Porterville - Eighteen months after the US Army Corps of Engineers went back to the drawing board to see if there was a more “cost effective” way to resolve what it says are earthquake safety issues with Success Dam, the project is back on track, according to Col. Tom Chapman.
Chapman told a group of about 80 people gathered
in the Porterville City Council Chambers that there is no better
or more affordable way to restore the dam to its previous usefulness
than to essentially build a new dam in front of the old dam.
The Corps spent about $5.5 million in additional studies over
the past 18 months before coming out with a recommendation to
continue with the previously announced plan. The only real difference
— the project is now expected to cost about $500 million
— about $30 million more than previous estimates, largely
due to inflation.
While the Corps has been studying ways to fix Success Dam, it has mandated that the lake level be kept relatively low to avoid problems below the dam in the event of an earthquake.
Among those gathered at the meeting were property owners and residents of a trailer park that is just below the dam. Since the Corps first identified a problem with the dam in 2004, residents and businesses have lived with uncertainty.
At the most recent meeting, Chapman told them that he expects property acquisition to begin next summer. The Corps has previously determined that properties in certain areas near the dam will be subject to an amount of dust, noise and other disruption during the new dam construction project that meets a level allowing the Corps to acquire the property. Acquisition has been delayed more than once, however.
“Why should I believe you?” This was
the question Chapman said he imagined was in the minds of those
gathered. “That is a very valid question.” He said,
though, that the Corps is now nearly ready to proceed with the
project, but must complete environmental documents before property
acquisition can take place.
John Gong, representing Congressman Devin Nunes at the meeting,
said the Congressman is in discussions with the Undersecretary
of the Army and exploring ways that acquisition might be accelerated.
Andrew House, a spokesman for the Congressman in Washington, said Nunes has worked hard to ensure that the Corps has the funding it needs to move the dam project forward and is putting all of the pressure he is able on the Corps, particularly to speed up property acquisition.
“He's very concerned about the people who have had to wait so long,” House said, noting that property values have dropped as those near the dam waited for the Corps to move forward with the project.
Although the Corps has ensured the safety of those downstream with restrictions on the water level behind the dam, there are economic costs associated with the loss of the dam's functionality as the project continues to be stalled. According to Corps estimates in 2004, the loss to recreation costs an average of $2.8 million per year and the loss of storage costs farmers and others who in the past have stored water behind the dam another $1.4 million per year. With higher pumping costs due to increased cost of fuel, this amount has undoubtedly grown.
Chapman said an outside panel will review the Corps' recommendation in November. If it concurs, work to finalize a related Environmental Impact Study will resume, and property acquisition, including tenant relocation, will take place beginning next summer. Actual construction on the new dam is expected to begin in the summer of 2011 and be completed in about 2014.
He noted that the Corps has determined that it would take an earthquake of 8.5 magnitude on a fault near Porterville to cause serious damage to the dam. Several small quakes, less than 2 magnitude, have occurred on the Premier Fault in recent months including one on Sunday that was 1.8 and centered near the dam.
The original Success Dam was completed in 1961 at a cost of $14.1 million. Most of the funding for the $500 million replacement dam will come from the federal government although a portion will be funded by the state and local water entities.
Labeling Identifies Produce's Origin
Tulare County - Grocery shoppers now have another tool to help them decide what is best for their families.
On Tuesday, the new mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) program took effect. Foods such as meat, fruits and vegetables must now carry country-of-origin labeling under federal legislation that requires retailers to inform consumers where certain agricultural products come from.
“It allows consumers to make their own value judgment,” said Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner Gary Kunkel.
The new rule is a victory for California farmers and ranchers who have long fought for COOL because they feel consumers would seek out and buy more U.S. agricultural products if given the information and choice, said Kenny Watkins, second vice president of the California Farm Bureau Federation.
“This is a success story. California Farm
Bureau has been in support of country-of-origin labeling for
years and we're glad to see it finally implemented,” he
said.
