The Santa Clarita City Council has approved the purchase of approximately 242 acres for the open space preservation district in the city’s ongoing effort to preserve open space lands and complete a greenbelt around the perimeter of the Santa Clarita Valley.   The council approved the $1.1 million purchase last week, and the property is located in the Pico Canyon area, next to the Aidlin Open Space that is owned by the city.   “We’re managing over 13,000 (acres) and it will be significantly more than that, with this latest acquisition,” said Councilwoman Laurene Weste.   In 2007, city property owners voted to create the open space preservation district. Over the years the city has worked with people willing to sell land that is surrounding or in the city to fortify a greenbelt buffer. Maintenance costs about $1.1 million annually and is funded by the open space preservation district, according to Carrie Lujan, communications director for the city.   “The goal was and is to create a greenbelt buffer all around the city of Santa Clarita intertwining into the San Gabriels and Santa Susana mountains and interconnecting with the [San Gabriel Mountains] National Monument,” said Weste. “Also closing the gap from the Angeles National Forest on the east to the Angeles National Forest on the northwest and interconnecting all of our trail system into those areas, which we’re doing.”  Weste said it was important to have an open space area for the physical and mental health of residents. She said people do not thrive in “concrete and asphalt jungles.”   “Our people are healthier because they have nature to look at,” said Weste. “Nature that’s interconnected to them through pathways where they can go just minutes from their home and get out to nature with wildlife and hike and walk and enjoy the curative effects that nature has.”  The city is still working to complete its long-term goal of completing the greenbelt, looking to purchase more land, particularly pieces in the northeast, according to Weste.  The post City Council approves open space land purchase  appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.