There was much debate at Tuesday’s Jackson Planning Commission Meeting over the permit for a parking structure at Buscaglia’s on Jackson Gate Road. The owners plan to turn the original restaurant that sits on the road into a parking structure and single hotel room with the same Tuscan design as the new restaurant on that property. The planning commission Site Review Committee determined that the project may need environmental review for possible historical significance. Owner Ron Sette (SETTY) says he looked but was unable to find any historical significance to the building. Commissioners overturned the ruling of the committee primarily because the history of the building was not addressed when the project was originally permitted back in 2002.

The original restaurant was remodeled years ago and there is almost nothing left except some yellow Ione bricks. Commissioner Terri Works felt the commission should support planning staff’s recommendation so as not to set a precedent. Also, she is not fond of the Tuscan look, which she feels does not fit in with the mining aesthetic of the area. References were made to the recent Jackson Economic Development Workshop where citizens generally agreed that Jackson should keep the mining theme. However, other residents were quick to point out that Jackson’s General Plan is still being updated, so enforcing a particular look, especially when the Tuscan style was already allowed for the new Buscaglia’s restaurant, did not make sense.

Jackson resident John Plasse, who also attended the Economic Development Workshop, said that citizens were requesting better restaurants to revitalize downtown Jackson. He felt if everyone in Jackson had to jump through these same hoops to remodel and upgrade buildings on Main Street, “We might as well throw in the towel.”  He felt that the owners of Buscaglia’s have done a beautiful job and the restaurant is an asset to Jackson. In the end, commissioners overturned the committee’s recommendation and allowed Sette to continue with his plans for converting the old restaurant to parking. Commissioner Dave Butow, past president of the Historical Society, considers Jackson Gate, North Main Street and Broadway as culturally sensitive areas. He suggested there should be a historical corridor in the General Plan, then owners would know up front if there were additional permitting requirements.

This week, TSPN will be doing a short series on the Amador Railroad, which will examine the various roles that the railroad has played in the local economy.  As motorists cruise through the heart of Amador County, the bump of rail road tracks beneath their tires is inevitable. Many don’t consider that they are driving over an artifact that dates back to the turn of the century, one that largely shaped Amador County’s terrain, its history, its livelihood, and its fame. The Amador Central Railroad traces its roots to the Ione and Eastern Railroad, which was incorporated in 1904.

The original Ione and Eastern line from Ione to Martell was intended to be extended further to Sutter Creek and then on to Volcano, but only the first rail line of the original plan was ever completed. The Ione Eastern Railroad was only in operation for four years, and primarily served to haul raw gold ore from the Amador County mines to processing facilities in the Bay Area. The Ione and Eastern was sold at foreclosure in 1908, and renamed “The Amador Central Railroad” by its new owners.  The railroad- a much better option began a wagon and pack mules- began to accommodate passengers. Vital goods and services were moved via train, including mail, food, clothing, mining equipment, and feed for animals. The Amador Central Railroad is the steepest and the windiest stretch of rail in California. Trains would have to stop and let their breaks cool for 20 minutes after the decent from Martell to Ione. In all, the trip took about an hour.