Supporters say the new labels will help consumers be more discriminating
about the foods they buy.
“California farmers and ranchers produce the safest and highest-quality food in the world. We believe consumers also recognize this and they should be given the opportunity to purchase domestically produced food,” said Elisa Noble, CFBF director of livestock, public lands and natural resources.
COOL applies to fresh beef, lamb, chicken, goat
and pork, as well as fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables,
macadamia nuts, pecans, ginseng and peanuts. Wild and farm-raised
fish and shellfish have had to disclose country of origin since
2005.
Retailers may use a wide range of methods to show country of
origin, including labels, placards, stamps, bands, twist-ties
and pin tags. Some product labels, such as those on meat, may
list multiple countries if the animals were born, raised and
finished in different countries.
The new rule also allows state, local or regional labeling of produce, such as “California Grown,” “Washington apples” or “Idaho potatoes,” to be used to identify origin.
“We're prepared for this,” said Louie Yan, spokesperson for Save Mart. However, he said by no means do the new labeling requirements mean stores have not been offering the finest and safest products available.
“We feel we've been doing things right,” he said. “We already make sure that what they (consumers) are purchasing is safe,” he added.
Kunkel said California has the most elaborate system of regulating pesticide use in the nation and it has the strictest standards for quality of any state. He said most ag commodities have a “zero level” tolerance of pesticide residue.
“I would hope persons are aware of the very elaborate safety systems in California,” he said, explaining that inspection of fruit and vegetable safety and quality is one of the main responsibilities of his office.
“For almost every commodity you can think
of,” he said inspectors make sure the commodity is free
of decay, insect damage and that they meet maturity standards.
And, it is not just the county and state making such inspections.
Industries such as the citrus industry and others have their
own quality standards in place as well.
The American Farm Bureau Federation has expressed concerns that
there still may be no exclusively U.S. labeled meat available
to consumers.
In a letter to USDA Undersecretary Bruce Knight, AFBF President Bob Stallman said Farm Bureau is concerned about USDA's interpretation of COOL, as passed by Congress. USDA's interpretation would allow marketers to use a less-demanding “mixed origin” or “from multiple countries” label, even for meat that was exclusively U.S. born, raised and slaughtered. Instead, AFBF believes meat that is exclusively born, raised and slaughtered in the U.S. should carry an exclusive U.S.-origin label.
The new rule does not cover processed foods such as sausage, corned beef, chicken tenders, certain salad mixes or fruit cups with melons, bananas and strawberries. Food sold through food-service establishments, including restaurants, delicatessens, schools, hospitals and other institutions, also are exempt.
COOL first became law under the 2002 Farm Bill, but implementation was delayed due to resistance from sectors that raised concerns about the practicality and logistics of some of the provisions, as well as increased costs that producers, retailers and consumers could have to bear.
Barry Bedwell, president of the California Grape and Tree Fruit League, said COOL requirements have since been much simplified and streamlined in the 2008 Farm Bill. The new version of the legislation also reduced some of the liability and penalty exposure that had been an issue in the 2002 version, he added.
“We think that once people get a true understanding of this, it's going to work well,” he said.
The effect of the new rule is expected to be relatively small on individual producers, according to the USDA.
The publishers of Consumer Reports magazine said a poll it conducted last year found that 92 percent of Americans agree that imported foods should be labeled by their country of origin. Consumers Union called implementation of COOL “a long-awaited change.”
The California Farm Bureau Federation contributed to this report.
Bring 350 Jobs to Dinuba
By Steve Pastis
Dinuba - The City of Dinuba is close to making a deal with “a major company” looking to build a $123 million manufacturing plant that would bring 350 jobs to the city.
Tentative plans call for a manufacturing facility to be constructed on 20 acres along the south side of Avenue 412 (Sierra Way), between Road 74 and Monte Vista Drive. Three buildings with a total footprint of 370,000 square feet would be built there, with a large parking area on the eastern part of the site. Plans also call for a waste treatment facility to be constructed on the southwest corner of the property – by the unnamed company.
