1/29/98
by Claude Delphia
The efforts to save and restore the Del Puerto hotel has now reached a crisis point. This next week may well be the decisive moment that determines whether the hotel will be saved and restored or demolished and a replica built in its place.
The following is a recounts of what's on all on in the last three months -- a period which has been relatively silent as far as news of what has been taking place in various meetings.
The effort to save the Del Puerto hotel changed course in November of last year. At that time the board of directors of the Patterson Township Historical Society decided to eliminate in the restoration committee which had started in June of 1996 as the Save The Hotel Committee.
The historical society board eliminated the committee because they believed that they should negotiate directly with the city of Patterson without the restoration committee’s involvement or consideration, especially since the committee was pro restoration. It was their plan that the board members would take on the leadership of the various activities that the restoration committee had been conducting. However only the fund-raising committee continued its efforts through the first part of December. Almost all other committees ceased to function.
During the last three months the historical society board has continued various talks and discussions with the City of Patterson regarding the purchase of the hotel for use as City Hall.
After making a presentation to the City of Patterson City Council, the City Council hired architect Ernie Yoshino of Turlock to formulate estimates of the costs of restoring the hotel or building a replica, or a combination scenario.
Yoshino’s estimates have now been reported to the city. In simple terms, option 1, to build a replica of the Hotel as a new City Hall, would cost in excess of 1.4 million dollars. In this scenario the hotel would be completely demolished and a new building built as a replica. City Manager George Lambert indicated that the new City Hall would probably cost more than $1.5 million in final costs. The second scenario would be a partial restoration saving the outer walls of the existing hotel. This would cost over 1.7 million dollars. The third scenario would be complete "restoration," as they euphemistically call it, and would cost over $1.8 million.
Unfortunately architect Yoshino’s idea of restoration includes the complete removal of all exterior stucco and other construction that no serious or knowledgeable restorationist would consider. This demonstrates that Yoshino does not understand what restoration is. There are other examples in his estimates and statements that indicate his lack of knowledge of restoration. This does not imply that he isn't a good architect, it just means that he lacks knowledge of restoration and is not sensitive to the meaning of restoration as specified by the National Park Service for the preservation of historical buildings. Restoration architecture is a specialty and it clearly isn’t his.
In a historical society board meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 27, city manager George Lambert explained that he believed community residents would be happier with a replica of the hotel as it would contain no cracks or other indications of age — everything would be brand new. His concept is that the new replica would look like the hotel as it appeared when it was finished in 1910. He clearly does not appreciate old or historical things. Some people don’t, and that’s their right. However it is not their right to assume that others who appreciate old and historical things are wrong or even in a minority. Based on the number of people who cherish antiques in there homes and the people who have restored many of Patterson’s older homes, there are plenty of people in Patterson who enjoy looking at historical buildings and probably would rather see cracks which indicate that it is old and authentic.
He also stated that the average person looking at the replica of the hotel would see little change from before the fire. Unfortunately the architects plan's show considerable variations from the historical building. There would be new extensions to the front porch on the northwest corner and of course the large trees on each side of the front porch would be gone. It is presumed that the two palm trees in front would remain.
Any person who has lived here and visited the Hotel during the last few years would immediately know that the exterior was not a replica, but just an attempt to disguise the "Taj Mahal" office space inside the pseudo replica walls. A quick look at the plans indicates a pretty elaborate and somewhat ostentatious interior. Whether that’s what the City Council wants, the City Manager appears to be happy with the plan and seems to find the $1.5 cost acceptable, IF it can be financed.
Unfortunately the historical society board appears to agree that is better to at least have a replica rather than investigate a more feasible way to restore the Hotel.
At this point the historical society board has been offered more time on the mortgage balloon payment in order to explore options with the city and at least one buyer who has come forward and is interested in restoring the hotel fully and in the truest meaning of restoration. In addition, the National Trust For Historic Preservation has taken a more active interest in the Hotel as a result of an application for the Hotel to be included in this June’s 11 Most Endangered Sites in America. The Trust regional representative has offered the Trust’s services as a broker to find someone who will restore the building and or help finance its construction through the exchange of tax credits with large corporations. For those who don’t know, the National Trust holds title to some of the biggest and most important historical homes outside of local or federal ownership. It has regional offices in most states and an office in San Franciso and Los Angeles.
Again, unfortunately, the PTHS board appears disinclined to spend much more effort in finding a way to restore the hotel and seems more willing to give in to the idea of a replica and exerting their influence over how the replica turns out. While not conclusive, it appears the board is more interested in making sure that an appropriate building replaces the hotel rather than making further effort to restore one of Patterson's two most important historical landmarks.
Over the last year and half the entire effort of the restoration committee was always to save the hotel and to find ways to restore it. It was never the intent of the restoration committee -- never even considered -- that the purpose was to facilitate a replica or new building on that site. The purpose of the historical society -- any historical society -- is to put its efforts towards preserving historical objects or buildings. When a historical society sees its goal as getting rid of its obligations, even as it is being offered other options, it has lost its way.
One additional note on the Historical Society board. When it was suggested that they needed to be more communicative with former members of the committee and the community in general, board members decided that they had held enough open board meetings (although most were unannounced) and that their minutes were available for anyone who wished to make the effort to seek them out. They generally felt there was no need to inform the membership any further at this point. However they did leave open the option that they might put forth more information after next Tuesdays city council meeting the next mornings board meeting. That Friday, Feb. 6th board meeting is at 9 a.m. at a board members home. Please call Board President, Mike Wright for the address. His number is 892-6284.
On Tuesday night, the city council is expected to hear a report on the architects estimates from the city staff. Architect Ernie Yoshino is also expected to be present to answer questions. Then next Friday morning at 9 a.m. the historical society will hold a board meeting and decide what further efforts will be made, if any. If they do not like what they hear from the council -- for example if the council no longer favors the project, or needs too much time -- like six months -- the board may exercise its option to quit claim deed the property back to Vee Hooper, the mortgage holder.
This next week will be a decisive moment -- perhaps the last -- in the effort to save and restore the hotel. It is therefore important that all those who want to see the building saved and restored should attend Tuesday's city council meeting and then the historical society's board meeting on Friday.
***
Originally published on a hurried basis on 1/28/98, the board meeting date was corrected on 1/29/98 at about 7 p.m. Hopefully I will by able to follow it with additional facts on the architects estimates and others opinions in the next few days.