Amador County – Amador County Supervisors on Tuesday approved placing a monument and “a small bit of landscaping” on a county lot in Fiddletown, honoring donors who helped restore two Chinese buildings.
Alice Kaiser, Fiddletown Historic Preservation Society president, said they “need to recognize people who donated a significant amount of money,” and the best spot to do so was next to the restored Chinese gambling hall, in a vacant dirt lot where a neighbor normally parks heavy work trucks. Money and plants donations will be “beautifying a very small part of Main Street.”
Supervisor Brian Oneto of District 5 said he spoke with the neighbor, and “it feels like locals versus the Preservation Society.” The neighbor said they might want to place the monument in the existing park west of the gambling hall.
Kaiser said she grew up in Fiddletown and considers herself local, and regardless of location, the county should address the liability of “private parking on the county land.” She said if someone backs into the building, it could cause $200,000 damage, and “you are liable.”
Supervisor Richard Forster said: “I don’t see the sides coming together today,” but “I think your Supervisor should be involved in the discussion.” He recommended Oneto discuss the issue with the Society. Kaiser and Oneto had not spoken. Kaiser said she didn’t speak directly with the dump truck owner and “it was probably a diplomatic error,” but she wanted to wait until the county approved using the lot.
GSA director John Hopkins said the county now knows someone is parking there, and must decide if they want it to continue. Supervisor Louis Boitano said no, due to liability, but wondered about prescriptive rights for parking there. County Counsel Martha Shaver said “you can’t get prescriptive rights against public property.” Oneto asked about ADA compliance, and Shaver said accessibility would be a pathway.
Leland Peterson, monument mason, said the 30x30 lot was donated to the county for a park, and “I don’t think he meant for it to be a parking lot.”
Gary Reinoehl, Amador Historical Society said heavy vehicles compacting soil “can have some adverse affect on fragile historic buildings.” Rebecca Brown called it “an eyesore,” urging a “decision today,” to “let the Preservation Society continue the hard work they are doing.”
Forster said he was “ready to move forward, and with non-concurrence from Supervisor Oneto, it needs to be hammered out one more time.” Oneto said if they are “dead set” they want the monument in that park, “I’ll go along with that.”
Shaver said since the “county wasn’t aware of this use until now,” it should check for pollution and oil drips on the lot, and “the county does have liability.”
The board voted 5-0 to have Hopkins amend the Preservation Society management agreement to allow the monument and landscaping, and add particulars for ADA “and anything else that becomes a liability.”
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