“They're not ready to release their name,” explained Dinuba City Manager Ed Todd. “It's a major company but I can't say anything about that.”
The city intends to make improvements to the roads in its industrial park area to accommodate the company's plans.
“We've got to create the infrastructure for it,” said Todd.
The city has scheduled a public hearing at City Hall Council Chambers, 405 E. El Monte Way, at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 14 to present a draft of its application for $3.5 million in Community Block Grant Funds to provide that infrastructure. The city plans to request funds from the CBGF program's 2008-09 and 2009-10 cycles.
The proposed infrastructure would include extending Monte Vista Drive south of Sierra Way along the east side of the property and becoming a cul-de-sac “for the time being,” according to Todd. Road 74 would be improved from Sierra to Kamm Avenue, from “basically oil on dirt” to “a standard 40-foot pavement width with curb and gutter on both sides,” he said. Sierra Way would also be widened to allow for a left turn lane into the parking lot.
Sewer and water lines already run along Sierra in front of the property, so it would be up to the company to make the necessary connections.
Plans for the new manufacturing facility do not depend on the city receiving $3.5 million in grant money, however.
“We don't have to get it, but it would sure help – given what the state's done to our redevelopment money,” Todd said.
“If all goes well, they should close escrow in no more than 45 days and they should be under construction within 60 days,” Todd said, adding that the construction should take about nine months – meaning that if a deal is formally reached this month, the plant could be in production by the end of next summer.
Three Rivers - A 16-mile stretch of Highway 198 is getting closer to becoming an official California State Scenic Highway. A corridor protection plan, as required by Caltrans for designation as a Scenic Highway, has been drafted.
“The next step, now that we have a draft, is public participation,” said Tom Sparks, president of the Three Rivers Village Foundation. Six miles of the proposed Scenic Highway go through Three Rivers.
“We will hold at least two public meetings to disclose the plan and get comments from the residents of Three Rivers,” he continued. “After that, we will publish a final corridor protection plan that will be reviewed by Caltrans.”
If the plan is approved by Caltrans, the 16-miles
will be declared a Scenic Highway.
“And poppy signs will appear on all highway markers,”
added Sparks.
The proposed Scenic Highway portion of Route 198 would begin at Road 248, extend east past citrus orchards in the Valley, climb into the Sierra foothills with views of scenic Lake Kaweah, pass through the gateway community of Three Rivers and end at the Sequoia National Park entrance. Nearly one million visitors per year travel along the highway.
Sparks explained the five main components of the corridor protection plan required by Caltrans. The first part regulates land use and the density of development in the Scenic Highway corridor, the 300-foot-wide band on each side of the highway. The second element defines who maintains the Scenic Highway and what regulations protect it. The third prohibits outdoor advertising and controls advertising on business premises along the corridor.
“Ads are very much limited along scenic corridors,” Sparks said.
The fourth element controls earth moving and landscaping, and the fifth deals with the design and structure of buildings, including utility structures. Although current electrical, telephone and cable system structures “would be grandfathered,” future utility structures would face restrictions.
The public meetings will be held in the fall, but the first meeting has not been scheduled yet, according to Sparks. Concurrently, Caltrans will be given information for its review. Sparks expects the corridor protection plan to be presented to the Tulare County Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors by the end of the year.
The stated intent of the California Scenic Highway Program is to protect and enhance California's natural beauty and to protect the social and economic values provided by the state's scenic resources.
If the route receives the official designation, it will be described in Caltrans promotional literature and maps, as well as on the Caltrans website.
The State Scenic Highway designation also increases eligibility for some forms of highway maintenance and improvement funding from the Transportation
Enhancement Activities (TEA) program, and could lead to an eventual Federal Scenic Byway designation.
