Amador County – Ione City Council last week considered the loss of the 132-year-old Ione train depot building when a city lease runs out with Union Pacific on May 3.

Collin Frost, founder, president and CEO of the Amador County Historic Railroad Preservation Society said he has emotional ties to the Depot and a goal to acquire the adjacent 3-mile spur of tracks to build a railroad park and education center.

Frost grew up playing in the depot, where his father worked, and he learned in Sacramento that the Depot is a Centennial building, built in 1876, and moving it from the original site would hurt the value of the building. He urged the Council to mitigate lead and asbestos contamination at the site instead of moving the Depot to the city corporate yard.

City Manager Jeff Butzlaff said Union Pacific’s “intention remains to demolish the building.” Thornton Consolo said the Amador County Historical Society is “here to save the structure,” and he and Frost both pledged to donate in-kind work from their organizations.

Butzlaff said estimates were $30,000 for site abatement of lead outside; $5,000 for asbestos; and $7,800 for lead on the building. Councilman David Plank said moving the building would require stabilizing the structure, and still required mitigating the land. The move was estimated at $40,000.

Frost said he had received a lower, “solid” estimate of $3,875 for asbestos removal from a traveling environmental specialist who is on retainer with Union Pacific. He said the technician “is ready to go right now.” He said the lead paint could be “encapsulated” by painting it with a rubbery paint.

Councilwoman Andrea Bonham said she was familiar with the “elastomeric paint” because she used it on Clark’s Corner, but the problem with old buildings is that anything underneath the paint starts to deteriorate.

Plank asked if Frost could fund the work because the city had no money. Frost said getting a plan in place would help encourage donations. Councilman Lloyd Oneto suggested getting a 60-day extension on the abatement.

City Attorney James Maynard said Union Pacific won’t give an extension on the abatement without a plan and funding source in place, but the city can say to Union Pacific that it has two groups interested in assisting with abatement.

Plank asked the groups for letters of interest and a basic plan to give to Union Pacific.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.