A state agency has rejected a study by the Guidiville Rancheria as the Rancheria looks for money to tear down the old Palace Hotel in downtown Ukiah. MenedoFever.com reports the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board says there is no evidence that the building is in imminent danger of collapse and needs to be torn down to address ground contamination concerns. The rancheria had submitted a consultant report with that claim but the board says those findings don’t justify tearing the historic building down. The Rancheria and a group of investors want to buy the property for commercial development and say there are petroleum storage tanks under public sidewalks nearby that could be leaking. Preservation groups oppose demolishing the hotel. They say it has significant historical value and can be renovated despite its current condition.
The Lakeport City Council will look at its goals for the coming fiscal year this week. The council holds its regular meeting tomorrow evening and City Manager Kevin Ingram is on the agenda to lead a discussion of where the city should focus as it writes its new budget. The Council will also consider several routine items during the session that start at 6 PM tomorrow at the Council Chambers. You can look over the full agenda on the city’s website.
Crews are scrambling to rescue hundreds of people, stuck on a portion of Highway 1 in Big Sur. A part of that road collapsed Sunday leaving drivers and their passengers stranded with no way out. Police have set up convoys including some led by horses–to lead people out. Some of them slept in their cars, while others were out up for the night at motels and lodges in that area of Monterrey County. Heavy rain may have caused the roadway to slide away.
