Sonoma's Leland Fishing Ranch for sale for $7 million

‘Purlieu' listed for $7 million for fly-fishing scion's fading dream|

For more than a decade, Josh Leland Frazier dreamed of operating a fly-fishing school in Sonoma. But years of legal wrangling with Sonoma County officials – not to mention his neighbors at Sonoma Valley Airport – wore him down.

His 13-acre property at 24120 Arnold Drive, formerly known as Leland Fly Fishing Ranch, but now called “Purlieu,” is on the market for $7 million.

The now-44-year-old Frazier bought the property in 2004 with the goal of expanding his fishing equipment company to the North Bay. At the time, he already had a successful shop in downtown San Francisco and also one in Lafayette, covering the East Bay.

Over the years, he made dramatic renovations to the buildings on the property, and the grounds themselves, which back up to a large marsh and wetlands.

“I’m not sure there’s an inch of the property I didn’t transform,” he said. “I planted over 400 trees, each individually placed and positioned to frame views, accent pathways and create discovery.”

He opened Leland Fly Fishing Ranch in 2009. It included a retail shop loaded with top name-brand fly rods, reels and other equipment. There was a big casting pond on which he planned to offer lessons. He launched a major addition and renovation project, adding a manmade stream and second pond, and a large open shed that could serve as a shaded meeting area for fly-fishing students.

Things began to unravel in 2011, as his fishing dreams opened up a can of worms with county officials and his Arnold Drive neighbors. Shortly after the renovations were made, he was cited by the Sonoma County Planning Department for allegedly not having the proper use and building permits.

Then soon after, a feud erupted with his neighbor the Sonoma Valley Airport (known locally as Schellville Airport) over concerns that fish might attract birds which could pose a danger to aircraft.

The Ranch was forced to cease almost all operations.

In 2011, Frazier told the Index-Tribune, “We don’t know why we are being targeted. We don’t know why they allowed us to invest a great deal into making Leland Ranch a very attractive addition to the area, and then come at us now to try and close us down.”

By early 2016, he was ready to throw in the towel. He sold most of his Leland and Red Truck rod business and the retail catalog business to his partner who moved all of that operation to Idaho Falls.

He is now entirely out of the fishing business that was founded by his grandfather. Today, he lives in San Francisco, with his wife and two young daughters and he spends most of his time running Urban Soccer Park. That business, launched by Frazier in 2014, sells turnkey and highly-durable small-sided soccer fields for urban settings. The company builds indoor and outdoor fields, and also owns and run two soccer facilities – the Street Soccer Parks – in San Francisco.

For the past two years Frazier has been using the Arnold Drive property to store materials and inventory for his soccer business.

“The business is expanding so rapidly that I am in need of a larger facility, one meant for the purposes of warehousing, to stage and manage the inventory,” he said. “We are in the process of looking for this property.”

And so the former Leland Fishing Ranch is now on the market. (Jeffrey Lokey of Pacific Union has the listing.)

The property is zoned “limited commercial” and is currently permitted for retail in both the front building and barn and the cottage is permitted for residential use. The property is also permitted for special events, on a case-by-case basis.

According to Frazier, the county Zoning Board of Appeals is currently evaluating an application for the property which would enable future owners to restock the ponds with trout, to offer small group fly-fishing instruction and drop-in fishing, as well as up to 90 events per year with a maximum of 50 guests.

Jeff Lokey said that since coming on the market, he has received more than 500 inquiries online and countless phone calls about the property.

“With the setting and location, there are literally endless uses and possibilities for the property,” he said. “From a tasting room, to a brew pub, to a upscale deli and picnicking area, a themed restaurant and property, an exclusive glamping facility, a private resort with exclusive membership, a fly-fishing mecca with retail space, and the list goes on… It is an outdoors person’s paradise.”

When asked what he would like to see there, Frazier said. “the sky’s the limit.”

“We assumed someone would want to pick up where we left off, utilizing the ponds and creek system for fly fishing, perhaps even creating a private club,” he said. “To our delight, we’ve seen many different ideas presented as folks have displayed interest. Some of the most interesting ideas include high-end experiential retail, a brew-pub, a ‘glamping’ concept to even a yoga/meditation studio. It will be exciting to see what the next owner brings to the community.”

Contact Lorna at lorna.sheridan@sonomanews.com.

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