Santa Maria Sun / News

Never, Neverland?

BY JEREMY THOMAS

Forget Big Sur—how does Neverland Valley Ranch State Park sound?

The fairytale-like former estate of deceased pop star Michael Jackson could join the long list of state-maintained wonders if a proposal now in the hands of a state legislator takes flight.

Assemblyman Mike Davis (D-Los Angeles), who’s considering presenting it in Sacramento, said the idea deserves a look.

“We are, as a matter of legislators, always available to take proposals from citizens from the state of California about ideas that might help government work better,” he said. “Revenue-generating ideas are often proposed to many legislators, and this is one such idea.”

Davis, chairman of the Assembly committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism, and Internet Media, stopped short of wholly pledging his support. He said the proposal must be studied for feasibility first, which won’t happen until legislators return from vacation on Aug. 4.

At that time, Davis said, independent analysts will review the plan’s strengths and weaknesses and assess its potential impact to the state’s economy.

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” Davis said. “It certainly is, on its face, a revenue-generating idea, and I think in terms of the integrity of our institution that everyone deserves to have a review from a third impartial party.”

Davis gave credit for the proposal to Alice Huffman, president of the California chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and a State Parks commission member. Huffman was unavailable for comment.

The question of what to do with Neverland has been hotly debated since Jackson’s death in 2009. The pop star originally purchased the 2,600-acre estate and mansion in 1988, reportedly for between $17 million and $30 million. The site formerly contained a private zoo stocked with tigers and giraffes, a Ferris wheel, and various amusement park rides. It remained Jackson’s main residence until 2005, but in recent times, the ranch has become a popular destination for fans to pay their respects.

While she appreciates the motivations for wanting to honor the late singer’s legacy, Santa Barbara County 3rd District Supervisor Doreen Farr, who represents the Santa Ynez Valley, strongly opposes turning the site into a state park. She’s concerned about the impact on local agriculture and surrounding areas, noting the ranch’s location on the two-lane Figueroa Mountain Road, the area’s high fire danger, and the lack of amenities in nearby Los Olivos.

“We just don’t have the infrastructure capability to support a large-scale tourist destination, which we’d have to assume this could turn out to be,” she said.

Local residents, Farr said, have opposed any past attempts to turn Neverland into a large-scale tourist spot—and this time is no exception.

“We went through what turned out to be a decade-long community plan process for the Santa Ynez Valley, and if there was one consistent theme from everybody who participated, it was that they wanted to keep the rural and agricultural character of the valley,” Farr explained. “Anything that people here think might challenge that is something they would tend to be quite vocal against.”

County supervisors have yet to be officially contacted about the proposal, but Farr has voiced her concerns to Assemblyman Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara) and State Sen. Tony Strickland (R-Thousand Oaks). 

Farr said Colony Capital, a Santa Monica-based firm that bought the property from Jackson for $35 million in 2008, might want up to $100 million for the property now. She drew contrasts to Hearst Castle, noting, in that case, the Hearst family donated the land to the state. With the state mired in a $19 billion deficit, Farr said, buying Neverland doesn’t make sense.

“Given the state’s very serious fiscal woes, and particularly as it’s impacted the state parks system, I don’t really know where the money is going to come from,” Farr said. “Even if something’s donated, it still costs us a significant amount of money to operate and maintain something over the long term, and it’s my understanding that it may not even break even as it is.”

 Assemblyman Davis said he had no idea how much Neverland Ranch might cost and wouldn’t speculate on potential revenue. He did, however, point to Graceland Mansion, Elvis Presley’s former Memphis home, which generated $36 million in 2009.

By comparison, even if the state were just a third party, Davis said, it could mean an additional $10 million in revenue—money the state desperately needs to provide open spaces and parks for its residents.

“We have to ask the question, is it possible that this project might even generate more than what the Elvis Presley project generates?” Davis asked. “If the answer is yes, then you’re looking at certainly a potential windfall that would be a positive financial asset to California’s revenue, which could further sustain some of the economic challenges of our parks and recreation programs.”

“Just looking at the possibility of those things,” he added, “you would have to say the potential here could be great.”

Contact Staff Writer Jeremy Thomas at jthomas@santamariasun.com.