Preservationists want court-appointed monitor at Mapes site

Wednesday, Dec. 29, 1999 | 9:47 a.m.

The motion filed on Tuesday was made after advocates for the 52-year-old landmark watched demolition crews remove pumps and close wells on the property.

Preservations claimed the work could be in violation of a court order prohibiting further damage to the building while the case is in court.

"This is not something to play around with," said Jeff Dickerson, a lawyer for the preservationists. "We were concerned about these pumps, given the lack of information and nobody informing us."

City officials said the pumps and wells can be removed without harming the 12-story structure. But they ordered crews to stop work anyway to avoid a perception that they were violating the court order.

"These wells have to be plugged and abandoned no matter what," said Mike Melner, chief deputy city attorney. But Melner said the work would stop "because we don't want to stir up discontent."

Washoe District Judge James Hardesty last week rejected a lawsuit by preservationists that claimed the Reno City Council violated the state's Open Meeting Law when it voted in September to demolish the building that has sat vacant for 17 years.

Preservationists appealed to the Nevada Supreme Court, which issued a Dec. 23 order that allowed crews to clean up loose material from the roof by prohibited further demolition until a ruling in the case is made.

The Mapes is scheduled to be imploded on Jan. 30, Super Bowl Sunday. A city spokeswoman said the pumps need to be removed and the wells sealed before the state will allow the implosion to occur.