San Joaquin Valley - For the second year in a row, local companies that clear orchards are reporting a big backlog for farmers waiting to have their old orchards cut and the wood chipped to make way for new trees and vines to be planted.
“There's no doubt about it, another bad tree fruit season has pushed a lot of wood into the market,” says Larry Steeb of F and J Recycling. And it's not just plum trees that are creating a backlog of wood chips, says Steeb, adding that Paramount Citrus recently cut down 3,000 acres of orange trees.
There is a glut of wood chips that usually go to the biomass cogeneration plant and “it's just about shut us down,” says Steeb.
That's the same story heard around the Valley this fall – typically a time after the harvest when farmers choose to axe their older, unproductive orchards to make room for a new crop. Farmer Steve Alves, who is trying to replant his unprofitable plum orchard between Tulare and Visalia, blames the state for “hindering us to remove our orchards by banning most ag burning.”
“Valley biomass plants are full with L.A. construction wood waste being trucked into our region and burned” and in part that's the reason the biomass plants aren't accepting new wood.
“It doesn't make sense to have diesel trucks running up and down the Valley with wood waste from urban areas to burn in our air,” claims Alves, echoing a theme heard often.
Tulare County Supervisor Steve Worthley sympathizes with the farmers and orchard chippers, but notes that the hard hit biomass plants “need a steady supply of wood to keep them going,” and orchard wood can't meet that daily deadline. But he remembers that “last year we made some exceptions to the no burn rule,” and that in his capacity as a board member of the Valley Air Board, he will look into the problem.
Chipper Lonnie Barnett says he remembers that last year they had to wait three to four months to move loads of chipped wood that can mean unexpected fires that force action by local fire departments. Mike Powell of Brush Control Inc. says last year his company saw more than $1 million in wood chips go up in flames because it sat too long. One of the largest biomass plants earlier this year in Delano was shut down for repairs for three months, helping to create a backlog in receiving that has not caught up yet.
Farmers don't have the option of selling the trees for firewood for home heating because of restrictions on home fireplace burning as well.
Alves says the backlog will end up hurting the
local economy because farmers can't replant anything. “Burning
is considered dirty but looking at all that excavation and engines
working and diesel trucks running around, you have to wonder.”
He hopes the Air Board will consider some modification to the
rule to allow some burning.
It has been a truism that biomass plants with filtration burn
the same amount of wood more cleanly than open field burning,
but the system appears to have broken down, say these folks.
What's New
The UCLA Anderson Forecast cautiously affirms the “no recession” prognostication it has been advocating over the past several quarters, while acknowledging that the most recent employment data falls within “recession range.” Recession or not, the Forecast acknowledges that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) could dip into the negative range in the over the next six to nine months, as the housing bust continues to wreak havoc on the national economy. The Forecast predicts a very weak California economy throughout 2008.
Porterville will soon be getting a Vallarta Supermarket, city official says. The Hispanic grocery store chain is taking the 39,000-square-foot. space in the Eastridge Plaza shopping center at Olive Avenue and Plano Street where a Save Mart used to be. Save Mart moved out of that location about 15 years ago. Vallarta is expected to open sometime after the first of the year. Vallarta is expected to locate a large store in a new shopping center on Lovers Lane in Visalia next year. The chain currently has 30 stores, the closest in Delano.
Air in the San Joaquin Valley
is now classified as healthy under the federal standard for
dust and soot. Local air officials say the region has not violated
the so-called PM-10 standard since 2003.
Because officials couldn't decide on a site, Kings County's
chance of getting a prison re-entry facility and the $30 million
needed to expand its overcrowded jail has ended. The county
had sought an extension to find an agreeable location, but the
state denied that.
Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong will compete in the Amgen Tour of California which includes a starting point in Visalia. The several-stage tour will run Feb. 14-22. One stage ends in Clovis, and then begins the next day, Feb. 19, in Visalia. Racers are expected to travel from Clovis to Visalia on the morning of Feb. 19 for the stage that ends in Paso Robles.
