Angry citizen's protest
Onstott house leveling
YUBA CITY (3/3/03) -- Bouquets, placards and a makeshift tombstone were on display Monday at the site where the iconic Onstott farmhouse once stood, as angry citizens plan to protest the Sutter County Board of Supervisors failure to protect the Victorian landmark from a developer's bulldozers, a spokesman said.
Citizens furious over the ninja-style demolition of the historic Jacob A. Onstott plan a vigil and protest at the Sutter County Board of Supervisors meeting 7 p.m. tonight (Tuesday), according to preservation architect Bob Mackensen.
Area residents hoping to save the house as part of Sutter County's cultural legacy were shocked and dismayed to find early Thusday morning that 19th century home had been reduced to rubble sometime during the hours of darkness the night before.
A representative from the hastily organized group is expected to demand the supervisors institute an ordinance requiring developers to obtain demolition permit before moving or razing designated as historical resources -- as the Onstott house had been..
"The county has a policy (about demolitions), but no ordinance. It has never lifted a finger to save a building," said preservation architect Bob Mackensen.
Located on the south side of Highway 20 at Harter Road the house was the home to pioneer farming family credited with propogating the seedless grape crop on which the California raisin industry was founded.
Considered to be the quintessential icon of county agricultural history, the Onstott house lay in the path of a planned commerical development. Individuals hoping to save the building had been trying to purchase it from developer Roy Lanza for removal to another site.
Also see this and this.
Onstott house leveling
YUBA CITY (3/3/03) -- Bouquets, placards and a makeshift tombstone were on display Monday at the site where the iconic Onstott farmhouse once stood, as angry citizens plan to protest the Sutter County Board of Supervisors failure to protect the Victorian landmark from a developer's bulldozers, a spokesman said.
Citizens furious over the ninja-style demolition of the historic Jacob A. Onstott plan a vigil and protest at the Sutter County Board of Supervisors meeting 7 p.m. tonight (Tuesday), according to preservation architect Bob Mackensen.
Area residents hoping to save the house as part of Sutter County's cultural legacy were shocked and dismayed to find early Thusday morning that 19th century home had been reduced to rubble sometime during the hours of darkness the night before.
A representative from the hastily organized group is expected to demand the supervisors institute an ordinance requiring developers to obtain demolition permit before moving or razing designated as historical resources -- as the Onstott house had been..
"The county has a policy (about demolitions), but no ordinance. It has never lifted a finger to save a building," said preservation architect Bob Mackensen.
Located on the south side of Highway 20 at Harter Road the house was the home to pioneer farming family credited with propogating the seedless grape crop on which the California raisin industry was founded.
Considered to be the quintessential icon of county agricultural history, the Onstott house lay in the path of a planned commerical development. Individuals hoping to save the building had been trying to purchase it from developer Roy Lanza for removal to another site.
Also see this and this.
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