Ledger-Dispatch

By Jerry Budrick (jbudrick@ledger-dispatch.com= )=20

Dave Butow of the Amador County = Historical=20 Society sought the Jackson City Council's support in preserving = historic=20 railroads.

Photo by: Jerry=20 Budrick
In an atmosphere filled with = history and=20 civic pride, Jackson's City Council on Monday night was drawn into a = number of=20 contentious situations.

Amador County Historical Society = representative=20 Dave Butow presented a request that the city council pledge its support = in the=20 society's efforts to preserve the Amador Central Railroad "for its past = and=20 possible future contributions to the economic history" of Amador=20 County.

The railroad belongs to Sierra Pacific Industries, a = highly=20 diversified family-owned company with more than 1 million acres of = California=20 forest under its control. According to Hoover's, an online business = information=20 site, SPI ranks 326th on Forbes' list of privately-owned=20 businesses.

Butow's presentation painted an unflattering picture = of SPI=20 as unresponsive to the historical society's proposal that SPI contribute = real=20 property, right of way and personal property of historic value, along = with some=20 assistance, leading to creation of a relocated Martell Station as a=20 museum.

Butow showed photos to the council members depicting = sections of=20 track destroyed by SPI and of a water tank that has been placed in the = railroad=20 right of way, all of which, he said, is in violation of state = environmental=20 regulations.

Response to Butow's request came from Dave Brown, an = engineer with SPI. Brown took issue with much of what had been = presented,=20 particularly the accusation of unresponsiveness. He said that SPI had = made a=20 sincere attempt to continue operation of Amador Central Railroad, but = had found=20 it to be unprofitable in the extreme.

Councilman Andy Rodriguez = motioned=20 to postpone a decision about supporting Butow's proposed resolution, = pending=20 acquisition of additional information from both parties, along with the = time to=20 study the information. The motion was seconded and passed = unanimously.

A=20 recent Jackson Planning Commission decision that allows razing most of = the old=20 Buscaglia's Restaurant building on Jackson Gate Road, more recently = known as=20 North Main Street, brought a number of residents to the microphone = during public=20 comment.

Local historian Larry Cenotto lamented the loss of a = significant=20 piece of Jackson history. "Nothing in ordinance or law can prevent an = owner from=20 tearing down any building on their property," he said. "Rather than tear = the=20 Buscaglia building down, we should make it a focal point, along with=20 Chichizola's Store, Teresa's Place and the Jackson Gate = itself."

Phillip=20 Giurlani of Teresa's joined Cenotto in suggesting that the city come up = with a=20 way to protect its architectural heritage. Of Buscaglia's, Giurlani = said, "This=20 proud old building deserves a kinder fate than being razed down to a = couple of=20 walls to create 10 parking spaces."

As it turns out, the city is = in the=20 process of working on an ordinance in line with these suggestions. = According to=20 City Manager Mike Daly, "The city has drafted a new development code = that=20 includes new regulations for a historic design review process. This new = code was=20 reviewed by the planning commission and city council last year and is = included=20 in the environmental impact report scheduled for review by the Planning=20 Commission at their next meeting."

Daly also updated the council = on the=20 activities of Jackson's Economic Development Committee. Some of the = committee=20 members will be attending a conference later this month in Sacramento = sponsored=20 by the California Main Street Alliance, a program aimed at the = revitalization of=20 downtowns throughout the state.

The committee has formed a number = of=20 investigative groups as well, designed to brainstorm solutions to the=20 difficulties facing the city. Public input is invited and there is still = room in=20 some of these groups. The next meeting will be March 6 at 6 p.m. at the = Jackson=20 Civic Center.

Parking will be prohibited between midnight and 6 = a.m. on=20 the west side of Highway 49/88 between Main Street and the Busi parking = lot.=20 Jackson Police Chief Scott Morrison outlined the ongoing problems with = abandoned=20 and "for sale" vehicles along this stretch of road. The council adopted = a=20 resolution that will result in placement of signs instituting the new=20 regulations.

Measures concerning Jackson Hills Golf Course and=20 Residential Community were discussed at Monday night's meeting. = Arguments for=20 and against the ballot measures on the June 3 ballot must be submitted = before=20 Feb. 22. Rebuttals to the arguments must then be submitted by March 3. = City=20 Attorney Andy Morris is working on preparing an "impartial analysis" of = each=20 measure.

Jerry = Budrick