RANDALL PRESERVE
Conservation History

Here is a brief timeline that led to the conservation transaction, permanently protecting the Banning Ranch property (now called the Randall Preserve).

BANNING RANCH
Attempted Development

1999

Taylor Woodrow proposes 1,750 new houses on the property

2008

NBR proposes 1,375 houses, a resort hotel complex, and 75,000 square feet of commercial space on the property

2013-2015

NBR seeks approval for the development from the California Coastal Commission

The Banning Ranch Conservancy wins in court

2015

Appellate Court rules in favor of the City

2017

California Supreme Court rules in favor of Banning Ranch Conservancy, overturning the development

2005

The title transfers to an entity called Newport Banning Ranch LLC (NBR)

2012

The City of Newport Beach approves the development, prompting a local community group (Banning Ranch Conservancy) to sue

2014

The City of Newport Beach appeals the court decision

2016

NBR reduces the project to 895 houses and seeks approval from the Coastal Commission

Frank Randall, former owner of Banning Ranch, sitting in a cushioned chair

Frank Randall (2022)

BANNING RANCH
Protection

After the Coastal Commission denied the proposed residential and hotel development project and the California Supreme Court ruled in favor of Banning Ranch Conservancy (BRC), titleholders Newport Banning Ranch LLC began discussions with The Trust for Public Land (TPL) to permanently protect the property.

Through BRC’s community connections, Frank and Joan Randall pledged a private gift of $50 million to jumpstart the acquisition funding. Additional funding was later secured from public sources, completing the $97 million transaction.

BANNING RANCH
Acquisition Timeline

DATE	ACQUISITION FUNDER	GRANT	AMOUNT
2019 Nov	Randall Pledge*	Private	$50,000,000
2021 July	California Department of Fish and Wildlife	Proposition 1	$8,000,000
2021 Sep	California Natural Resources Agency	Urban Flood Program	$5,812,500
2021 Dec	Asm. Cottie Petrie-Norris	2021-2022 State Budget Line Item	$7,812,000
2022 May	Wildlife Conservation Board	Acquisition Grant	$15,500,000
2022 May	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service	National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant	$1,000,000
2022 May	CA State Coastal Conservancy	Proposition 84 Proposition 117	$10,500,000

Line graph showing steady growth from 0 to 100 million between 2019 and 2022.

Pie chart showing funding sources for a $99 million project. The Randall Pledge is the largest contributor at 50.7%, followed by the Wildlife Conservation Board at 15.7%.

*$2M of the Randall Pledge was available for stewardship costs for MRCA.

An old rusty oil well pump jack labeled 'West Newport Oil Co. 419.

RANDALL PRESERVE
Oil Remediation Process & Status

The Randall Preserve’s $97 million purchase price included the costs for the multi-year cleanup and remediation of oil operations and infrastructure.

The work started in 2022 and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025. Remediation includes capping the dozens of remaining wells (Hundreds of wells have been drilled on the property over the years), removing miles of pipe and other infrastructure, and demolishing all structures on site.

The previous titleholders and operators, Aera Energ LLC, are in charge of remediation, which is under the oversight of the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board and the Remedial Action Plan (Original) developed for the property.

Explore the Well Finder.