Fullerton : Move to Save Birthplace of Fender Guitars Fails
The building where Leo Fender created his now-famous electric guitars may not be around much longer after three state justices denied an appeal to save the structure on South Pomona Avenue.
“The battle for trying to save the building is over,” said Gregory Hile, an attorney for a Fullerton potter and a family who were evicted from the building and an adjacent home through the city’s use of condemnation power.
While Hile said he does not plan to appeal the latest denial to the state Supreme Court, he and another attorney, representing the building’s owner, plan to continue with a pending lawsuit that deals with the city’s right to take the land away and the compensation the tenants received in exchange for the land.
The city’s Redevelopment Agency plans to build a parking garage on the site, which is next to the Fullerton Transportation Center.
On May 22, an Orange County Superior Court judge turned down a temporary stay filed on behalf of Carl Kymla, the building’s owner, and his tenant James Kachler, a pottery maker, who maintain that the building has historical value.
An appeal of that decision was denied late Monday by three justices of the state Court of Appeal: Linda McLaughlin, Sheila Sonenshine and John Trotter.
A city spokeswoman said Tuesday that the building probably will be razed Thursday or Friday.
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