed. It simply does not address and mitigate the severe environmental problems that developing Martha would create. Among them,

• dramatically worse traffic on Tiburon Blvd. If you think it is bad now, stay tuned;

• construction road safety is very real, it is not someone else’s problem;

• insufficient water pressure on Martha becomes our fire-season problem as soon as construction begins.

We are not alone in our battle on this front. The Town of Tiburon has filed a separate appeal to the EIR, citing:

• traffic safety on local streets (there it is, again);

• the real threat any development on Martha poses to endangered species. Enough said.

Both TOS and the Town of Tiburon continue to challenge Martha's disregard of vital requirements of California Environmental Law.

Challenging Martha’s development is, we believe, something that we must do! This is one of those issues: if not us, who? If not now, when?

We ask you to join us in the who and the now! We need your help.

And while that process continues, the appraisal process grinds on. We want to keep Martha open, to us all, and forever…and must fight on several legal and financial fronts in order to realize that objective.

Will you help us? With fresh air to breathe, life newly opened, fresh promise on the horizon, we ask you to do what you can to help us remove every impediment that stands in the way to Martha being open for every generation that will call this place home.

We, and they, would be grateful.

It has been too long. Far too long.

The View from Martha in the Springtime by Jocelyn Knight

Hello, again.

It has been too long. Far too long.

Like you, we have struggled to find the health and space we had so taken for granted. We hope that you are doing OK…better than OK, actually. Much better.

Not surprisingly, the promise of an open, accessible Martha Property has given solace during these awful moments. Standing watch above Tiburon and the Bay, she is beautiful, strong, inviting, and now adorned in her lovely shades of green.

It seemed like a good time to get reacquainted. And to remind you that Tiburon Open Space remains committed to buying the Martha property at fair market value. We want to preserve Martha for everyone, forever - just as we led the efforts to purchase Old St Hilary’s Open Space. (She, too, looks wonderful in her wintergreen garb, don’t you think?)

We have learned that the TRUST organization has lost it trails case on appeal. We are terribly disappointed at the court’s ruling. Please know this: It does not in any way deter our efforts to purchase Martha. We remain focused on working with the appraiser and property owner to determine a fair price for Martha. Those efforts are ongoing and encouraging and costly.

If you can, we’d be grateful for any new financial commitments that you could make to assist in those efforts. Very grateful. https://www.tiburonopenspace.org/donate-today

Thank you for your past support. And thank you, in advance, for any you might possibly extend today. We will keep you posted on the progress in our collective efforts to save Martha from development.

More than ever, we need open spaces. We want to save the special one that is just up there, on that hill, right there in our midst.

Open Space Update

We all need to be mindful to maintain social distance. We also want to be mindful that reducing our distance from nature may well be the ideal antidote for this difficult moment.

View from Open Space across Martha Property

Photo by Jocelyn Knight

Our Marin County Open Space is still open. Open space is ready and there to embrace us. The authorities says it’s OK. Sweet. Let’s go.

Old St. Hilary's Open Space

Photo by Jocelyn Knight

St. Hilary Open Space would love to say “hello.” She is beautiful and welcoming. From her, you will see (and feel) the magnificent Martha Property right over there. Her singular beauty and stature remind us all that she, too, is ready to be open and to welcome and embrace any who may find her.

Use the visuals here to imagine your boots walking those trails one sunny and windy afternoon while your eyes gaze out on the singular view. You drink it all in. You feel her strength. Remember?

Imagine the power of what can be.

Butterfly and Poppy on Martha Property

Photo by Jocelyn Knight

In this trying moment, we hope, first, that you and your family are OK. And, then, that these photos work their antidotal wonders for you...just as they always have for us.

Shelter In Place... and Enjoy Open Space! We are all in this together.

Sunset across Martha Property

Photo by Jocelyn Knight

All photographs by Joyce Knight

Tiburon Open Space

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Open Space.

In this note, we will ask you to think about the last two words in our name: Open Space. Wonderful. Evocative. Important.

As you know, we are all about saving the Martha property from development. The reasons are too many to count: saving native plants, protecting animals who call that treasured place “home.” Above all else, we endeavor to keep that place open for our children to walk upon and enjoy. And theirs. In so doing, allowing the land above us to stay as it has been, forever. We want to save the land, a bit of our sanity, and protect the precious, shrinking open space that lies within reach.

That is our mission. With your continued help and support, which we need now more than ever, we will continue to pursue it.

A challenge has been posed to us. It is political in nature. Like Martha, it involves the county and disparate interests and good people who disagree about what’s best for the future. In this matter, we are driven by one thought: we all need more open space.

We, therefore, ask you to strongly consider a NO vote on County Measure D. This is the measure that can assure that the San Geronimo land will remain open. As advocates of land that is open and accessible to all, it seems the right vote to take. And to ask of you.

