MARYSVILLE, Calif. — Tensions are high between Hotel Marysville operators and the city of Marysville as leaders address the aftermath of a fire in June that rendered the building a total loss.
In early October, a three-member panel unaffiliated with either party ordered the building to be demolished, and hotel representatives said this is the city’s way of evading restoration efforts.
“Since the June 2024 fire, the city of Marysville has consistently obstructed our efforts to address issues at the property, engaging in what we view as continued harassment and intentional interference with our progress,” representatives said. “The city of Marysville has actively worked to prevent restoration efforts and is wasting taxpayer dollars. They have denied necessary permits, fabricated non-existent requirements and pushed for demolition without proper cause or investigation.”
A hotel statement said the city’s actions suggest a vendetta against Hotel Marysville ownership rather than genuine concern for public safety or community interests.
Hotel Marysville spokespersons also provided ABC10 with a link to a webpage further accusing the city of both suspicious handling of the fire and a personal vendetta against hotel operators.
City response
Jim Schaad, Marysville's city manager, issued the local entity's response.
“No permits have been denied,” he said.
Schaad said the city requirements for the owner to proceed with work are the same requirements as would be expected of any property owner, and the city awaits the owner’s signature and fee payment to issue permittance.
“...The city is willing to negotiate a workable settlement with the owner considering that the property is worth approximately $500,000 after abatement and demolition,” Schaad said. “Demolition bids were solicited by the city and costed by multiple contractors with a low bid of $2.8 million. The ‘cause’ or reason for demolition is to abate the public nuisance of a building that has been deemed a structural risk, has known friable asbestos within, has shut down a state highway, created regional traffic issues and negatively impacted businesses and other development projects…”
Schaad said a Marysville Police Department arson investigation is still active, and information related to open investigations is not shared with the public. The owner has hired a private firm to investigate the cause and origin of the fire, and the city has shared information to the extent it can without compromising the arson investigation, he said.
“To the best of my knowledge, the city has not prevented the investigator from entering the building, the investigator has not entered the building and the owner has not shared any of their investigation results,” Schaad said.
He said Hotel Marysville’s owner has yet to provide the city with a plan how they will remediate the nuisance and abate asbestos in the building.
“...The city’s preferred approach if it were to move forward with abatement would be to demolish the building,” he said.
Marysville declared a state of emergency just under a week after the June blaze as it created both a public safety concern and a transportation nightmare. Business owners expressed frustration in July over road closures the fire caused and worried then the shutdowns would reduce business during the holidays.
