Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutHeritage Preservation - 08/15/2022AGENDA EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MONDAY AUGUST 15, 2022 7:00 P.M. Heritage Rooms – City Hall HPC COMMISSION MEMBERS: Rod Fisher-Chair; Paul Thorp-Vice Chair, George Maxwell, Robert Bowes, Steven Schumacher, Andrew Scipioni, Andy Ludowese COMMISSION STAFF: Beth Novak-Krebs, Staff Liaison Kristin Harley, Recording Secretary I. CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL II. READING OF LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT STATEMENT III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETING ON JULY 18, 2022 V. NEW BUSINESS VI. OLD BUSINESS A. DISCUSS ANY INFORMATION OR RESEARCH GATHERED FOR THE MINNESOTA RIVER VALLEY (BETH AND OTHERS) B. DISCUSS INTERVIEWS RELATED TO DEVELOPMENT AND THE 1968 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. DISCUSS DETAILS SUCH AS OUTREACH, TIMING, PARTICIPATION ETC (BETH) C. DISCUSS THE OLD DEPOT SITE AND NEXT STEPS (PAUL) VII. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF VIII. REPORTS OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY A. GENERAL UPDATE – (PAUL/BOB) IX. FYI ITEMS SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY – WACIPI (ROD) https://www.smscwacipi.org/ X. NEXT MEETING – SEPTEMBER 19,2022 XI. ADJOURNMENT UNAPPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION TUESDAY, JULY 18, 2022 7:00 P.M. 8080 MITCHELL RD HPC COMMISSION MEMBERS: Rod Fisher (Chair); Paul Thorp (Vice- Chair); George Maxwell; Steve Schumacher; Robert Bowes; Andrew Scipioni; Andy Ludowese COMMISSION STAFF: Beth Novak-Krebs, Staff Liaison Kristin Harley, Recording Secretary I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Chair Fisher called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. Mike Rogers, resident and board member of the Eden Prairie Historical Society, joined the meeting. II. READING OF LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT STATEMENT Scipioni read the land acknowledgement statement. III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Maxwell moved, seconded by Bowes to approve the agenda. Motion carried 7-0. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: Maxwell moved, seconded by Scipioni to approve the minutes of the June 20, 2022 minutes. Motion carried 7-0. V. NEW BUSINESS A. DISCUSS CITY-WIDE OPEN HOUSE (NOVAK-KREBS) Novak-Krebs announced the City-Wide Open House would be held Saturday, October 8, 2022. She offered to get the time and asked if the commission wanted to have a table again this year. The commission members agreed to staff a table. B. DISCUSS LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE MINNESOTA RIVER VALLEY (NOVAK-KREBS) EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION July 18, 2022 Page 2 Fisher reminded the commission he wished to explore more pre-settlement history and incorporate that into the history the HPC was trying to interpret in Eden Prairie. Thorp stated Eden Prairie had not included the Minnesota River in its history and development. Novak-Krebs stated archeologist Davis Mather, with SHPO, gave a presentation to the HPC about the river valley, which piqued some interest, and this was on the 2022 Work Plan. She asked the commission what the goal should be: learning more about the river valley, exploring it, et cetera. Fisher stated he wished to interpret the river valley in some way. Thorp stated Mather had been brought in because the commission had discussed doing some preservation studies. Discussion followed on the appropriate treatment of possible indigenous artifacts possibly found. Fisher added he would like to talk to other cities along the river such as Bloomington and Chanhassen. Bowes added Shakopee had done the most work. Rogers suggested looking at the changing of the river bottoms themselves. Until the 1950s, farms were in the river flats but then the area began to regularly flood. Thorp replied he had maps and information on this. Fisher agreed this could also be interpreted. Fisher asked for interest and volunteers from the commission to research/gather pre-settlement river history, and Ludowese and Scipioni volunteered. Fisher stated he had met with Leonard Wabasha and suggested further dialogue. Discussion followed on the commission’s previous meeting with member of the Mdewakanton community. Thorp stated the tribal members wished to tell their story exclusively; feelings were still raw due to experiences of tribal members’ grandparents in Eden Prairie, and some mainstream interpretations of indigenous stories were not always positive. Fisher agreed the commission wished to avoid Eurocentrism and suggested a visit to the Cultural Center. Discussion followed on how a visit to the museum could further communication. Bowes stated he had a contact at Scott County and Thorp stated he had a contact at Three Rivers who ran Murphy’s Landing. Fisher suggested the commission members find other experts, such as the contacts Bowes and Thorp suggested and at SHPO. Novak-Krebs stated the first step was to contact others and gather information. Thorp offered to share his information with the commission members. Fisher stated how he was impressed with how closely Eden