Porterville's new Target store will open Oct. 12. Target demolished its existing store on Henderson Avenue and completely rebuilt a new and larger store.
A town hall event hosted by the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) and emceed by Huell Howser will take place Oct. 2 in Fresno to highlight key water issues facing the state and the Central Valley. The free event, set for 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Leon and Pete Peters Educational Center at CSU Fresno, is designed to inform and engage the community on water issues featured in the “California's Water” series for public television, produced by Howser and underwritten by ACWA members.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed Assemblyman Bill Maze's bill that would have banned drivers from allowing pets to sit in their labs while driving. The governor said the bill did not meet the standard of having a high priority.
Pacific Ethanol, a West Coast-based marketer and producer of ethanol, announced Monday the start-up of its Stockton facility. The company operates an ethanol plant in Madera.
St. John’s Trail to be Extended East
Visalia - Visalia's St. John's pedestrian and bike trail will be extended east of McAuliff to the city limits in the next two months, says Paul Shepard, Visalia management analyst.
“We want to get the trail in before Thanksgiving,” he said.
The trail will extend to the power lines, about 1,700 feet from McAuliff. Unlike the trail to the west that runs along the top of the levee, the trail to the east will meander along a 300-foot landscaped corridor. That corridor is being planted through Urban Tree Foundation with the plantings that started last Arbor Day.
Shepard says he expects within the next few years
the city will approach property owners to the east of the city
limits for the right-of-way to extend the popular trail all
the way to Cutler Park, about another half mile. Eventually,
the trail will extend from Cutler Park to the new sports park,
the longest recreational trail in town.
Visalia to Receive
Foreclosed Housing Funds
Visalia - The City of Visalia will get $2.3 million of the $592 million going to California to help renovate and rehabilitate foreclosed homes, eliminate blight and reinvigorate and stabilize the affected neighborhoods, the federal Housing and Urban Development Department announced last week.
Of the $529 million going to California, more than $103.6 million is earmarked for cities or counties in the Central Valley, the nation's epicenter of the foreclosure crisis.
The California Department of Housing and Community Development will administer $145 million to local jurisdictions that do not get money directly from the feds.
Visalia Chamber CEO Search Put on Hold
Visalia - Glenn Morris' appointment as interim CEO of the Visalia Chamber of Commerce and his job performance have caused the chamber to put its search for a new CEO on hold.
Morris has apparently impressed the chambers' board of directors.
“Staff is happy and things are moving forward,” said Connie Kautz, chairman of the board of directors.
This summer, the chamber decided it needed someone “who could hit the ground running” to fill the position and help launch a capital campaign. Morris, the executive director of the Visalia Convention & Visitors Bureau, was selected to serve as the chamber's interim CEO from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31.
Morris is also among the candidates to become the chamber's permanent CEO – another reason the CEO search is on hold. A communication among chamber officials expressed concerns about “the perception of professionalism as it relates to an equal opportunity for all who are being considered for the position.”
According to chamber leaders, Morris' performance could eliminate the need to resume the CEO search.8921.
Visalia - When Fresno Pacific University opens its doors to its new campus in the Plaza Business Park, it will offer students a new degree program.
“It's all good news in Visalia,” commented Diana Bates Mock, executive director of University Communications, in responding to reports the main campus of Fresno Pacific was being hurt by the economic downturn.
She said the enrollment shortage is only with the undergraduate population on the main campus, but not at any of the University's regional centers.
“Our degree completion programs and graduate programs, which we offer at our regional centers in Bakersfield, Visalia and North Fresno, are doing quite well,” Mock said. “In fact, we are on schedule for the new center, opening this spring.”
Fresno Pacific will occupy the first spot in the Plaza Business Park off of Highway 198 and Plaza Drive. Already, the two-story campus is taking shape.
Mock said with the opening of the new campus Fresno Pacific will launch a new degree program for nurses. That will be offered beginning in February of 2009.
