Caltrans building demolition plan peeves committee

A plan to demolish the former Caltrans buildings on Mono Way in Sonora has riled members of the Tuolumne Heritage Committee. 

The Caltrans station, which dates back to the 1930s or ’40s, served as the maintenance yard and office until about 16 years ago, when Caltrans moved the yard to Montezuma Junction on Highway 49, said Sharon Marovich, the committee’s chairwoman. 
  

The former station includes a cottage-style building and shed at Mono Way and Greenley Road, across from the Sonora Plaza.

Marovich said the demolition is coming in a time of a state economic crisis. 

“With the state government running on fumes, there’s still enough money to demolish one of Tuolumne County’s landmark properties,” she said.

The heritage committee is advocating that Caltrans offer the buildings or the materials to the public through an auction process.

This would be a more environmentally-friendly option, Marovich said.

A letter from James Gonzales, senior right-of-way agent chief for the Department of Transportation’s central region real property services, said the property has been under review for the past three years. 

This included two reviews of whether the property had archaeological or historical significance, added Lisa Balcom, public information officer for Caltrans.

The department has secured funding, and the contractor plans to start demolition this week, she said.

The funding is only good until the end of June, Gonzales wrote.

The department has reviewed the possibility of public sale, but found demolition was the only option, he said.

“Had an interest been shown in the property, it would have been considered for public auction,” Balcom said.
Ideally, Marovich would like to see the office building moved to another location and be renovated for another use, she said.

“There is still a lot of life left in that building,” she said.