Recent conversation of county occurrences in various venues, including the following quotes in a local paper forum:“Preservation of Historic Jackson - Doesn’t anyone care that the National Hotel may be torn down? It was the anchor to the economy of downtown and should be again. The City of Jackson has fostered an environment where the custodians of it’s historic buildings think destruction as a means to an end. The city should be looking for someone or something to take over this important landmark for the general good. It is the City’s logo, for crying out loud! - Friends of History”“Plymouth and the National - To “Sutter Creek Sal,” I’m personally aquainted with some of the men running the city of Plymouth right now. I stand by my comment. In regards to the National Hotel, I can’t imagine Jackson without it. I agree that it is a historic treasure and the face of Main Street. However, in its present incarnation it is also an embarrassing cest pool - with noisy drunks camped out on its porch harrassing the parents going into karate, vagrants living in its crumbling rooms and a known gang claiming it as their “club house.” The National Hotel, along with The Fargo Club and the Main Event are all killing Jackson right now. Of course, that’s not the historic building’s fault. What the National needs is new ownership and new clients. - The Fifth Column”
“National Hotel - It has leaked that the cororation has applied for demolition permits to make the vacant parcel more appealing to a developer. Recently a lot of mischief has been caused by the tenants of the Brown building which butts up to the Hotel on the Broadway side; Trader Stan’s. Most rooms have been remolded and are not “crumbling” as much as some folks believe. We remember an era when Main Street was a tourist destination because of the Hotel. That’s what we are hoping for again when Jackson’s present leaders, a herd of deer, emerge from the headlight beams. Jackson should be helping with promotional themes on their part to help find a new owner and clean that landmark up. Let’s not have another repeat of the tragedy which recently occurred on N. Main. Thanks for the helpful comments people. Truly. - Friends of History”
“National Hotel - If it is true that demolition permits have been applied for the National Hotel, I hope the Ledger Dispatch will look into this matter immediately so that we may be informed. Our local government officials better mobilize to save the heart of historic Jackson instead of engaging in petty power struggles. Do we want Jackson to look like generic Anytown USA with the same cookie cutter stores that you see everywhere? Or do we want to retain and promote our unique character and history? After the atrocity of Buscaglia’s and the attempted invasion of Home Depot, citizens and local government better wake up! Or does our local government now consist of too many real estate agents that are only interested in their personal gain? This is an attack on the heart & soul of Jackson. - Madame Pantalon”
“Rumors - Instead of spreading rumors about the National Hotel being demolished, why don’t you call the Building Department and see if a demo permit has been applied for by the owners 223-6422. Rumors are very harmful to a communinity. Get your facts in hand before you post your 2¢. - Todd Caprasen”
“Madame Pantalon - Yes, because as we all know, downtown Jackson is such a beautiful site that tourist are flocking from all directions. Whether the National is there or not, downtown is still an eye sore and if you aren’t careful, no developer will want to come close to Amador county and it will remain the dry, destitute, dull place that it is now. - Erin Brockovich”
“Sutter Creek - Sutter Creek has managed to bring business to their downtown area without compromising their historic integrity. It should be possible for Jackson too. Sutter Creek is considered a gem of the Mother Lode and was so noted in a recent edition of Sunset Magazine. - The ol’ 49er”
“downtown Jackson - The folks who hang out downtown in front of the bars are smoking cigarettes because they can’t smoke inside anymore. Does seem we have more than our fair share of ‘unemployed folks’ tho.Mrs. Petkovich is probably not happy about the folks hangin’ in her park either. Her departed husband John would have chased them out of the park with a stick. The homeless shelter is right up on Broadway where some of them reside, but if you are homeless and unemployed, how do they hang out in the bar? How many people live at the National? I see more people upstairs next door now also. - fourth estate”
“The National - It would be wonderful if the National would take note of the Exchange Hotel AKA Bellotti’s. I would love to see The National get a make over! Where’s an intervention when you need it! The National has become a sewer for all of the county’s trash! It’s time to clean up, and bring class back into Jackson. - Mrs. Pristine”
“National - Only three people actually live in the National, two are long time Jackson residents, elderly and totally harmless. The Hotel will not change until it is sold. The corp which owns the Hotel is trying desperately to find a buyer before more drastic options are implimented. The person who bought Belottis looked at the National but opted for the more progressive and merchant friendly Sutter Creek, bypass and all. Another indicator of Jackson’s messy business environment. - Friends of History”
“National Hotel - We have found out that the corp which owns the National Hotel has contacted the Building Dept to obtain the required documents to severely alter or demo the structure but has not as yet submitted for the permits. One has to wonder how aggressively the City will fight any attempt to remove the famous Hotel. Any comments, we notice that no new comments have been submitted on any subject whatsoever in days. Has something happened to this needed public forum? - Friends of History”
“National Hotel - I’m not sure what rights the property owners have to demolish the National Hotel if it’s listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. There will most likely be processes that need to be followed. You may want to contact the California Department of Parks and Recreation’s Office of Historic Preservation for your answers. I’m sorry I don’t have their number but I’m sure you can Google it. Truth is, historic structures are allowed to be torn down, but only under certain circumstances. If it’s not listed on the registry, then it’s not in a protected status and the owners have carte blanche to demo it. - Todd Caprasen”
“National - We are aware of all the legal issues concerning the demo of the National. Thanks for ur input though. The City can only launch a vigorous protest but cannot infringe upon a property owner’s rights. The City can work with the owner to find a solution or excercise eminent domain for the general good. Out concern is that this particular city, Jackson, is not on the same page as most other CA historical towns and probably will just shut their eyes to the whole affair, as they have demonstrated repeatedly in the past. Jackson is run by pro-developers who’s agenda does not focus on the heritage of the very City they have been elected to protect. - Friends of History”
Okay, so that is a pretty wide spread of opinion, I decided to contribute some of My own:How can history be saved?
Regarding the differences between the Jackson case(s) and Sutter Creek, several years ago a Sutter Creek lady asked to demolish a house built in 1861. At the time, word was it was going to cost about $15,000 to bulldoze, tens of thousands to remodel, and sixty thousand to move. While the politicians harangued the lady not to raze the old gem, and the city attorney scrambled to change ordinances, the lady’s legal advice apparently was she had a small window of time to act, so the house was destroyed. People of the town attempted to procure another lot so the poor building could be moved and reused for the community, but by the time We knew and then reacted, the power struggle between private ownership and government bureaucracy had ended. The lot sits empty to this day.
Regarding Historic district: Jackson
Dennis Crabb was city attorney in 2000 when Jackson designated downtown historic, now works as the city attorney in Sutter Creek. In Sutter Creek after the 1861 house was destroyed, he passed an ordinance preventing razzings of buildings older than 85 years (1920’s and older), with hoops to go through if razing is required. Such an approach might have slowed down the removal of Buscaglia’s Restaurant, but the reality is the family had ran the restaurant since the good old days. If they couldn’t keep up with the times, their business was history and the building would have be left standing, ending up empty. Instead, new owners started changes in 2006, living history died, and a shell of memories could have been preserved… No easy answer for this issue, it takes money, hard work by many people over a long time, and even luck to save real history.
Quotes Source: http://www.ledger-dispatch.com/redphone/ Updated July 5 - 13th 2008
© 2008 Mike W. Boitano - All Rights Reserved.