“It will be a degree completion program for registered nurses who want to earn their Bachelor of Science degree,” she said, adding it will be called the “RN to BSN Degree” program. It will only be offered at the new Visalia Center.
“We know there is pent-up demand. We know
there is a real need for that program,” she said. She
added it is expected the new program will attract students
from throughout the region, not just Visalia. “That's
one of the reasons the center is located there – off
of 198 and 99. It will be much easier for students to access
from outside areas.”
The new Visalia center will have 22 classrooms, compared to
just seven at the present location on Akers St.
An enrollment decline at the Fresno Campus has reportedly created a $1.5 million deficit, but Mock said that is not affecting any of the regional campuses, including Visalia, and should not hinder continued growth of the school that has grown from offering just undergraduate courses to offering master degrees.
“When we opened the Visalia Center in 2004, we had 128 graduate students and 64 bachelor degree completion students. Today, we have 344 degree completion students and 245 graduate students there,” said Mock. At the Visalia Center, the university offers six degree completion programs, 11 Master's degree programs, 10 credential programs and three certificate programs.
For more information, visit www.fresno.edu/visalia.
New Pest Puts California Citrus Industry at Risk
By Lisa Lieberman
California - The Asian citrus psyllid is the most serious pest that citrus growers in the United States are facing. And now that the pest has been found in California for the first time, the citrus industry wants to take proactive measures to keep the situation from going from bad to worse. That's why growers met at a public hearing Sept. 18 at the Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner's office to discuss the possibility of raising assessments.
The Asian citrus psyllid first struck Florida in 2005 along with the huanglongbing (HLB) virus it carries. Since then, Florida has lost about 65,000 citrus-producing acres due to the HLB virus which kills trees within two to three years.
“That's probably about 10 to 12 percent of the Florida's whole acreage,” said Ted Batkin, president of the Citrus Research Board in Visalia. “This has hurt the whole infrastructure of the Florida industry. Already, one packer has closed two packing plants in Florida because of lack of supplies.”
Although California has faced its fair share of citrus diseases, HLB is something that no one in the state is prepared for, Batkin said.
“Once the disease takes hold, it doesn't just spread gradually; it spreads exponentially. And once a tree gets the disease, it's going to die for sure. It's toast,” Batkin said.
The best way to keep the trees from getting the disease is through prevention and early detection, Batkin said. So far, the CRB has already mobilized forces with the USDA and the CDFA, as well as a number of Master Gardener groups in San Diego County which are helping with the pest detection efforts in the area.
In total, the CRB needs about $1.5 million to effectively detect and fight the disease throughout the state. “We also want to build two more laboratories for testing for the pest and the disease because we don't have enough capacity right now, and we need more funding,” Batkin said.
That's why the Citrus Research Board has proposed a possible assessment increase. Up until now, the maximum cap on CRB assessments has been three cents per 60 pounds of packed citrus. The industry is currently considering increasing the rate to a maximum of nine cents.
“But that doesn't mean that the assessment
will be nine cents. Nine cents is just the maximum cap,”
Batkin said. “The fact is that the board probably won't
come close to the nine-cent assessment for 10 to 15 years.
The proposal is to go up to five cents for the 2008/2009 year.
But we may not even go that high. We may only go to four-and-a-half
cents.”
About 25 growers and packer/shippers attended the meeting,
including representatives from Sunkist and Paramount Farms.
Out of the almost dozen growers and shipper/packers who gave
public testimony at the meeting, all but one of them spoke
in favor of the proposed assessment increase.
Marjie Bartels, a 75-acre citrus grower in Ventura
County, said she was against the proposed assessment increase
because growers already have to cope with increasing input
costs, including rising fuel, fertilizer and water prices.
“We should not expect citrus growers to bear the major
financial burden of this (research). Even a small increase
in assessment would affect our bottom line,” Bartels
said.
