• Brown House Solution Nears

January 17th, 2017 is D-Day for the Brown House
That is when the Wildomar Historical Society (WHS) must come to some agreement with Strata Equity Group (developers of Baxter Village).

In less than a year, the ground under this "landmark" will be graded for a new development (Baxter Village).

The Wildomar Library (AKA Mission Trail Library) was the site of a meeting for concerned citizens, in regards to the fate of the Brown House. 

The only notice of the meeting that I saw came from a Facebook update.

Though the meeting time was shared by the Mayor, the audience still only had 7 people in it, that's counting the librarian that dropped by for a spell. 

The meeting lasted about an hour. 

There was a PowerPoint presentation, discussion and opinions that ranged from how the house got to its current location, to the various options that the WHS is mulling over.

It came down to the three proposals that are on the table.

A: Relocation Onsite

• Applicant will donate the property to (WHS).
• Move Brown House and Water Tower off property for grading.
• Remove hazardous materials in the house.
• Renovation of the house and tower.
• Funding and contracts for project [in place] within 10 months.
• 2 month notice to remove and relocate if can't accomplish.

This plan comes with an estimated price tag of $520,000 and is the least realistic. 

Though WHS point-[wo]man Kristan Lloyd would prefer "the whole kit and caboddle" (meaning a refurbished Brown House, and tower, as the center point of the coming development), there isn't enough time to raise that kind of capital.

B: Offsite Relocation

• Applicant agrees to construct a public gathering space within the commercial area of the project.
• Applicant would enter into an access agreement with WHS for approximately 7500sf of property.
• WHS would be responsible for completing the community space with displays/kiosks that represent our Americana Era to present.
• Remove the Brown House and Tower within 6 months and completed within 9 months after the execution of this agreement.
• Applicant will provide $5500 for documentation of the buildings.

This had a ballpark figure of between $30,000 and $80,000 that would need to be raised to complete. With about an equal split, according to the paperwork handed out, going to the removal of the current buildings and constructing the displays.

In this option, whatever parts of the Brown House and Tower are not salvaged by the WHS, the developer will dispose of.

C: Offsite Relocation

• Applicant agrees to contribute a cash payment of $30,000.
• WHS responsible for disposal and removal of buildings within 9 months of the agreement (Jan 17, 2017), including hazardous waste disposal. (Estimated to be $45,000)

This has to be the least desirable option. 

Though Strata would be chipping in $30K, the WHS would still need to raise $15K just to end up with nothing. No Brown House, no water tower (well, more on that in a minute) and no dedicated space in Baxter Village.

Seems like a no brainer to nix Option C, and with the costs and general lack of community concern, plan A is out too.

Through the process of elimination that leaves Option B

In a little more than 5 weeks, one of the above deals has to be agreed to, and it looks like the Brown House will finally be off that corner, where it's stood for nearly 11 years, by the end of next year.

The WHS would like community input on which plan you like best. They are planning to conduct an online poll at their facebook page.

Link to WHS facebook page

One of the images in the paperwork handed out at the meeting.

Link to WHS website

They will be making the final decision at their next board meeting which is just after the new year. If you have an opinion, or would like more information, I'm sure they'd love to hear from you.

Valley News Article on the Brown House from 2006

2013 PE article (which sounds eerily like it could have been written last month)

There is another place where the tower might go next, and it's not all that far from where it originally was. There is a new development near McVicar and Grand where it may end up.

It was said that Planning Commission Chair Veronica Langworthy had suggested her property as a place for the water tower to go to if need be. Also, at this meeting, Kenny Mayes said the tower could go on his land too.

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“Skill without imagination is craftsmanship and gives us many useful objects such as wickerwork picnic baskets. Imagination without skill gives us modern art.”

— Tom Stoppard, 1972

Wildomar Rap basically hates "modern art." That term has become nothing more than a hackneyed euphemism for "100% mind-numbing garbage."