Prairie followed the Work Plan. VI. OLD BUSINESS A. DISCUSS INTERVIEW RELATED TO DEVELOPMENT AND THE 1968 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. DISCUSS DETIALS SUCH AS OUTREACH, TIMING, PARTICIPATION, ETC. (NOVAK-KREBS) EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION July 18, 2022 Page 3 Novak-Krebs stated the commission was developing a list of individuals to interview: Paul Thorp David Lindahl Dean Edstrom Sever Peterson Roy Terwilliger Rod Anderson Gloria Jacques Ludowese offered to ask his neighbor, Gloria Jacques, whose family had owned Bear Path. Novak-Krebs offered to contact her and the other names on the list. She stated she had spoken to Tom Achartz of the Historical Society, and he agreed to videotape the interviews. She suggested they discuss backgrounds, who would conduct the interview, an interview schedule, et cetera. Discussion followed on the particulars of who would interview and how they would be presented via the website. Fisher suggested interviewing several people together. Discussion followed on this suggestion. Bowes suggested that Tom Achartz would have ideas on this. Maxwell suggested the commission could conduct individual interviews and then offer a panel interview. Thorp reminded the commission these interviews centered around the 1968 Comprehensive Plan, not anecdotes of living in Eden Prairie. The commission agreed to conduct individual interviews. Novak-Krebs stated the interviews would be held in September. B. DISCUSS THE OLD DEPOT SITE AND POSSIBLE DESIGNATION (PAUL THORP) Thorp passed around maps and a picture of the interpretive sign of the Depot that is to be mounted near the new pump house. Maxwell observed the railroad changed the orientation of Eden Prairie away from being a river town. Thorp stated his firm did a survey when the water reservoir was being built so he overlaid that over the existing features. There were electrical lines and a storm sewer, and the site continually being degraded. He pointed out the only visible feature, the well casing, which once had a pump house over it to provide water for the railroad. The stones around the well could be foundation blocks. The problem was the area was so dense with buckthorn that it was difficult to enter. This was also on property owned by the Hennepin County Regional Rail, leased to Three Rivers Park for the bike trail, and getting buy-in from those organizations could be challenging. Rogers stated he and Mike Rogers had discussed cutting out the underbrush permanently to install signage, then do some excavating. He noted the building to the east resembled the Depot building but was not actually it. There EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION July 18, 2022 Page 4 was a sidewalk across the site; the City had approved it not knowing it was the Depot site. Novak-Krebs displayed photos of the new well house. Discussion followed on the site of the interpretive sign. Rogers described the old grain elevator and the drainage area surrounding it and stated that the City had dug up the old concrete footing of the grain elevator itself. He had photographed this. He and Thorp had tried to map the location of the water closet. It was overgrown with trees. Novak-Krebs displayed the old photos of the water tank. Thorp stated there had to be substantial foundations for this which would be interesting to recover, but the area was overgrown. Schumacher stated he had tried to reach out to Three Rivers in the past but received no response. Novak-Krebs offered to reach out to them again. Thorp also offered to reach out. Rogers stated he wished to preserve the railroad historical data the way the Chicago-Northwestern Rail, which had its own historical society, had done in Chicago. VII. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF Novak-Krebs reminded the commission members that on Monday, July 25, a showing of the eight-minute short horror movie filmed at the Cummins Phipps Grill House would be shown at the house at 4:00 p.m. There would be a cookout as well. She added she spoke to the Communications Department about videotaping a tour of Dorenkemper House to host on the website. A link to the video could be placed on the preservation sites interactive map. Thorp suggested Jenny Dorenkemper give the tour. He suggested Novak-Krebs contact Kathie Case about asking her. Novak-Krebs suggested Tom Achartz also video this tour. VIII. REPORTS OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY Bowes reiterated the Monday July 25 4:00 p.m. screening of “The Doll” with barbeque and beer. The Harvest Fest would be held October 15 at the Dorenkemper House. He urged that members sign up at Eden Prairie Remembers. IX. FYI ITEMS Fisher requested commission members bring any pre-settlement history books, set in Eden Prairie or elsewhere, to future commission meetings. EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION July 18, 2022 Page 5 X NEXT MEETING The next HPC meeting will be held on Monday, August 15, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. in the Heritage Room. XI. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Thorp moved, seconded by Maxell to adjourn. Motion carried 7-0. The meeting was adjourned at 7:52 p.m.