Supervisor Dean Preston sold Mendocino nature preserve to founder of firm with city contracts

567-acre ranch is one of many real estate assets for Preston and wife Jenckyn Goosby

Drone footage from a real estate marketing video for the 567-acre Lone Tree Nature Preserve in Mendocino County.

The video opens with dramatic music swelling and sweeping flyover views of spectacular tree-covered peaks and rolling verdant hills. “Lone Tree Nature Preserve, presented by Tim Mathias,” the text reads. “The Lone Tree Nature Preserve is a 567-acre ranch located in the hills above Anderson Valley,” a soothing male voice says. “Wildlife abounds with all the forest creatures of the north coast.” The drone floats above lush meadows, creeks, and ponds. “The ranch has a natural beauty that takes your breath away and allows you to leave the hustle and bustle of daily life behind,” the narrator continues. “The ranch has a conservation easement that ensures the preservation of watersheds, forests, and meadows in their natural state into eternity, and while there are restrictions on use, a total of 15 acres can be built upon and utilized as a homestead or getaway.”

Any minute I expected to see Lassie running up a hill to save Timmy from the well (more on that well later). There couldn’t be a more idyllic setting. The asking price on March 12, 2020 was $975,000.

Another video posted two days prior, also presented by Rancheria Realty’s Mathias, opens with more sweeping drone footage and the same soothing male narrator. “Welcome to the Lavender Bench Ranch,” he says as that music swells. “The heart of this 197-acre property is centered on a hillside bench near the ridge top of Anderson Valley,” says the narrator as the sun glints in the lens. “The center of the ranch includes a lovely three bedroom, two bath home, a small barn, a field of lavender, and two nice ponds for recreation.” The drone flies over a large bright pink house with a blue roof, jarring after taking in all that nature. “Views from the home are awe inspiring,” our guide tells us. “You will gaze out to the Anderson Valley and the distant mountains beyond. The creek is a lovely year-round stream that is lined with old redwoods.” The drone zooms in on the flowing creek and flies between the redwood trees like a scene out of Jurassic Park. “For the person who always wanted a small vineyard, there’s also potential to plant,” soothing man goes on. “In the past the ranch has been used recreationally for hiking and relaxing.” The listing price in 2020 was $1,100,000.

Drone footage from a real estate marketing video of the home at Lavender Bench Ranch, a 197-acre property near the ridge top of Anderson Valley.

A search of public records shows both properties were purchased with cash in 2010 and 2012. The buyers were San Francisco District 5 supervisor Dean Preston and his wife, Jenckyn Goosby. The couple’s names also appear on the deeds. Preston is listed as the "Grantee" on the 2010 and 2012 deed records, and the Assessor's info also indicates this was a "deed transfer.” Likewise, Preston is listed as the "Grantor" in the 2020 transaction, which the Assessor also lists as a "deed transfer.” Both properties are made up of multiple parcels. The Assessor shows that parcel 046-160-63 is associated with 9241 Lone Tree Ridge Rd. (Lavender Bench Ranch), and that same parcel number appears in the 2012 and 2020 deeds. The Assessor shows that parcel 046-550-56 is associated with 8771 Lone Tree Ridge Rd. (Lone Tree Nature Preserve), and that same parcel number appears in the 2010 deed.

Lavender Bench Ranch was purchased in 2012 for $920,000 without a mortgage, with the property tax statements were mailed to Preston’s house in San Francisco. The property was sold on September 29, 2020 for $1,050,000.

Lone Tree Nature Preserve was purchased in 2010 for $800,000, also a cash sale, and the property tax statements were mailed to Preston’s address in San Francisco. The property was listed for $975,000, but sold in February, 2021 for $786,200. The price seems low considering there is a drilled well pumping 10 gallons of water per minute. Normal wells should produce three gallons per minute, and good production is considered five gallons per minute, so having a 10 gallon per minute drilled well is a big deal, especially in California’s ongoing drought.

So why would Preston and Goosby sell a prime 567-acre property in Mendocino County with a 10 gallon per minute drilled well and 15 acres of land excluded from conservation to allow for development? The purchaser was Juergen Fehr, co-founder of Fehr & Peers, a large firm that specializes in providing transportation planning and engineering services to public and private sector clients, including the City of San Francisco.

Fehr & Peers has partnerships with SFMTA and is one of the contractors on both the Park Merced redevelopment and the $2 billion Stonestown development. According to SF OpenBook they’ve received more than $8.7 million from the City over the past seven years.

Lest you think these are the only real estate assets of Preston and Goosby, guess again — we found nine current and previously owned properties. Eight are in California, including their three bedroom, two bath, 2,246 square foot home in the posh Alamo Square neighborhood in San Francisco, valued at $2,772,800. The others are in Mendocino County, including Boonesville and Philo. The couple also has a home in Long Island, New York. According to Zillow, it’s a 2,139 square foot single family house on a little more than a quarter acre and has an estimated value of $1,526,350.

Goosby and her family are also landlords in the City. Multi-unit properties owned by Preston’s wife and in-laws, sheltered in various trusts, include a building in the Marina near desirable Chestnut Street and an apartment complex in Sutro Heights. They also own a $3.5 million house in Monterey Heights. The Goosby family missed the July 1, 2022, deadline to file forms for the city’s housing inventory, one of Preston’s pet pieces of legislation this year to tax landlords whose apartments remain vacant.

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View the real estate marketing drone flyover of Dean Preston’s Mendocino properties: