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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHeritage Preservation - 02/26/2024APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2024 7:00 P.M. Meeting Heritage Rooms, City Hall HPC COMMISSION MEMBERS: Steve Schumacher (Chair); Paul Thorp (Vice-Chair); Rod Fisher; George Maxwell; Robert Bowes; Andy Ludowese; Catherine Lau STUDENT MEMBERS: Abha Gupta, Abhinov Koutharapu, Amuktha Pothamsetti, Berit Berggren, Nikhill Andrew, Owen Caruth, Sasha Allen COMMISSION STAFF: Beth Novak-Krebs, Staff Liaison Kristin Harley, Recording Secretary I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Acting Chair Thorp called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. Absent was commission members Schumacher and Maxwell and student representatives Gupta, Koutharapu, Pothamsetti, and Caruth. Walt Wagner, his son Nathan Wagner, and Devyn Stanton joined the meeting II. READING OF LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT STATEMENT Lau read the land acknowledgement statement. III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Fisher moved to approve the agenda , seconded by Bowes to approve the agenda. Motion carried 5-0. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: Fisher moved, seconded by Ludowese to approve the minutes of the January 22, 2024 meeting. Motion carried 5-0. V. NEW BUSINESS A. DEBRIEF OF WORK PLAN PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 26, 2024 Page 2 Novak-Krebs summarized the presentation of the finalized Work Plan to the City Council.. The Council was very supportive. Due to a lack of time, the Council did not have time for much discussion. B. DISCUSS HERITAGE PRESERVATION AWARDS (NOVAK-KREBS) Novak-Krebs explained the process for the award program. She asked for nomination ideas. Fisher suggested Carol Kissner as a possible nominee for her work at the cemetery. DISCUSS PROPOSAL FROM PETER DECARLO (FISHER) Novak-Krebs handed out the proposal and Fisher explained he and Thorp had approached Peter DeCarlo, a SHPO employee and an independent consultant, about preparing a report for Eden Prairie similar to the report he prepared for Bloomington.. He had replied with the proposal, which included a project timeline, deliverables, and costs, but not the kind of presentation given to the City of Bloomington, which could be added if desired. Fisher added he had also approached tribal curator Javier Avalos and was waiting to hear back. Fisher walked the commission through the proposal and asked for feedback. Discussion followed on the location of the Shakopee tribal village. Fisher added there were various ways to pay for the project. He also wanted to hear back from the Historical Society. Discussion followed on DeCarlo’s proposal. Novak-Krebs suggested a grant could also pay for part of the project. Thorp suggested stressing the need for Eden Prairie to know its history. Fisher stated DeCarlo would be able to attend the March 18 or April 15 meeting. Fisher stated he would invite DeCarlo to the March meeting, as well as the mayor and the Historical Society. VI. OLD BUSINESS A. DISCUSS STUDENT LED VIDEOS OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES (ALLEN) Allen stated she had conversations with Steve Schumacher outside of commission meeting about a three-to-four-minute video on Camp Edenwood. She promised to give another update in April. Berggren and Andrew stated they would work on a project relating to the Cummins Phipps Grill House. Bowes stated these projects could be shown to the next slate of students. EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 26, 2024 Page 3 B. UPDATED ON BIRCH HALL PLANS AND PROCESS (NOVAK-KREBS) Novak-Krebs stated John LeBlanc hired MacDonald & Mack for an assessment of Birch Hall. This was completed and gave a rough treatment concept: gathering space, canteen, restrooms, and supply closet. There would not be a foundation, but a crawl space that would be minimally heated. They would also shore up the roof and the floor, and proposed insulating the building via a new exterior wall. Thorp noted the preservation related to the exterior, rather than the interior work. He stated he wished to read the report. Novak-Krebs stated next steps were MacDonald and Mack will send SHPO plans for formal review, and work on a cost estimate. LeBlanc would have to raise the funds, and the HPC could help write a grant application. C. UPDATE ON DEPOT NOMINATION (NOVAK-KREBS) Novak-Krebs stated the commission had discussed pursuing local nomination. She had started to prepare the nomination photos, maps, and all the text. Thorp had reviewed it. The final nomination would be subject to an HPC public hearing, then go before the Planning Commission, then to SHPO for comments, then to the City Council. April or May was the timeline for presentation to the HPC. Thorp stated once the commission received approval for local designation, then the HPC could get approval to prepare a preservation plan. He stated he had talked with the Historical Society about clearing brush and looking for artifacts. This would be a volunteer effort but he needed permission from Hennepin County to do that. There were liability concerns and he needed a place to deposit the brush. Lau suggested taking it to the Eden Prairie yard waste facility, and Thorp agreed. Thorp stated he might have to ask for help from the City Facilities Department. Novak-Krebs stated she would finalize the nomination. VII. REPORTS OF SUBCOMMITTEES A. NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY OUTREACH B. NEW HERITAGE PRESERVATION SITE DESIGNATIONS C. RENOVATION/MAINTENANCE DEVELOPMENT D. DOCUMENTATION/HISTORICAL RECORDINGS/OUTREACH VIII. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 26, 2024 Page 4 IX.. REPORTS OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY Bowes stated this year would see the 100th anniversary of Eden Prairie Consolidated School. He asked for volunteers to participate. The parade would be held April 27 and Historical Society members would be dressed in 1950s costumes. May 17 was the family event, and May 18 was the Citywide Prom (over 21 only). April 4 was the Historical Society’s annual meeting with Carol Kissner presenting on genealogy and cemeteries. The Vintage Sale would be held May 10 and 11 at the Cummins Phipps Grill House. X. FYI ITEMS Lau suggested sharing history books of interest. She mentioned she had just finished Ross Fruen’s Growing Up, Minneapolis and Minnetonka. Thorp suggested Paul Maravelas’s The History of Big Island. XI NEXT MEETING The next HPC meeting will be held on Monday, March 18, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. in the Heritage Room. XII. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Lau moved, seconded by Fisher to adjourn. Motion carried 5-0. The meeting was adjourned at 7:56 p.m.