Apple Valley moves a step closer to replacing Hilltop House

The town has hired an architect to replace the iconic structure on top of Bass Hill, which has fallen into serious disrepair. While no plans have been drawn up, town officials agree on one thing: the building will be torn down, not restored.

 

Apple Valley has selected an architectural firm that will tear down and replace one of the town’s best-known, but long dilapidated, landmarks.

In a 5-0 vote, the town council on April 12 hired the Architerra Design Group to demolish and replace Hilltop House. The former entertainment venue and community gathering place is located on 20 acres on Bass Hill next to Highway 18, directly above the Apple Valley Inn.

Town officials condemned the property – which has been fenced off and closed to the public for years –  in 2016.

Last month, the council voted unanimously to demolish the decaying structure and replace it with something similar, but not identical to, the original building.

Whatever plans are developed, they will not include a restoration of what remains of Hilltop House, which offers a panoramic view of the Victor Valley.

“The building needs to come down,” Councilman Art Bishop said shortly before the council’s vote in favor of Architerra Design. “Speaking as a retired fire chief, I can tell you it’s completely unsafe. It’s a danger and a hazard, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to preserve the history of the building.”

Architerra Design is a full-service architecture and design firm in Rancho Cucamonga that works in the western United States. It was chosen over two other firms, in part because of its experience with historic and educational projects, according to a staff report.

Replacing Hilltop House will be done in three phases: design, demolition and construction. Architerra Design responsible for the design phase, estimated to cost $75,465, the report states.

Cost of all three phases has not been established.

Hilltop House has probably generated more interest and more conversation than any issue in Apple Valley during the past few years, Councilman Scott Nassif said.

“We call it Hilltop House even though it hasn’t been a house in 50 years,” Nassif said during last week’s council meeting. “A lot of people are interested in this property and what it’s going to become. It will be something different, and it will be something the whole community can enjoy. I’m looking forward to that.”

The next step is for Architerra Design to present design plans to the city, which could happen by late summer.

“Once that happens, we can start to figure out what this will cost and what grants we should apply for, because that’s how we’re going to pay for it,” Nassif said during a telephone interview.

Besides removing a potential health hazard, preserving some of Hilltop House’s history is the most important aspect of the project, according to Bishop.

“We need to keep as much of the history of that building as we can,” Bishop said. “I think everyone in the community has that thought. We need to work on that.”

Some possibilities for the property include an observation deck, parking spaces, hiking trails with benches, a revamped driveway, an educational component and public recreational space.

“They haven’t completed the design yet,” Town Manager Doug Robertson said of Architerra Design, whose local projects include a rooftop garden on the Kaiser-Permanente building in Fontana. “They did express some ideas to our staff which I can’t divulge, but they’re pretty exciting. They do a fantastic job of preserving some of the history that we have left there.”

Lots of residents, some of them members of local historic and preservation groups, have made suggestions regarding how to preserve or restore Hilltop House and its surrounding property, according to Robertson.

“I think we will end up with 100 people taking credit for the ideas [that are approved], and that’s fine,” Robertson said. “People are very engaged and excited about this project, including people on staff.”

Hilltop House was built in the 1950s by Newton T. Bass and Bud Westlund, the founders of Apple Valley, according to a page on the town’s website that details the property’s history.

Bass and Westlund owned and operated Apple Valley Ranchos Land Company, and they intended Hilltop House to be a marketing tool to attract homebuyers.

The structure, which was used for business conferences and community gatherings, burned down in 1967 but was rebuilt one year later.  It was bought in 2000 by 360 Apple West, LLC, a. Nevada investment group and suffered another fire nine years later.

In May 2016, Apple Valley purchased Hilltop House for $310,000 with money from the town’s general fund and a $160,000 grant from the National Park Service. One year later, the town council placed the property in the town’s park system.

Despite the town’s best efforts, people still get into the structure and cause damage.

“We do the best we can to keep the property secured, but people tear down our fences as quickly as we put them up,” Robertson said. “But it is not a safe place to be and people shouldn’t go there. It is closed to the public. Wait until we get the property back in order before you go visit.”

Hilltop House is part of Apple Valley’s history, and it should be replaced with something similar to the original design, said Bob Tinsley an Apple Valley resident for nearly 50 years.

“It’s a shame what has happened to that property,” said Tinsley, who has been active in community affairs during his time in the High Desert. “It was not easy to get to, but it was a fun place to be. I owned a construction company and we used to have our Christmas party there. It was a great setting.”