(rshsdepot) Live Oak, CA

[Jim Dent <jdent1_@_optonline.net>]

From the Marysville Appeal-Democrat...

Tuesday, March 11, 2003
New life envisioned for depot
Residents aim to preserve historic building

Bill Blackwell II
Appeal-Democrat

After the recent demolition of the Onstott House in Sutter County, Jennifer
Hysmith and former Live Oak city clerk Lorie Adams went to the Live Oak City
Council meeting Wednesday ready to defend a historic building they cared
about.

They were both under the impression the city planned to tear down the
California & Oregon Railroad depot at Broadway and Elm Street and went to
the meeting to provide an alternative choice.

The 1,256-square-foot depot was built in 1876 as part of the original
California & Oregon Railroad incorporated line from Marysville to Portland,
Ore.

The building hasn't been used in 15 years and is currently in disrepair.

It was bought by Union Pacific Railroad in 1996, said company spokesman Mike
Furteny.

The depot is one of nine buildings in the Live Oak Commercial District, 21
acres of land along Broadway between Elm Street and Pennington Road. It was
listed in the National Registry of Historic Places on Jan. 23, 1998,
according to Paul Lusignan, a historian with the Department of the Interior.

According to Furteny, Union Pacific doesn't know anything about the depot
being listed on the national register. The company has an agreement with the
city stating if they find a buyer for the property who is not interested in
the depot, it's the city's responsibility to move it or tear it down.

"If it were up to the railroad, we would just tear the place down," Furteny
said. "While of course, we would like the town to have its say, the final
decision must be financial."

The railroad often acquires properties that have buildings on them which are
the oldest in town, Furteny said. The buildings are often in disrepair, but
people don't want the buildings torn down because they remember going there
as children, Furteny said.

"If it weren't a financial decision, we'd have little run-down buildings all
over the place," Furteny said.

The majority of those buildings aren't registered as historic places,
Furteny said.

According to Lusignan, an environmental impact report would have to be done
on the area before any federal funds are used to destroy or move any of the
structures on the site.

The national register program is an honorary program designed to bring
recognition to an area, making it eligible for grants and other funding for
improvements.

"In 1995, the city of Live Oak approved an ordinance to improve the area,
and in eight years, they haven't done anything," Adams said.

The city has a $35,000 grant due in April that could be used for the
planning and engineering part of the process, Adams said.

When Hysmith presented her idea to turn the depot into a visitors center and
real estate office, she learned the city had no intention of razing the
depot.

City officials were at a loss to explain why Hysmith thought the depot was
in jeopardy.

"I thought we had dispelled that notion," said Mayor Judy Richards. "We kept
trying to assure them of that."

Because of the city's agreement with Union Pacific, the council voted to
look into the cost of moving or destroying the structure.

"The council had (the city manager) look into the cost to tear it down and
move it," Richards said. "We kept hoping somebody would come along before it
came to that."

There have been four serious attempts to buy the depot since July, said
director of city planning John Linhart, none of which have been successful.

Hysmith's plan was to work with Adams in securing grants and get the
community involved in restoring the depot.

Her husband, a general contractor, has offered to provide labor and
expertise.

She's been in touch with a local building supplier who said he would provide
lumber and other supplies, and she's heard from several other residents
pledging their help, Hysmith said.

"I do have community support," she said.

Hysmith told the council that she envisioned the depot as someplace people
could relax, pick up a map and learn about the area, she said.

"I'm not looking at this as like a business opportunity," she said. "I'm
looking at this to save the depot."

The council couldn't take any action on the issue because it was not on the
agenda, Linhart said.

Richards said the council would probably schedule a working session for the
next council meeting to discuss the issue.



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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

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