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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHeritage Preservation - 12/21/2015APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2015 7:00 P.M., CITY CENTER Prairie Rooms A & B 8080 Mitchell Road COMMISSION MEMBERS: Steve Olson (Chair), Ed Muehlberg (Vice Chair), Cindy Cofer Evert, Pamela Spera, Mark Freiberg, Tara Kalar, Paul Thorp STAFF: Robert Vogel, Pathfinder CRM, LLC Lori Creamer, Staff Liaison Heidi Wojahn, Recording Secretary STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES: Zeinab Hussen, Alexander Modeas, Natalie Higgins I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Chair Olson called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. Vogel, Muehlberg, and Student Representatives Hussen, Modeas, and Higgins were absent. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Cofer Evert moved, seconded by Freiberg, to approve the agenda. Motion carried 6-0. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Cofer Evert requested “Evert” be added to her name for consistency at the beginning of the second paragraph under Item VIII.A. and a sentence be stricken from the last paragraph under Item IX.C. MOTION: Thorp moved, seconded by Kalar, to approve the November 16, 2015 minutes as amended. Motion carried 6-0. IV. REPORTS OF STUDENTS A. OLD CITY STREET SIGNS – FUNDRAISER IDEAS – Modeas/Higgins Creamer read a report she received from Modeas. The report indicated the student representatives had not yet met but Modeas had come up with a couple ways to advertise the sale of retired city street signs. Creamer read the proposed slogans and explained the initiative. A means of administering the program was not provided. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES December 21, 2015 Page 2 Kalar asked how long a reasonable amount of time was to go without an update. Cofer Evert suggested thanking Modeas for his work and specifying some bullet points covering what the Commission wants. She offered to help in the role of facilitator or consultant. Thorp said this is a big project for the students to take on themselves and agreed they could use help. Creamer suggested a spring roll-out and asking the students for logistics given that timetable. Cofer Evert said information would then be needed by February. Discussion of fundraising for the Eden Prairie Historical Society and the HPC ensued. Cofer Evert said she would ask Kathie Case for ideas. Olson said scheduling a visit to view the signs with the students might help give the project some momentum. V. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF - Creamer A. GRANT UPDATES Creamer reported on the progress of the City Center photo project. Creamer wrote a Legacy Grant for Project 1. The feedback she received indicated in order to fund the project, much more interpretation or interaction would be needed; however, extensive interpretation was not part of the approved plan. She met with the City Manager and Facilities to discuss options and the City has agreed to fund the project as is. The first phase of Project 2 involves research and writing. Phase 2 encompasses design and production. The City may seek multiple funding sources for Project 2. Spera asked if Requests For Proposals (RFP)s were being sent out. Creamer said RFPs are dependent on the cost of the project. The anticipated cost of Project 1 is less than the amount required for an RFP. The City has vendors with which it has already established working relationships and Facilities will work directly with those vendors. Facilities Manager Paul Sticha will serve as project manager. The City of Stillwater is administrator of a $60,000 partnership grant received by the cities of Stillwater, Eden Prairie, and Mankato. As a result of declining interest and membership, an RFP to develop a training program for heritage preservation commissions was sent out. The program should be usable all over the state and be posted online. Creamer and her counterparts will be selecting one of the six bids received. Olson asked if the entire Commission or a delegate of the HPC would work with the vendor. Creamer said she did not have all the details yet. Part of the RFP calls for the vendor to present at the annual historic preservation conference next September. She circulated the RFP and addendum. Creamer applied for and received a Legacy Grant in the amount of $14,000 to cover the first phase of two for writing and research for ten additional interpretive signs at Lake Riley. She added the RFP process to the January 2016 work plan. B. COUNCIL WORKSHOP – JANUARY 19, 2016 All are welcome to attend the January 19 Council Workshop beginning at 5 p.m. A light dinner will be served and RSVPs are needed. Olson will present on the 2015 and 2016 work plans. Olson said he would like some photos for the City HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES December 21, 2015 Page 3 Center historic photo display portion of his presentation. Cofer Evert said she will likely be able to oblige. Creamer said the HPC could perhaps view the PowerPoint at its January meeting. C. JANUARY AND FEBRUARY HPC MEETING DATES The January and February 2016 HPC meeting dates will be held January 11 and February 22 respectively due to Martin Luther King, Jr. and Presidents’ Day holidays. VI. OLD BUSINESS A. 2016 WORK PLAN