Amador County – Jackson City Council denied an appeal of a demolition permit Monday for part of a structure on Court Street, on a 3-2 vote.

Planning Commissioner Dave Butow appealed the demolition permit of part of a building at 215 Court Street. City Manager Mike Daly said the Council held two hours of discussion of the appeal, with testimony by Butow, but mostly by two main speakers in support of the appeal, Gary Reinoehl and Bill Orescan.

Orescan is a neighbor of the home, whose owners, Jim Carter and Linda Cantando, want to tear down part of one structure for parking.

Daly said the demolition permit was approved and one of the requirements is that the owners have to acquire a performance bond, so if they start the project, that it is guaranteed to be finished. Dave Butow, who recused himself when the Planning Commission heard and approved the demolition permit on Jan. 30, filed a $200 appeal of the permit award on Feb. 9.

Butow, Orescan and Reinoehl argued that the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Daly said they were concerned that a portion of the building to be removed was historically significant to the appearance of the building. Daly said the section to be demolished was originally built as a covered porch, then later enclosed.

The National Register said the home, the Grace Blair DePue House was built in 1872, and the porches were enclosed in 1950. It was restored in 1980 to the 1900 appearance, “short of reopening the side porches.”

A Planning Staff report said “on Jan. 17, the Jackson Design Review Committee met and concluded that the addition is not a historic resource and that removal would improve the historic value of the main structure.” The “Committee voted unanimously to recommend Planning Commission approval of the demolition and directed the applicant to have the new exterior look ‘seamless’ with the remaining structure.”

Jackson Mayor Pat Crew and Councilwoman Marilyn Lewis voted against approval. Daly said the other three Council members felt it was not a significant portion of the building, and that it is in a dilapidated condition, and its non-consistency with the rest of the building permitted it to be demolished.

The owners are working with the city Building Department to get the performance bond. Daly said part of the discussion was the owners’ ultimate plan for the property. They would like to convert the building into a duplex. In order to do that, he said they need to go through a conditional use hearing before the Planning Commission, in part to assess whether it would have enough parking. Daly said it would probably start with the city Site Plan Review Committee, made up of staff, and the appointed group, the Design Review Committee.

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