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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHeritage Preservation - 10/21/2013APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2013 6:30 P.M. TOUR – GLEN LAKE CHILDREN’S CAMP 7:00 P.M., MEETING - CITY CENTER Prairie Rooms A & B COMMISSION MEMBERS: Ed Muehlberg (Chair), Cindy Cofer Evert (Vice Chair), Steve Olson, JoAnn McGuire, Pamela Spera, Mark Freiberg, Deb Paulson STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES: Hannah Jeter, Greta Colford, Laura Lindberg STAFF: John Gertz, Pathfinder CRM, LLC Lori Creamer, Staff Liaison Heidi Wojahn, Recording Secretary I. TOUR OF GLEN LAKE CHILDREN’S CAMP – 6350 INDIAN CHIEF ROAD Ann Higgins and Valerie Ross from the Eden Prairie Historical Society (EPHS) joined the HPC for a guided tour of Camp Eden Wood, historically known as the Glen Lake Children’s Camp (GLCC). The camp is operated by Friendship Ventures (FV) which recently merged with Camp Courage (CC) to become True Friends (TF). More on this topic was discussed out of order under Item III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA. II. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Following the tour, Vice Chair Cofer Evert called the meeting to order at 7:32 p.m. Commissioners Muehlberg and Paulson were absent. III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Freiberg moved, seconded by Olson, to approve the agenda. Motion carried 5-0. Freiberg mentioned we should keep the condition of the interpretive panel at GLCC in the back of our minds. Cofer Evert explained it is already part of the work plan. A follow-up discussion of the tour took place. Gertz commented there are other interesting aspects of the camp he would like to see during daylight. McGuire asked if the building renovations planned are solely at the discretion of TF. Gertz said it is building– dependent; they must get City review and content for the historic buildings. Creamer noted the working relationship between FV and the City has been strained in the past. Gertz explained FV had received approval from City Council to apply for and receive HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES October 21, 2013 Page 2 funds via a grant through the Minnesota Historical Society. They prepared a plan which was approved by the City and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) but then proceeded to do work that deviated greatly from the plan. The grant funds were intended to offset the cost of expensive foundation work but were applied elsewhere. This caused concern about the potential negative impact to the integrity of the camp and resulted in many stop-work orders being placed on the camp. Much of the work had to be redone and extraordinary measures were taken to keep it within the Secretary of the Interior (SI) guidelines. Grant deadlines were missed. Despite filing for extensions, the money eventually ran out. About 50 percent of the funds applied for were lost. Cofer Evert asked if the City or HPC needs to generate any new communication regarding renovations because of the merger. Gertz said it was his understanding the camp is still being run by the same people, and the camp’s maintenance person has been given a Best Management Practice (BMP) book. They have a large master plan which was developed and approved at the Commission and State level and reviewed by preservation architects for which they are pursuing funds. McGuire asked if the camp has and is permitted to have horseback riding. Conversation continued as to whether or not the camp actually has horseback riding, but Gertz said it is within their rights. Creamer asked for Gertz’s thoughts on the renovations of the dormitories. He said many changes have occurred but he thinks they are ok. The tour guide said the center part of the dormitory was unchanged, but it has changed a lot. The room was gutted from what was originally three nurses’ quarters. He went on to explain what the set up used to look like. The full basement under the dorm is also not original but was added due to the need for a storm shelter in the area. The current rec hall once served as a rec/dining hall and housed a kitchen with hot water and a well room. The original fireplace ironwork in this space is intact. Cofer Evert asked about fireplace usage. Gertz agreed with camp staff the fireplace is unusable right now. It has cracks and needs to be realigned. He also explained the split rail fence serves as the boundary for the national register part of the property. Everything east of the fence is original to the camp but is not part of the National Register Historic District. Creamer said she could look into scheduling another visit to the camp next summer. Olson proposed we look at the master plan prior to that. Cofer Evert inquired about other properties for future meetings. Details as to location and timing were discussed with emphasis on the Smith Douglas More House (SDM) since renovations are being considered at Dunn Brothers. Creamer will look into this as a possibility for January. Olson also suggested a cemetery walk for May. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: Olson moved, seconded by Freiberg, to approve the September 16, 2013 minutes. Motion carried 5-0. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES October 21, 2013 Page 3 V. