Metallica co-founder James Hetfield has submitted a plan to build four large homes and dedicate hundreds of acres on land he owns in Lucas Valley, reports Marin Independent Journal.

Five years ago, Hetfield filed a pre-application with the county to build 27 to 34 homes on land he owns on the south side of Lucas Valley Road, east of his Rocking H Ranch, which was built in the early 2000s. However, he pursued that idea no further.

Now Hetfield has submitted a new pre-application with the county that calls for building four new single-family residences on the land. This plan would also result in Hetfield dedicating 230 acres of the parcel to the Marin County Open Space District, protecting it from future development under a scenic and conservation easement.

“There was just this inspiration of maintaining the ranch as a larger open space corridor, a complete inspiration. It was a change that happened over the Hetfields’ love of the land,” said developer David Warner of Fairfax, owner of Redhorse Constructors, a San Rafael firm with a roster of celebrity clients including Hetfield.

Warner, who is overseeing the project, said Hetfield purchased 1,150 acres of land in Lucas Valley in 1999. In 2005, Hetfield placed 440 acres of his Rocking H 1 Ranch in a conservation easement that he donated to the Open Space District. Then in 2009 Hetfield dedicated another 330 acres to the district with an agricultural conservation easement.

“I think what you’re seeing over time is James’ and his wife Francesca’s dedication to keep Marin great,” Warner said. “They enjoy the open space as much as anyone else. The family spends a considerable amount of time on their ranch.”

Read the full story at Marin Independent Journal.