Bishop - Council eyes Cottonwood aestethics

Imagine Bishop’s Cottonwood Plaza with just a sign displaying empty marquees, a boarded-up Burger King, a dirt lot and a leaning fence.
This is a worst-case scenario – presented this week to local officials and residents – for the once popular shopping center if the demolition of the retail and office buildings proceeds.
At Monday’s Bishop City Council meeting, there was a public hearing and consideration of the initial study of the Environmental Impact Report for possible demolition. No party has requested a permit for demolition, and no party answered the council’s questions as to why the study was being done.
Both Richard Maudsley, former lessee of the buildings and the party responsible for requesting the study, and Lee Crosby, owner and controller of the property, were in attendance Monday, but neither would speak on the issue.
The council and staff presumed the environmental work was being done to make the property, which has recently been put on the market, more attractive to buyers. The study took more than four months to complete, City Administrator Rick Pucci said. Because the property lies on a state highway, the process had to go through the State Clearing House. With this paperwork complete, a buyer would only have to take out the demolition permit, if desired, and begin tear-down work almost immediately.
There was no public comment on the matter but Council members Jeff Griffiths and Bruce Dishion took exception with the possible aesthetic impacts of a demolition.

First some clarification had to be made, as to who exactly was doing what with the property following more than a year of complex and secretive litigation.
Maudsley raised his hand to confirm he was the party that had filed for the study. He has just finished up a lawsuit with former ground lessee Charles Caldwell that ended with Maudsley being stuck with the responsibility of razing the buildings.
Dishion also wondered if there were any numbers on how much it would cost to get the center up to code. There are reportedly several infrastructure problems including a broken elevator.

Following a hearing Monday regarding an environmental study of possible demolition of Cottonwood Plaza, the Bishop City Council expressed concerns about aesthetics of the commercial center in the event the buildings are ever torn down. Photo by Kellie Caparula

There was no response from Crosby or Maudsley.
After reviewing a map of the requested demolition areas at the plaza, Griffiths pointed out that it is just the two buildings that are being removed, not the signs. Pucci then answered Griffiths’ question that there is no permit required to remove the blacktop from the property.
“So, there will be a rusting pole with empty signs, brown grass, an empty Burger King, a rickety fence and a dirt lot,” Griffiths said. “It doesn’t sound like a very attractive picture to me.”
“And why are we doing this, why was the permit taken?” Dishion asked, staring directly at Maudsley and Crosby.
Dishion also asked if there was to be some reassurance that the property would be maintained, at least the water turned on for groundskeeping.
Maudsley turned to Crosby and said softly, “Do you want to say something?”
Crosby smiled and shook his head.
Council member Laura Smith said that “the consensus on the street” is that residents would rather see an empty lot than what is there now.
Griffiths said he was worried about the aesthetic impacts the demolition would have on the community – blowing dust and overgrown weeds. Pucci said additional landscaping requirements could be established.
The council ultimately approved the Mitigated Negative Declaration of Environmental Impact for the demolition, Griffiths the only abstainer.
Smith then said she hoped that the aesthetics would be maintained at the plaza.
Dishion said he trusted Crosby to maintain the property.
Griffiths said he did not accept the study, “because too much damage has been done to the community because of the plaza, and it’s my hope that the next owner will keep the best interests of the community in mind.”
There is still no word on what is to become of the plaza.
The entire 2.6-acre parcel with all three improvements is on the market for $1.95 million, “as is,” according to Stan Smith, owner/broker with Pleasant Valley Associates.
Smith said that despite the weak economy, he had received unsolicited interest on the property before it even went on the market weeks ago. He added there have already been five interested parties, and four “food users” looking at the Burger King facility and one “major Bishop retailer” interested in the old Thirfty Drugstore location.
Smith said that at the price being asked, the buildings are basically free.