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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHeritage Preservation - 06/21/2021APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2021 7:00 P.M. 8080 MITCHELL RD HPC COMMISSION MEMBERS: Pamela Spera; Valerie Ross; Paul Thorp; Rod Fisher; George Maxwell; Steve Schumacher; Robert Bowes COMMISSION STAFF: Beth Novak-Krebs, Staff Liaison Kristin Harley, Recording Secretary Matthew Bourne, Manager of Parks and Natural Resources I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Chair Spera called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. II. READING OF LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT STATEMENT Maxwell read the land acknowledgement statement. III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Fisher moved, seconded by Schumacher to approve the agenda, amended to include Maxwell’s suggestion for history recognition under New Business. Motion carried 7-0. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: Schumacher moved, seconded by Maxwell to approve the minutes of the May 17, 2021 meeting. Motion carried 7-0. V. NEW BUSINESS A. DISCUSS THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FREDRICK MILLER SPRING HERITAGE Novak-Krebs reminded the commission of the citizen visitors to the April HPC meeting expressing concerns about the Frederick Miller Spring in the wake of the proposed (now approved) Noble Hill residential development. A question had come up during the discussion: what at this site had been designated as a heritage preservation site? Novak-Krebs had researched this and found what section of the land had been designated in 1997, which she displayed to the commission EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION June 21, 2021 Page 2 members. Improvements had been done in 2002, before the Certificate of Appropriateness was required, but it was approved by the HPC Commission. Any changes to or modification to the designated property fell under the purview of the HPC through a Certificate of Appropriateness. Discussion followed on what sites on the map the City owned, and which were conservation areas versus where the Noble Hill development would go in. Fisher asked if the designated area could be expanded into other City-owned land. Novak-Krebs stated the land being City-owned involved other protections. If the designated area was expanded, it could potentially limit those other protections. Discussion followed on the location of specific areas of the spring (source, opening, spigot, et cetera). Novak-Krebs offered to send the history write-up of the Spring to the commission members. She also explained the group of citizens opposing the development had filed a petition with the Court of Appeals to have an Environmental Assessment done after the Eden Prairie City Council denied their request. Fisher suggested the commission be prepared with a response should the Courts grant this petition. She explained the details and location of the Noble Hill development versus the source of the Spring. Discussion followed on the possible impact or not on the Spring due to this development. B. DISCUSS HERITAGE PRESERVATION AWARD PROCESS FOR 2021 (NOVAK-KREBS) Novak-Krebs stated there were no awards last year and asked if the commission members wished to hold them in 2021. Discussion followed on this possibility. MOTION: Maxwell moved, seconded by Bowes to delay the Heritage Preservation Awards until 2022. Motion carried 7-0. C. RECOGNITION OF PROMINENT EDEN PRAIRIE CITIZENS (MAXWELL) Maxwell suggested a program for recognizing homes or places for people of note, separate from the recognition of historic sites. This would be for where the individual lived, worked, or even slept. Discussion followed on this suggestion. Thorp stated there was a program to put Heritage Site plaques in front of houses that had significance due to an individual, but these signs did not state what the significance was. Maxwell suggested an app that could read a QR Code to display historic views of Eden Prairie sites, and Thorp suggested incorporating that into an interactive map of all heritage sites in Eden Prairie. It would be a resource for commissioners as well. Spera expressed concern that it would be cumbersome to honor both structures and people with a sign but putting out the story of both would work. She also liked the idea of adding current information to historic sites. Easements, sale, or EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION June 21, 2021 Page 3 other changes could place obstacles before the commission putting up signs to honor people. Fisher suggested “digital marking” instead of a sign was preferable. This could include past and/or no longer existing Native American sites. Thorp stated Eden Prairie had maps going back to 1939 that could be used for digital marking. Discussion followed on a proposal to incorporate this into what was already available online at the City’s website. Novak-Krebs offered to provide her list of nationally and locally designated sites and sites of historical interest to help populate the map. Discussion followed on drafting a letter to residents to inform them about the map and give them an opt-out option. Spera stated she wished the link to the map was more intuitive for the public. VI. OLD BUSINESS A. DISCUSS THE PROCESS FOR DESIGNATING THE OLD DEPOT SITE AS A HERITAGE PRESERVATION SITE (NOVAK-KREBS) Novak-Krebs stated another item previously discussed was nominating the Depot Site. She had researched the process and spoken with the City Manager about the possibility of having HPC commission members write the nomination report instead of a consultant, and the City Manager had given his permission for this. Thorp lauded this idea, stating the use of consultants could be expensive and time- consuming. Novak-Krebs described the next steps for a nomination: it would be sent to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), the HPC would hold a public hearing and make a recommendation, then the Planning Commission would hold a public hearing and make a recommendation to the City Council, which of course would make the final decision. VII. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF VIII. REPORTS OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY Ross stated Thorp saved $17,000.00 by pulling reports on the roof of the Smith Douglas More House. Artifacts were still being cataloged and collected into a document to be displayed online. She summarized the usage of the Cummins Phipps Grill House for the newer commissioners. It had been used for a graduation party and a family reunion in June. The museum at the City Center was now open Mondays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. or by appointment. She suggested a tour for one of the HPC commission meetings. The Historical Society would be holding an in-person Annual Meeting on September 1 with dinner and a speaker. The speaker would be Steve Cobb, owner of the Eden Prairie Drive-In. As of this writing, the time would be 4:30 p.m., but that could change. Events being worked on were: possible presentations, EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION June 21, 2021 Page 4 including one on the Eden Prairie cemetery by Carol Kissner, the Dalluge Family who took in Jews during World War II, and one of Elizabet Fry-Ellen, who named Eden Prairie. Thorp added the Society was taking donations and there would be a Vintage Sale in November at the Cummins Phipps Grill House. IX. FYI ITEMS X NEXT MEETING The next HPC meeting will be held on Monday, July 19, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. in the Heritage Room. XI. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Maxwell moved, seconded by Fisher to adjourn. Motion carried 7-0. The meeting was adjourned at 8:12 p.m.