The San Juan Ridge is much closer to a long-awaited community park with Nevada County's purchase of 11 acres on Oak Tree Road from the Twin Ridges School District.

The recent $500,000 purchase made with state grant money includes two ball fields, a pond, a restroom and two buildings on the property in front of the former Oak Tree School.

County officials plan to turn the property over to a park district, which is being formed by a committee, county Chief Information Officer Steve Monaghan said.

District 4 Supervisor Hank Weston, whose district includes the Ridge, said Tuesday the committee will develop a park district plan to be approved by voters.

The vote will be three-pronged, with Ridge residents also voting to decide whether to create the district, to select a board of directors and decide whether to tax themselves to maintain the district and park on the same ballot.

A similar vote in 2004 saw the first two portions pass, but Ridge residents chose not to tax themselves for the park, and the concept died, Weston said.

The school district is also benefiting from the project, by getting needed income and ridding themselves of costs to maintain the property, Monaghan wrote in a county report.

The county investigated several sites in the North San Juan area before deciding to purchase the property with the $500,000 grant from the California State Parks and Recreation Department. The money was landed several years ago for the San Juan Ridge by former District 4 Supervisor Robin Sutherland.

To contact Senior Staff Writer Dave Moller, e-mail dmoller@theunion.com or call 477-4237.