Bartels pointed out that even though the Asian
psyllid had been discovered in Texas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi,
South Carolina and Alabama, the HLB virus has not been detected
in any of these states except for Florida.
“Florida has the ideal climatic and growing conditions
for the spread of HLB throughout the state. The growing conditions
in California are a lot different,” Bartels said.
James Bettiga, representing the Paramount Citrus Association, a grower/shipper company which handles 20,000 acres of citrus, spoke in favor of the assessment increase. Originally, the Florida citrus industry didn't take action against the Asian citrus psyllid when they were discovered in 2003, since the psyllids initially tested negative for HLB. But by 2005, when HLB started showing up in fields, it was too late to wage an effective battle against the virus, which ended up wiping out 10 to 12 percent of the state's citrus producing acreage, Bettiga said.
“The recurring thing the Florida growers kept saying when we talked to them was that they should have been proactive,” Bettiga said. “They knew they had the Asian citrus psyllid but they didn't think they had the disease. So, they let the psyllid run wild there for years and then found out (too late) that they also had the HLB virus. We now have an opportunity to learn from Florida's mistakes.”
While most growers in San Diego — the
most vulnerable area of the state now — are understandably
in favor of the assessment increase, there are many growers
locally who are also in favor of the assessment increase.
Richard Dunn, in house PCA with the Sequoia Orange Company
in Exeter which grows 4,000 acres of citrus, said the assessment
increase is going to be “mandatory.”
“We're fighting for our lives here. And we have to do something now if we want to keep the California citrus industry alive. And any farmer who knows anything about this disease will agree with that.”
After hearing testimony from the growers, the CDFA's next step is to decide whether to bring the proposed assessment increase to a general referendum. If the CDFA decides in favor of a referendum, ballots will be sent out to about 4,000 citrus growers around the state who are part of the CRB.
Porterville Hotel Days Are Numbered
By Rick Elkins
Porterville - An historic building that saw its better days a long time ago will soon come down in Porterville.
The Porterville Hotel, which existence dates back to before the 1880s, will soon fall prey to the wrecker's ball after the city refinanced existing Redevelopment Agency bonds to pay the $1 million it will cost to tear down the large three-story structure.
The building, which lost its luster decades ago, was remodeled in the early 1990s and had been home to low-income renters for more than a decade before it was condemned a couple of years ago. The original Porterville Hotel was further north on Main Street. The present building was constructed in the early 1920s.
The spot, which is about a city block from where
the state intends to build a new Superior Courthouse, has
become a key component in the city's plans to revitalize the
downtown area, said Porterville City Manager John Longley.
The state is negotiating with the city to purchase the land
at Olive Avenue and Plano Street, where the Porterville Fairgrounds
sits, to build a new courthouse to replace the outdated one
on Morton Avenue. The city then wants to revitalize the entire
area, from the new courthouse to Main Street.
Brad Dunlap, community development director for the city, said the city refinanced more than $2.34 million. The city will also repay the state a portion of the Community Development Block Grants funds that were used to pay for the remodeling in the 1990s. In addition, the city will have to help pay for new housing to replace the 45-units, mostly studio apartments with common bathrooms, that were in the building.
“There is already a project approved by the city council for Villa Siena,” said Dunlap of a housing project for low-income renters. That project will provide 70 units of affordable housing and the city will contribute roughly $1 million to the project.
While some in the community did not want the city to tear down the old hotel in the 1990s, Dunlap said no opposition has surfaced this time around. He did say that any new structure built at that site will tie in to the “historic character of the downtown.”
The demolition could take on a life of its own if the city's effort to market the demolition to Hollywood studios pays off. Dunlap said so far they have had no takers from Hollywood to use the building's demise for a film, even though the city is advertising it in film trade publications.
Plans are to go to bid on the demolition after the first of the year.
The above stories are the property of The Valley Voice Newspaper and may not be reprinted without explicit permission in writing from the publisher.
October 2, 2008
