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Tuesday, 15 September 2009 |
 A public hearing to discuss the environmental review related to the possible demolition of the Cottonwood Plaza is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Bishop City Council meeting. The hearing is on the review only; there have been no formal requests for razing the buildings. Photo by Mike Bodine By Mike Bodine
Register Staff
9-15-2009 Cottonwood Plaza is back in the spotlight.
A public hearing concerning the environmental review for demolition of the buildings is set for the next Bishop City Council meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Monday at City Hall.
The plaza has also recently been put up for sale.
Some city staff at the last council meeting had suggested the hearing on the Cottonwood Plaza would be well attended.
The request and subsequent environmental study to raze the two-story buildings is still ongoing.
City Administrator Rick Pucci said Friday that the public hearing on the demolition may be misconstrued as a request to tear down the buildings. He explained the public hearing is part of the environmental review process, and no request to demolish the buildings has been made. This environmental process has taken more than three months to complete.
The Cottonwood Plaza was recently placed on the market at $1.95 million “as is.” Having the environmental work complete would save a potential buyer three months which could make the plaza more attractive. The plaza is out of compliance in a number of categories including the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The latest word concerning the legal battle over lease language at the plaza is that former lessee Richard Maudsley is still responsible – following litigation – for demolishing the buildings as per the lease with former ground lessee Charles Caldwell.
However, in July 2009 the lease between the owner of the property Lee Crosby of Bishop and Caldwell was terminated early, and Crosby has gained control of the property and the buildings.
Crosby has said repeatedly that he does not want to see the buildings come down and that he has been out of the loop concerning the litigation between Caldwell and Maudsley and was letting the demolition process take its course.
The city’s Planning Department is reporting that Crosby has not officially requested the process to stop.
The defunct and now fenced-off shopping center in a prime location on Main Street has The city’s Planning Department is reporting that Crosby has not officially requested the process to stop.
The defunct and now fenced-off shopping center in a prime location on Main Street has remained on the minds of residents with the constant question swirling around, “What’s going to happen to Cottonwood Plaza?”
A year ago, tenants began leaving or were asked to leave, and eventually demanded by law enforcement to vacate the 30-year-old shopping center, following a series of complex, litigious and secretive lease complications between several parties.
Many in the community and former tenants have expressed their discontent that land owners who don’t even live locally can force businesses to relocate or leave a building empty for years, such as the case with the old Kmart building.
It has been expressed at many council meetings that public input is critical to city planning and decision-making and residents are encouraged to comment.
The agenda for Monday’s City Council meeting also includes a public hearing on the General Housing Element, a report on water and sewer rates and a discussion relating to Senate Bill 802.
The public will have a chance to comment on the city’s general plan Housing Update. This is an opportunity for residents to raise questions, point out concerns and make recommendations to how to best plan for future and current housing demands in Bishop.
Finding a place to live in Bishop has long been a problem, be it affordability or availability. Northern Inyo Hospital and some county departments have reported that housing is one of the toughest parts about retaining professionals in the area.
The public is urged to comment on this important issue that will affect the future planning in the city.
Council will also discuss SB 802, and will submit a letter to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger urging him to veto the bill.
SB 802, introduced by Senator Mark Leno, 3rd District Democrat from San Francisco, is designed to limit a local agency’s ability to set retention rates to no more than 5 percent in public contracts.
A retention rate is usually 5-10 percent of the amount of the total bid that is held by the owner of a project, until the job is complete. It is a sort of insurance and incentive to have the job completed, or a fund to pull from if a sub-contractor is not paid.
The city states in a letter to the governor that it is common practice to have retention rates at 10 percent then lower them to 5 when the work is near completion.
“Local control over retention rates should be retained as a tool to ensure project completion is on time and within budget,” the city states in its letter. “SB 802 will limit the ability of public agencies to protect themselves by capping the level of retention proceeds and significantly raising the financial risks on construction jobs.”
Pucci added that for a city the size of Bishop, the retention is not a huge deal, but for contracts worth $30-40 million, 10 percent is a large chunk of change.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 08 October 2009 )
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