VISTA — The real estate trust that owns Green Oak Ranch in Vista has entered into a purchase agreement with homelessness nonprofit Solutions for Change for its use of a 110-acre parcel of the property, dashing the county’s hopes of using the land for a proposed sober living and behavioral health facility.
The contract signed Thursday morning is a 10-year lease with an exclusive purchasing right option to Solutions for $10.5 million. Solutions CEO and founder Chris Megison said they hope to purchase the land sometime in the next three years.
The nonprofit will take possession of the land in the first quarter of 2025 and will use it to expand its Solutions Academy for families experiencing homelessness, specifically for additional housing and workforce development training.
“We’re really grateful to the Green Oak Ranch land board for selecting us. We’re at 25 years of transforming lives for families that we help, and we’re gonna be able to help a lot more families over the next many years,” Megison said.
The 110-acre parcel of the 142-acre ranch was put up for sale almost a year after the passing of the land’s former owner, Arie de Jong, last April. The parcel currently houses a popular summer camp and retreat center, an RV park, and a residential men’s recovery program operated by Green Oak Ranch Ministries.
Megison said Solutions for Change had been in discussions with Green Oak Ranch about purchasing the property since June 2023. However, the site began to draw more attention after the County of San Diego announced in April that it had also entered into negotiations with the ranch.
The county was eyeing the property for a $280 million sober living and behavioral health facility, intended to help meet the severe shortage of mental health beds and other resources in the county.
The Coast News has requested a comment from Supervisor Jim Desmond, who was the driving force behind the proposed project.
The county’s proposal drew concerns from residents of the Shadowridge neighborhood bordering the ranch about safety. Tim Troncone, a Vista resident living near the ranch who has opposed the county’s plan, said he is pleased that the ranch is going to Solutions for Change.
“From day one, the goal of the people of Shadowridge has been to preserve our quality of life and ensure the safety of our residents. Solutions for Change is a proven community partner and I’m personally pleased to welcome them to the neighborhood,” Troncone said.
The city of Vista also recently began its own pursuit of the land, with the City Council confirming in May that they had ordered an appraisal of the site. In June, Solutions for Change asked the city to cease its pursuit in exchange for joint use of the property if awarded the contract.
Mayor John Franklin said he could not currently comment on whether any actual negotiations took place with the ranch, but that he would like that information to be shared with city residents in the future.
Franklin also said he was happy to hear that Solutions had been awarded the land, calling them a great partner of over 20 years, and said there could be opportunities for partnership going forward.
“Green Oak Ranch has been charitably owned and operated for 80 years and this transaction will ensure that Green Oak Ranch will continue its mission of healing and recovery for decades to come,” Franklin said. “Also of great importance, the citizens of Vista will continue to have a strong say in the land use at Green Oak Ranch. I also hope there may be an opportunity to partner with Solutions for recreation opportunities that would benefit all Vistans.”
Green Oak Ranch Ministries will continue to operate its recovery and sober living program, as well as a new house for women and children, on the remaining land. However, the discontinuation of the summer camp upon the sale means the ministry will lose around 85% of its funding for its programs.
Looking ahead, Megison said he wants Solutions’ operations at the ranch to become a national model, with plans for a state-of-the-art workforce development training center. However, the nonprofit is still figuring out its options for developing the land, which will ultimately need to be approved by the city.
While Solutions for Change will maintain its main 4-acre campus along California Avenue in Vista, the nonprofit plans to “divest” from some of its other properties throughout the county to center its operations at Green Oak Ranch, Megison said. This includes selling six properties near its campus that it previously purchased to expand its residential program.
“We like 100 acres a lot better than four acres,” Megison said.
Because Solutions for Change requires sobriety for those entering its programs, the nonprofit has found itself at odds with the state’s Housing First requirements in the past, making them ineligible for state funding as a result.
Earlier this year, the nonprofit was forced to forfeit 16 low-income apartment units to the City of Carlsbad after failing to secure funding.