Please spend some time with the issue as you consider how you will vote. (sangeronimoforall.com)

On the surface, it seems to be a golf or no golf vote. That just isn’t so. Several golf operators considered and rejected purchasing the property to extend that use. None came forward as they saw no financially viable path forward. This is a problem that plagues many golf operations throughout the country, and the San Geronimo course was no exception. Please keep in mind that, while we are terrible at golf, we do love golf. In this instance, opening this space is a wonderful and important alternative.

A NO vote will keep the land in San Geronimo open for all of us for all time. There will be no additional cost to Marin taxpayers.

Every environmental group and many leaders in Marin County agree. A few key endorsers of the No on County Measure D: Sierra Club, Marin IJ, Marin County Firefighters Association, Marin Conservation League, Marin Democrats. (See the complete list at San Geronimo For All Endorsements.)

We believe that its best use is for it to be open, as it once was, and available to those who have two legs or four, wings or gills. Just as it is in Tiburon, open is good. Open is worth voting for.

We appreciate your understanding as we add this thought to our ongoing solicitation of your emotional and financial support. We will continue to work very hard to keep Martha from development.

Thank you. Let us know what you think.

Tiburon Open Space

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Hope. For the Holidays.

Sunset across Martha Property

Photo by Jocelyn Knight

Hello, dear friends. It won’t come in an Amazon box, but a small present just arrived and we wanted to tell you about it. This week Trust for Public Land and the Martha Company announced that the appraisal of the Martha Property has begun!  The entire press release appears below.  

This is, of course, the culmination of much work, time and expense. And plenty of work, time and expense remain ahead. We have you to thank for your considerable help in getting us this far. In many ways, we have just arrived at the starting line. But it feels good.

Please know that Tiburon Open Space will continue to do everything we can to help move this process forward. As we have from the very beginning. We will from time to time update you as news occurs, and as our legal work, oversight and budgetary needs require. Any support is appreciated.

Maybe, just maybe, next year there will be a great, big, beautiful hilltop for us to open. It won’t be wrapped in ribbon, but it will be under the trees and the sky…forever. That would be a very special present. Happy holidays. Let’s talk soon. 

The Ark Newspaper featured Martha land appraisal underway after group hits fundraising goal

A formal appraisal of the 110-acre Martha property on the southern Tiburon Ridge is underway — the first step toward the possible acquisition of the property by a local grassroots group that wants to preserve it as open space.

Tiburon Open Space

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Press Release

THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND BEGINS APPRAISAL OF ICONIC MARTHA PROPERTY IN TIBURON, CA

The Martha Company ("TMC"), owner of the vacant 110-acre ridgetop-parcel above the Hillhaven subdivision in Tiburon (Marin County, California) commonly known as the “Martha Property”, and the Trust for Public Land today announce that funding has been secured to begin the appraisal process first announced in June 2019 and the appraisal is now underway.

"The close of every escrow, large or small, is accomplished one step at a time," said Bill Bullock, of Golden Gate Sotheby's International Realty, who, along with his team-partner, Lydia Sarkissian, represent TMC as Listing Agents, “… the beginning of the appraisal process constitutes an enormous breakthrough in this decades-long negotiation," Bullock continued.

“The future of this iconic property is very important to the local community and The Trust for Public Land is grateful to the Martha Company for its interest in exploring a potential sale of their property for conservation,” said Dave Sutton, California Director of Land Conservation for The Trust for Public Land.

The appraisal process is expected to extend well into 2020 and the parties are hopeful that it will result in a mutually agreeable price for a purchase agreement between TMC and The Trust for Public Land. ”For the first time in 45 years, meaningful and productive dialogue is now taking place," said Bullock.

The parties have entered into a non-disclosure agreement and will not be able to share more information at this time.

Two Things: The Judge: "let me give that more thought." The Appraisal: Time to get started.

Photo by Jocelyn Knight

Hello, friends. Marin County Superior Court Judge James Chou just issued a tentative ruling that would deny the Tiburon Open Space (TOS) challenge to the County Board of Supervisors' decision to approve the environmental impact report for the Martha property. TOS challenged regarding important environmental concerns such as traffic safety, the steep construction road and water flow for fire fighting.

But then an interesting thing happened. Upon hearing additional oral arguments the following day, Judge Chou requested further written arguments due in two weeks. He apparently heard something that concerned him about his tentative ruling. We are encouraged by the judge’s further consideration, and will, with our attorneys, keep you apprised of developments. If you would like to read more about this, click here. We remind you that TOS is paying for the attorneys who are arguing on our behalf.

When last we spoke, we let you know that the critical Martha property appraisal process was soon to begin. We are pleased to report that Trust for Public Land (TPL) and the Martha Company have now agreed to an appraiser. That’s a good thing. The Martha Company was intimately involved in that process. The first step will be to agree to the “highest and best use of the property," which is a standard for appraisals of this scope and magnitude.

TPL wants to help buy the property at fair market value. The Martha Company agreed to the appraisal, but would not contribute to its costs. Tiburon Open Space has a singular interest in purchasing the Martha property at fair market value and keeping Martha open for all forever.

