FULLERTON : Izaak Walton Cabin Rebuilding Studied

The City Council has taken a step closer to rebuilding the historic Izaak Walton Cabin, which burned down last year in Hillcrest Park in Fullerton.

The council voted last week to begin a $15,000 study that would look into consultant and design services to evaluate construction designs for the cabin.

At the time of the Dec. 23 fire, the 1926 cabin was being renovated to repair the roof and improve fire safety. Two months before the fire, the city had authorized $25,000 in redevelopment funds for the project under the Izaak Walton League, a private conservation group.

The cabin, which is on city property, is operated by the league and used primarily for local Boy Scout functions.

After the blaze, league members began looking for money to rebuild the destroyed cabin. When they found out that the city might receive up to $90,000 from an insurance claim, the league and city staff began meeting to discuss funding possibilities.

Fullerton Councilman A.B. (Buck) Catlin said the use of the cabin has been limited to only league activities and the Boy Scouts. However, if the city goes into joint effort with the Izaak Walton League to rebuild the cabin, Catlin said, then the facility would have to be made available to other organizations.

The preliminary estimate for reconstruction of the landmark is $300,000. The report should be finished next month.