Tracy is nearing a deal to sell San Joaquin County 200 acres of land near the old Holly Sugar plant that might one day be turned into a public wetlands.

Parks officials from the city and the county toured the acreage north of the old sugar plant this week.

Tracy parks director Rod Buchanan said he hopes to have a contract proposal in place for an October vote of the City Council. San Joaquin County Supervisors also will have to approve the sale.

How much the land will go for remains to be seen. The city owns 1,100 acres surrounding the plant and plans to build youth sports fields on 150 of those acres. Tracy might allow the development of racetracks for cars and motorcycles on part of the land, as well.

The proposed wetlands would be used to help cool treated water from Tracy’s sewer treatment plant. Buchanan said the city would use the money from the sale of the land to the county to help design the wetlands and to pay for the environmental impact report that would have to be done.

If no wetlands are built, the county would turn the land into a long sought-after South County Park.

“Hopefully, by October, we’ll have some contracts to be passed around to governmental agencies,” said county parks director Craig Ogata. “That’s our goal.”