Many of you have already contributed to both the attorney’s fees and the appraisal costs. And we are extraordinarily grateful. We now know that the appraisal cost is likely to be at least $60,000. While the talk of fees is painful, it is also purposeful. And necessary. We ask for your continued support. We are doing everything we possibly can to make that beautiful place accessible forever.

We will keep you posted. And we thank you.

Tiburon Open Space

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The appraisal process accelerates. It is up to Tiburon Open Space to pay for it. Can you help us do that?

Photo by Jocelyn Knight

You will recall the recent and exciting announcement that the owners of the Martha Property have agreed to an appraisal process with The Trust for Public Land to determine the property’s value. We continue to be single-mindedly focused upon seeing that process through to completion.

Appraisals of this nature are complex, they often take months to complete, and they require specialized, highly skilled firms. It is critically important that both parties be satisfied with the firm and the process so that there is a comfort level with the ultimate conclusions. So that we can then move forward to purchasing the property at fair market value.

Appraisals such as these are expensive. Current estimates suggest that the cost could be nearly $60,000. The Trust for Public Land needs our help. Our role, as the champions of keeping this property open forever, will be to foot that bill. It is important that we do.

TRUST is helping raise funds for the appraisal costs. TRUST is the organization working to keep the Martha trails open.

We really need your help. This process is ready to begin and it needs to be paid for. It’s as simple as that.

Can you help us do that? We will thank you for your generosity. And so will the generations of people and kids and open space explorers who will walk upon and enjoy that land. Forever.

Thank you.

Tiburon Open Space

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There’s some news we’d like to share with you

Photo by Jocelyn Knight

Martha has agreed to an appraisal!

Yes, the owners of the Martha Property have agreed to obtaining an appraisal to help determine the property’s actual value. We couldn’t be more delighted with this exciting development. Jerry Riessen, the leader of Tiburon Open Space:

This is great news. Really great news. We have all been working hard to help make this appraisal happen, a necessary step in arriving at a fair purchase price. We now enter a delicate phase. The appraisal will be as complex as the long journey to get us to this point. It is precisely what is needed to continue towards the goal of purchasing Martha and allowing her to be open forever.

Specifically, the Martha Property owners have agreed to commence an appraisal, working with The Trust for Public Lands, an organization trusted by both the property owners and Tiburon Open Space.

Now what?

The temptation to offer a toast, while real, is premature. A breakthrough? In many ways, yes. A victory? No. Not yet. There is still much work to be completed. The parties will have to identify and agree on the appraisers, the process, the timeline. And then agree on the appraised value to effect an actual purchase.

Although there has not been any interest expressed thus far to purchase the property on the open market, it will remain for sale during an appraisal.

There will be a significant cost to completing this process. We’ll need all kinds of help with that. We are, of course, very grateful to those of you who have made contributions to keep this process alive thus far. "Thank you” cannot possibly convey how we feel about your help.

As you read this, we would ask you to consider the fact that this breakthrough moment is the culmination of years and years of work, endless hours, many buckets of frustration and, at times, grave worry about outcome. But here, today, that work has paid off in the form of an agreement to proceed; an agreement to appraise. We take a deep breath, find some comfort in the magnitude of this agreed next step, then resolve to push ahead with renewed energy: a forever open Martha feels like she is within our grasp.

Stay tuned. Help us if you can.

Tiburon Open Space

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The Beautiful Scene of Martha

Photo by Jocelyn Knight

This is the scene we want to save.

There’s a whole lot going on behind it.

How we love this place. This is Martha.

Each day we look up to that ridge which we are now forbidden to walk upon, leaving us to imagine Spring’s green becoming Summer’s gold. In these moments we are reminded that Martha is worth saving; that Martha must be saved.

We offer another reminder: behind that beautiful scene, we are working to save her trails from concrete, and her views of city lights and the bay from the unnatural disruption of fences, automobiles, and fire’s danger.

While you may not hear specific news at the moment, we hear the phone ringing, the meetings gathering, and the constant call of bills to be paid.

We are working with attorneys to challenge the County’s Environmental Impact Report (EIR), a report that we view as woefully inadequate and potentially tragic. The Town of Tiburon has joined us in that challenge, by the way. We have committed countless hours and expenses to this effort. As we must.

We are working tirelessly to get an objective appraisal for Martha. Not just any appraisal, but one that reflects the realities of both parties…something that we view as an essential step given a transaction of this magnitude. Her owners don’t want to contribute or cooperate yet, but we hope they will have a change of heart.

Lastly, we are working to engage and activate more of our neighbors in this cause. More of us united will strengthen our position with The Trust for Public Lands, and other potential donors when the time comes to purchase Martha. Perhaps you know of someone who might join in?

Behind Martha’s scenes, her waving grasses, lonely trails, the worry of forever loss, and those views we all cherish, we are working…we are working very hard. Please join us in our work. Please tell everyone you know and meet about Martha, and why she must be saved. We will thank you.

And that is what our kids, theirs, and all who walk upon this treasured land will do as well…and forever.

Tiburon Open Space

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