Martial Cottle Master Plan & Historic Ranch Site Plan

Background of Martial Cottle Park Master Plan & Historic Ranch Site Plan

The Master Plan is a combined State Park General Plan and Master Plan document that the County Parks Department worked with the Donor, California State Parks, major stakeholders, residents, and community members and Commissioners to fulfill the grant deed and the Donor’s Vision for a public historic agricultural park at Martial Cottle Park.

The Cottle Lester Site Plan document focuses on the historic ranch area of the park to provide interpretation and public use at Martial Cottle Park.

On October 28, 2003, the County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors executed an agreement with Mr. Walter Cottle Lester for the acceptance of 151 acres that Mr. Lester and the Estate of Ms. Edith E. Lester donated to the County. In addition, Mr. Lester sold 136.52 acres to the State and retained 32 acres as part of his Life Estate area.

As part of the deed restrictions, the property shall be exclusively used as a public historical park that informs and educates the public about the agricultural heritage of Santa Clara Valley, as exemplified by the Martial Cottle family, dating from the 1850s into the 20th century. The property may be used for passive recreational activities such as picnic facilities, trails, and other low intensity uses that may be incidental to the primary historic and educational purposes of the park, and for interpretative, passive recreational, agricultural education and research and commercial uses that are reasonably related to the history of farming in the Santa Clara Valley.

The Master Plan was approved by the County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors on February 8, 2011, and by California State Parks at their Commission hearing on March 2, 2011.

The Cottle Lester Historic Ranch Site Plan was approved by the County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors on May 24, 2022.

Compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)

Master Plan:

Site Plan: