Wayne Pierce and his wife Marci put together the 6,400-acre Sargent Ranch near Gilroy (CA) with hopes of developing.Several schemes have failed over the years due to environmental and zoning concerns, so they thought they were onto something, when they decided team with a local Native American tribe.
It seems, if the tribe were granted recognition, then the local zoning regulations would have no jurisdiction and in hopes of achieving their goal, they enlisted the help of Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA) to fast-track the necessary legislation.
Unfortunately though, a representative of the Amah Mutsun tribe forged some federal documents and an investigation into Mr. Pierce's past derailed the project, so now the property is in foreclosure with about $71 million owed.
The Santa Clara County Supervisor feels that development may no longer be an option and he's heard that some may be looking to mine sand and gravel from the land.
Note: The photo is from the Pierce wedding. It accompanies the story.