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF A. UPDATE ON HISTORIC SITES Creamer reported she was notified by Parks and Natural Resources Manager Stu Fox a 100+ year-old large ash tree in front of SDM is rotting and needs to be taken down soon. It is the tree in front of the porch closest to the road. He was seeking Gertz’s input into the process. Gertz said it should be removed if it is a public safety issue and does not need to be run by the Commission. Creamer noted it will significantly change the look of the property. Gertz said tree replacement should be considered, but Fox should be consulted whether another ash tree is even a viable option due to the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer. If not, Fox can recommend a different historic type of tree suitable to the landscape. Spera asked if any precautions would be taken to ensure nobody gets hurt in the meantime. Creamer was unable to speak to this as the condition of the tree and any safety issues would fall under the responsibility of the Parks and Recreation Department. Fox said they would try to determine the age of the tree when it is cut down but it will be difficult to do so near the base because of the rotting. Cofer Evert asked if items are ever crafted from historically-significant trees. Gertz said they can be depending on the type of tree. Cofer Evert said she would like the replacement to be a big tree, not a small sapling. Cofer Evert said Higgins of the EPHS mentioned trees encroaching on the roofline at the Cummins Grill House (CG) had been trimmed. Creamer reported the shed at CG has been demolished. Creamer said Wall Trends will be reviewing the painting of the Riley Jacques barn and touching up areas on the Dorenkemper and Riley Houses where paint has peeled. Scraping and priming of the two houses will be done this fall. Painting of the affected areas and the barn is budgeted for spring. Freiberg asked about the status of parking at Green Acres. Creamer said she was not aware of any new information. B. UPDATE ON ANNUAL REPORT- Gertz The 2013 fiscal year report is complete and ready for Creamer to submit to SHPO, along with a list of commission members and applications and resumes of new HPC members. For Certified Local Government commissions, one or two members have to meet the SI standards (for example archaeologists, architects, landscape architects, historians, real estate professionals, and those in the discipline of bridgework) in order to have the expertise necessary to review national register nominations and advise on other relevant matters, etc. Gertz and Muehlberg meet those standards. Cofer Evert asked if grant requests were required for the report. Gertz said a summary of commission work for the year is part of the report, including grants. The Legacy Grant was submitted but there is no news yet. Creamer said the HPC’s vision and mission statement, national and local register nominations and new designations, HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES October 21, 2013 Page 4 other heritage sites, work done in the past year, site alteration reviews, public participation and recordkeeping, grants, BMPs, the Reeder Ridge (RR) housing development, conference attendees, and site inspections are all pieces of information included in the report. Olson asked if the camp workshop was covered. Gertz said it can be added. Cofer Evert asked for an update on RR. Creamer said the development agreement was approved. Some trees have been removed on the side where homes already exist. Beyond that, she has not heard anything. Gertz requested Creamer keep the planner, Julie, and Randy in Engineering apprised any ground-disturbing activity near the mound groups should be monitored. Fencing should be in place prior to work. Cofer Evert requested there be a RR project update on next month’s meeting agenda. C. WEBSITE UPDATE – Creamer Creamer said she met with the City Manager and staff from the Communications and IT departments and expressed the HPC’s concern about the website not getting launched in a timely manner. The City Manager agreed and assured her it would go live before year-end. It may go on as a work in progress even if it doesn’t currently meet all of the Communication Department’s standards. Changes in staffing levels and skill sets have contributed to the delay, but it is close and IT is working hard to implement necessary modifications. VI. OLD BUSINESS A. WORK PLAN REVIEW Cofer Evert noted two 4th quarter items were done: the preservation conference and annual report for SHPO. McGuire said she will work on the Eden Prairie Community Foundation grant process for next month’s meeting. Cofer Evert said she needs to get back to the signage project she started. Discussion of ongoing items ensued. Cofer Evert said she has noticed an increase in HPC and EPHS members attending events together. Cofer Evert attended the EPHS’s Calico Ball at Green Acres. It was a well-attended event. Cofer Evert said regarding heritage site designation, many historical properties throughout the city are plaque-eligible. Gertz had previously suggested she send out a letter to the various properties as a means of assessment and review. A questionnaire would help determine who has plaques and who doesn’t, who wants them, the condition of currently-owned plaques, and the type of plaque preferred. There are two kinds available, both of which the City has in stock. She could request feedback via email, mail, or phone. Since there are dozens of properties, this would save time. She can then follow up with the few who don’t reply. Everyone agreed this was a good idea. Cofer Evert said she would like to work with Creamer on drafting the letter. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES October 21, 2013 Page 5 Creamer said we should be thinking about what the Commission wants to work on for the 2014 work plan. Cofer Evert requested this be a November agenda item and commissioners come prepared with ideas. VII. NEW BUSINESS None. VIII. FYI ITEMS A. 2014 ANNUAL CONFERENCE - Creamer Michael Koop from SHPO is looking for workshop ideas for the 2014 conference. Topic ideas can be emailed to Koop or Creamer. Proposals are due November 15. IX. STUDENT UPDATES Lindberg reported on a recent presentation at the high school about Native American treaties in Minnesota. Olson said some treaties took 100 years to get resolved. Freiberg said some issues are still unresolved. Cofer Evert shared an article about an archaeological dig in Chanhassen. X. FUTURE MEETINGS/EVENTS The next HPC meeting will be Monday, November 18, 2013, 7 p.m. at City Center, Prairie Rooms A & B. XI. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Freiberg moved, seconded by McGuire, to adjourn. Motion carried 5-0. Chair adjourned the meeting at 8:35 p.m.