Chino Valley council approves purchase of historic Fred Harvey parcel, adds contingency for stabilization

Chino Valley's Town Council approved a staff-recommended purchase of a historic parcel associated with the Fred Harvey farm and approved a contingency transfer to fund emergency stabilization work.

Staff told the council the parcel is being offered to the town through the Trust for Public Lands (TPL) at a reduced sale price of $150,000; the property was appraised in February 2024 at $570,000. Staff presented two stabilization-cost scenarios: a full stabilization plan including demolition of an unstable mule barn and related work that staff estimated at roughly $197,658, and a lower-cost stabilization approach using fencing for safety that would reduce stabilization to about $168,798. Staff said the town had already budgeted $285,000 for property acquisition and that, if stabilization option two is pursued, total expenses for acquisition and stabilization would be approximately $345,298, or $60,298 more than budgeted.

"The staff recommendation is to approve purchase and the purchase and sale agreement with TPL to acquire the historic building property for a hundred and 50,000 and to approve a transfer from contingency in the amount of 60,298 to fund the emergency stabilization efforts," staff said during the presentation.

Council members asked staff to continue looking for grants, donations and public-private partnerships to reduce the town's outlay. Staff noted a stabilization report prepared by Otwell Associates and said that some structures (for example, the bunkhouse) are in relatively good condition while the mule barn's foundation is insufficient and likely could not be fully stabilized without extensive work. Staff recommended fencing the mule barn to preserve options for future restoration while restricting access.

A motion adopting Resolution 2024-1277 to acquire the parcel at the offered price and to transfer contingency funds for emergency stabilization was made, seconded and carried by voice vote.

The resolution and staff report identify the parcel as unique: staff said the buildings in Chino Valley on this site are the only remaining buildings associated with a Fred Harvey farm in the country. Staff also told council there is an additional parcel near Sullivan Lake (with petroglyphs and climbing features) that may be offered to the town at no cost and would be brought forward in a later report.

The council's action authorizes the purchase and the contingency transfer; staff said procurement and bidding will still be required for any stabilization work, and they will pursue donations and partnership options to reduce net town costs.