Comments on: Janeway/ Trueblood House

By: James Huang, DO

James Huang, DO — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 04:23:12 +0000

What purpose would a restored Janeway house serve? Would it be a museum? Would admission be charged? If a $5 admission was charged, it would take 95K visitors to break even assuming the acquisition cost was $475K and not counting the renovation costs.

Aren’t there other needs in YL?

Thank you for your blog!

By: Jan Horton

Jan Horton — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 04:00:07 +0000

Thank you so much for writing and commenting on this home. If you have more information on the history of this home or Yorba Linda in general, I would love to hear from you.

By: Raymond Janeway

Raymond Janeway — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 22:57:56 +0000

I am the great grandson of Luther Janeway. MY grandfather, Rev John Janeway, when I was a child would tell us how is family baby sat President Nixon at thier house when he was young. I was able to finally see the house a few years ago. If I had the money to buy and restore the house I would do so but I have to agree with the other comments in that saving seems to be more of a drain on your city than it is worth. The main intrest I have in the house your blog was the history of my family.

By: Jan Horton

Jan Horton — Sun, 30 May 2010 03:01:47 +0000

We all voted to purchase this property for a number of very different reasons. We were facing possible litigation from the previous owner. In reality, we would have been faced with paying for her “losses” with the costs undetermined. I can assure you that is the primary reason I voted to purchase the property. I have made it perfectly clear during Council meetings, there is a time limit on how long the house will sit in its current condition. Either a viable person/ group with financial backing will start the rehabilitation within a year or the house will be removed from the property and the property re-purposed.

By: Susan

Susan — Sun, 30 May 2010 00:18:14 +0000

@T.M., per Jan’s inital blog about this post, they ALL voted to save this property.

“.. the City Council unanimously approved the purchase of the property and to “mothball” the structure protecting it from further deterioration.”

By: T.M.

T.M. — Sat, 01 May 2010 23:30:27 +0000

Jan,
I am appalled. After reading the two blogs here on saving these houses, I am in shock that any council member would be so irresponsible to do such thing. What an enormous waste of taxpayers money. Please post the council members names that were responsible for this ridiculous act so those of us that prefer to vote them out during the next election can be sure we know exactly who they are.
T.M.

By: Jim Carder

Jim Carder — Sat, 01 May 2010 17:35:35 +0000

It would be nice to see some kind of documentation on how the price was arrived at. It would also be nice to some pictures of the inside of the house to know what we are dealing with.

If I remember right this sounds like another Council folly similiar to paying $600,000 and some odd taxpayers dollars to redo the landscaping on Imperial Highway after Caltrans completed the expansion because it wasn’t the “Yorba Linda” way. Every time I drive through there I think about how they wasted our money. Same goes for every time I drive by the house. That thing will fall to the ground in another year. Termite haven.

By: L. Poston

L. Poston — Sat, 01 May 2010 06:10:59 +0000

I think the house is beautiful.

By: Jan Horton

Jan Horton — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 01:23:33 +0000

This is done Marcy. I encourage everyone interested on this topic to attend a Council meeting soon and to speak during public comments. Remember we have a 3 majority Council. That means when something is going to get passed by the three that is not good public policy, the best I can do is minimize the effect of the decision.That is what happened here. If the majority is allowed to continue after the next election and/or they are able to get an additional ally elected, there is no doubt they will use City funds to rehabilitate the home. Estimates right now are between $500,000 to $800,000! I have been very vocal that this now has to be done by a private group. I do not support using City staff to find funding sources. If a private group comes forward with a funding source that requires the City to sign off on the project, no problem. But the residents of Yorba Linda have paid enough for this home.

By: Marcy from The Glamorous Life Association

Marcy from The Glamorous Life Association — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:12:05 +0000

Why on earth did we buy this?
I am a HUGE historian buff and it turns my stomach to see any piece of OC history lost…BUT this property is so so so SO far beyond saving. I have followed this property…thru all of this….and I was just floored at where it has taken the city. I actually went to the property to see for my self (as a restoration buff) and let me tell you…there is nothing there that can be ‘preserved’ or even restored. It will all have to be ‘re-created’ in a Disneyesque manner.

Thank you for covering this issue on your blog. I plan to attend the next city meeting when this is discussed!!!!!!!!