Supes discuss Herlong Theater plans
After having to hold off on transferring the Herlong Theater for five years, the county is now pursuing what to do with the building.
In 2012, the county adopted a resolution, which included the directive to transfer the building to the Forts Sage Unified School District.
“We’ve been trying to move this property into someone else’s hands since probably 2012, maybe a little before that,” said Deputy Director of Facilities Maintenance Pete Heimbigner during the April 16 Lassen County Board of Supervisors meeting.
In 2013, however, the county hit a snag with approving the transfer.
A new roof put on around 2012 pushed back plans. The roof was put on through a community development block grant, according to Heimbigner, and included a five-year deed restriction, limiting a transfer for five years.
“That actually sunsets of June of this year,” said Heimbigner.
Heimbigner said the county started negotiating an MOU with the school district, which, according to an April 2014 article in the Lassen County Times, held the district responsible for long-term maintenance and care of the facility until 2019. However, Heimbigner noted the district ultimately decided they did not want the building.
Currently, one of the only uses of the building is the district’s high school graduation in June.
“We’re trying to revisit what we can do to move that into a private sector or some non-profit hands and move from there,” said Heimbigner.
The maintenance cost is pretty minimal, Heimbigner said, as it is essentially “moth-balled” for the majority of the year.
Supervisor Tom Hammond noted he showed the building to someone who might be interested.
The supervisors directed staff to develop a request for proposals to pass off the building.
