HomeMy WebLinkAboutHeritage Preservation - 07/20/2020APPROVED MINUTES
EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION
TUESDAY, JULY 20, 2020 7:00 P.M. CITY CENTER
8080 MITCHELL RD
HPC COMMISSION MEMBERS: Steve Olson-Chair; Tara Kalar-Vice Chair;
Pamela Spera; Valerie Ross; Paul Thorp;
Shanti Shah; Rod Fisher
COMMISSION STAFF: David Lindahl, Staff Liaison
Kristin Harley, Recording Secretary
I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL
Chair Olson called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. Absent was commission member
Shah.
II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
MOTION: Thorp moved, seconded by Kalar to approve the agenda. Motion carried 6-
0.
III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
MOTION: Thorp moved, seconded by Fischer to approve the minutes of the February
24, 2020 meeting. Motion carried 5-0 with one abstention (Kalar).
MOTION: Thorp moved, seconded by Fischer to approve the amended minutes of the
June 15, 2020 meeting, with corrections of spelling in Item VII Reports of Historical
Society: Tom Achartz, and in Item VIII FYI Items: the Otherday family. Motion carried
6-0.
V. NEW BUSINESS
A. NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PERSERVATION FORUM 2020 IN AUGUST
(LINDAHL)
Lindahl stated there was an opportunity for commission members to attend this
online forum, which would take place August 3-9 and scholarships were
available. The event was $100.00. The scholarship deadline was July 27. Lindahl
asked commission members to contact Novak-Krebs if interested in attending.
Discussion followed on the agenda of this conference. Fischer expressed interest
in going.
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V. OLD BUSINESS
A. EDEN PRAIRIE DEPOT INTERPRETIVE SIGN UPDATE (THORP)
Thorp stated he had put together text and hired Kitty Qualey to design the
graphics. Lindahl displayed a digital version of the panel for the commission.
Discussion followed on finding a higher quality photograph for one of the images.
Lindahl suggested adding a locator (“Eden Prairie reservoir tank”) for the sign,
and Thorp agreed.
Olson asked if all the locations marked were mentioned in the text. Thorp said
they were not; buildings that were no longer standing had been included. Fischer
noted there were multiple locations for the depot and asked what the one in large
blue letters indicated. Lindahl replied the large blue “Depot” indicator was the
location of the new storage tank. Fischer suggested cleaning up the graphic to
show the storage tank location. Olson asked for and received clarification the
different colors were not a legend, but merely an artistic choice. Thorp agreed the
red buildings could be made black to match other buildings. Lindahl suggested
having a legend, and Thorp stated he was considering not having the map at all.
Fischer stated he did like the map, but some of it was unclear. Thorp suggested
getting rid of the compass on the map as well, but Ross expressed approval for it.
Olson stated there was no action item on this, only for the commission to offer
feedback. Ross commended the work. Thorp asked for written feedback and
Lindahl offered to get that to him.
B. EDEN PRAIRIE DEPOT ARTIFACTS UPDATE (THORP)
Thorp stated he found this map from the 1870s which showed the depot and all
the buildings, and overlaid that on the survey work, because there was no historic
inventory for this site. He displayed the map and showed the original locations of
buildings, sewer lines, the hiking trail, and the well on the map. He expected to
get onsite sometime to see if foundations still existed. These potential artifacts
needed to be protected, and he said the commission should prepare an inventory.
Olson agreed. Spera asked where the interpretive sign would be located compared
to the historic site, and Thorp displayed its location northeast from the actual site
shown on the map.
C. JOINT PARK AND HPC MEETING UPDATE (LINDAHL)
Lindahl stated he reached out to Jay Lotthammer and was still trying to work out
a date that worked for both commissions. The Flying Red Horse would be the
main topic.
VI. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF
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A. STUDENTS APPOINTED TO HPC UPDATE (LINDAHL)
Lindahl announced five students had been chosen, including Maia Chavez who
was coming back this year. Fischer offered to find ways to engage and involve the
students. Discussion followed on an appropriate workload for the students—
assignments versus exposure to ideas. Kalar stressed giving the students direction
in terms of specific tasks, if they were given an assignment. One idea was to set
up a survey of residents as to what the community thought should be the display
location of the Flying Red Horse. Olson commended this idea.
VII. REPORTS OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Thorp stated the Cummins Phipps Grill House was being plastered and painted.
There had originally been brass corners in the stairs which were being replaced if
missing. Ross stated the Covid-19 coronavirus had caused many events to be
canceled and she had no news on upcoming events.
VIII. FYI ITEMS
Lindahl announced the 2020 Preservation Alliance would be held September 17-
18 in Stillwater this year. Olson stated this year’s meeting would be virtual, with
the hope of an in-person conference next year.
Lindahl stated he heard back from Fat Pants owner Don Olson, who said he was
interested in displaying photographs. Olson gave no further guidance. Lindahl
offered to forward the email from Olson to Fischer. Lindahl suggested finding
some historic photographs that had not been displayed publicly yet. Depending on
the cost, a small grant or City budget funding could be applied to this. Kalar
suggested using the funding from the sign sales. Lindahl concurred and stated this
likely did not need a motion. Discussion followed on the details of curating and
displaying the photographs, including the necessity of drawing up an agreement
between the City and Fat Pants Brewery. Kalar noted the commission
membership could have turnover, and/or Fat Pants Brewery could leave the
location, there was a question as to what would happen to the photographs. The
commission could not draft this itself. Lindahl replied the City could draft a brief
agreement if necessary. Lindahl asked if anyone on the commission was involved
in the photograph display at Eden Prairie Center, but Kalar replied the
commission was not involved in this. Lindahl also suggested gifting the
photographs to Fat Pants.
Olson asked if there were collections of moonshining or of Prohibition in Eden
Prairie. Thorp replied there was historic photograph of a grocery store and bar on
Pioneer Trail near Dell Road. Kalar noted one of the final jeopardy questions was
about people going to the Miller Spring in order to make beer. Fischer replied so
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far, he had aerial photographs and old maps, and agreed theme-related
photographs would complement the brewery. Thorp suggested 1937 maps could
be scanned. The University of Minnesota were only contact prints. Lindahl
suggested he and Novak-Krebs check with Engineering for printing GIS maps.
Nathan Lovace, an Eden Prairie resident and former student, was able to make
canvas prints. Thorp replied the resolution was lesser on canvas. Fischer offered
to contact Lindahl regarding next steps.
Lindahl stated this was his final meeting as staff member for the HPC and thanked
the commission. Olson thanked Lindahl for his work with the commission.
IX NEXT MEETING
The next HPC meeting will be held on Monday, August 17, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. in Prairie
Rooms A & B.
X. ADJOURNMENT
MOTION: Spera moved, seconded by Kalar to adjourn. Motion carried 6-0. The
meeting was adjourned at 8:01 p.m.