Creamer stated she had moved Town of Hennepin and Murphy’s Ferry research to the first quarter to meet aggressive grant deadlines. Thorp said there is no rush. He would like to make a presentation to the HPC about this before moving forward. More understanding is needed about the site and collaboration with the Parks Department is important. Creamer asked Thorp for his vision. Thorp explained excavation can be done on the trail to determine if it is indeed an oxcart trail. The warehouse site is also an interesting landmark. Olson suggested following the map and walking the site in the spring when things warm up. Thorp explained it is fairly rugged terrain. He would like to present to the Commission over the winter but needs technical help to do so. Olson and Creamer both offered to help. Creamer said she would plan this for the February meeting. Cofer Evert said the Commission had previously discussed getting records from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) for inventory properties. Thorp suggested putting it on the work plan in first quarter as he would like to work on it over the winter. Olson indicated he would like to accompany Thorp to SHPO. Kalar requested event planning and preparation to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act be moved to second quarter because the anniversary is in October. Kalar inquired if monitoring the hosta project at the Smith Douglas More House should be added to the ongoing section of the work plan. Creamer said everything has been planted for the upcoming national convention. Representatives from the Minnesota Hosta Society (MHS) met with Ann Schuster of Dunn Brothers and worked out an agreement with her for maintenance. MHS maintains the garden and Schuster is there when they are present. Creamer said Dunn Brothers has run into some issues with the Minnesota Department of Health in terms of upgrading their kitchen interior. She will keep the Commission updated. Creamer confirmed she will update the work plan with the requested changes. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES December 21, 2015 Page 4 B. CAMP EDENWOOD RESPITE CENTER UPDATES Creamer circulated samples of building materials for the proposed construction of a new building at Camp Edenwood and went through the revised plan and renderings she received earlier today which address comments from multiple entities. A public hearing is scheduled for January, and True Friends would like to start construction in April. In reference to the comment about construction occurring in an already-disturbed area in the historical district, Freiberg asked what that meant. Thorp explained the existing cabin has already been disturbed. Olson referenced the non-contributing garage. Creamer said they added it because of the Phase One Archaeological Survey requested by SHPO. Creamer stated parking would remain in the existing parking area. No new parking will be designated by the new building. True Friends is requesting a variance from the 75 percent brick and glass mandated by city code for new construction. This is in keeping with the historic atmosphere and feel of the other buildings at the camp. Creamer will send the revised plan to commissioners for further review. The new plan does not address shifting the site of the proposed building slightly as suggested by the HPC at last month’s meeting. Olson asked for the letter from SHPO to be forwarded to Commissioners as well. Creamer noted SHPO’s comments would also be sent to Planning staff. C. BLUESTEM/COMMITTEE UPDATE ON INTERPRETIVE SIGN Cofer Evert said progress on the Riley Lake interpretive sign funded by an Eden Prairie Community Foundation grant is coming along nicely. The sign will be placed by the lake and focus on lakeside resorts of the past and other lake uses. Freiberg mentioned a blues club used to exist on the lake and it would make for some interesting sign content. Cofer Evert said she would follow up with Case about it. She, Case, Creamer, and Spera have gone through a couple of drafts and are looking for additional photos. Creamer noted the grant report is due December 31. Olson requested an update in January. VII. NEW BUSINESS VIII. FYI ITEMS Creamer announced the 2016 commission recruitment process begins in January. There are openings on all commissions and those with expiring terms will be notified. Applications are due in February with interviews taking place towards the end of February. Commissioners were asked to encourage viable candidates to apply. Commissioners who have served two full terms need full Council approval to serve a third. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES December 21, 2015 Page 5 IX. FUTURE MEETINGS/EVENTS The next HPC meeting will be Monday, January 11, 2016, 7 p.m. at City Center, Prairie Rooms A & B. Thorp asked about the status of pollinator protection as an agenda item for January. Olson said the people he met with haven’t officially asked to be on the agenda and he met with them before they knew a City resolution had been passed. He requested a letter, written to the newspaper editor by the daughter of one of the individuals he met with, be forwarded to Commissioners. X. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Thorp moved, seconded by Cofer Evert, to adjourn. Motion carried 6-0. Chair Olson adjourned the meeting at 8:43 p.m.