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rc. Jig Ills- �llil s ..,.xa mva.,, ♦ i . tt RICH THORPE LOADS REDWOOD BOARDS FROM THE WINERY'S TANKS ONTO A PICKUP Community winery sold Purchasers plan on building subdivision j By TOM MERLINOS-MATA deteriorating." escrow a couple of weeks ago. A News-Sentinel staff writer Known for many years as pilrchase price was not disclos- The old Community Winery on Community Winery, the facility ed. Turner Road, which produced underwent numerous name and Despite the general decline of wine for almost 80 years before ownerships changes from the 60s the buildings on the property, falling victim to deterioration until .its recent demise. It has Thorpe said about 100 redwood and vandalism during the last been referred to as Allied, tanks were split apart and run two years,has new owners. Italian Swiss Colony and United through a mill to smooth out the Jim Thorpe Oil Co. and Ford Vinters winery and has been rough edges and remove inside Construction Co., both of Lodi, owned by those cooperatives as and outside stains. have purchased the winery and well as Heublein and, most The result is an abundance of the 13 acres it sits on. They plan recently,ERLY Industries. clear, hard redwood that Thorpe to seek rezoning of the land and The property; said Thorpe, said will be available for public turn it into a subdivision mod- was for sale for a long time,ini- sale from 30 a.m to 7 -p.m, eled after nearby Rivergate tially as a viable winery. But through Sunday at the winery, 1 subdivision. - when the Rivergate subdivision W..TurnerRoad. - _"We're looking at developing went in on adjacent property, The barrels ranged in size something like Rivergate, and the winery's "days were from 7,000 to 20,000 gallons in we hope to do it as expeditiously numbered,"he said. Mokelumne capacity. The strips, said as possible,"said Jim Thorpe. Village subdivision, another re- Thorpe, are 2Y4-inch thick and The property is currently zon- cent development, is directly are anywhere from four to 20 fin- ed for heavy manufacturing east of the winery. ches wide and four to 20 feet in uses,but Thorpe said he hopes to "It's like building homes length. convince the city Planning around an airport," he said. Thorpe, who has been in the Commission and City Council to "Eventually something's got, to petroleum business for 21 years, downzone it for a mix of residen- give, and usually it's the air- said this is his first attempt at tial uses. port." being a developer. The Ford ` "The winery was decommis Thorpe said his firm and Ford Construction Co. will not be do- sionedin 1986,"said Jim Thorpe, Construction made an offer to ing the building since it deals "and has been sitting idle and ERLY Industries and closed mostlt with earthmoving