Scheduled for demolition as part of the Esplanade Residential Development Plan at the former Lehmer’s cite, the historic Masonic Temple apparently has been given a reprieve from the Govenor, er actually, the California Office of Historic Preservation (OHP). In a Januray 4 letter to a Sr. Concord Planner, the OHP opined that the Mitigated Negative Declaration submitted for the project was inadequate and not an appropriate document for the Esplanade Project. The OHP stipulated in the letter that the mitigation measures suggested by the developer: (1) use some architectural elements of the structure; 2) offer the City of Concord $300,000, or 3) incorporate some photos or artifacts into the project could not adequately mitgate the adverse effects of demolishing the structure.
Instead, the OHP recommends a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the project that include specific alternatives, which may give preservationists another opportunity to make its case to save the structure for its historic value to the community.
Film at 11.