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When a community has an idea to transform
an area into a great public space, UOSF can augment public
agency staff and provide specialized real estate assistance
and technical services.
As a traditional land trust, UOSF works
with local governments to acquire critical neighborhood lands.
Conservation restrictions are jointly crafted and guarantee
that treasured resources are permanently protected.
When a landowner wants to turn their
personal love of nature and community into a commitment to
protect land, the Urban Open Space Foundation is there to
help them achieve their goal. For conservation minded landowners,
our protection strategies are both practical and essential
to preserving land.
Gifts of Land - A landowner may donate property to the Urban
Open Space Foundation. A donation will release the landowner
from the responsibility of managing the land and may provide
substantial income tax deductions and estate tax benefits.
- Land purchases - The Urban
Open Space Foundation may sometimes pay the full value for
land considered highly significant to urban quality of life.
- Bargain Sales - The Urban
Open Space Foundation purchases property at less than full-market
value. With this strategy, the sale produces needed income
and the landowner can claim the difference between the sale
and full-market value as a tax-deductible donation.
- Limited Development - Through
the limited development approach, a parcel of land can be
divided, combining residential and/or commercial development
with open space. This strategy can generate needed project
capital through profitable development and at the same time
guarantee the conservation of open space and recreational
lands.
- Conservation Easements - This
voluntary legal agreement is one of the most flexible conservation
tools. The landowner retains ownership and use of the property
while the Urban Open Space Foundation takes responsibility
for protecting the land's open space values for public
enjoyment.
- Pre-acquisitions - We help
governments buy land when there is no immediate funding
or where the property owner has special requirements. We
then resell the land to a public agency.
But the Urban Open Space Foundation
services go beyond real estate assistance.
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