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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHeritage Preservation - 07/20/2026Meeting Agenda Eden Prairie Heritage Preservation Commission 7 p.m. Monday, July 20, 2026 Heritage Rooms City Hall 8080 Mitchell Road Eden Prairie, MN 55344 ATTENDEES Commission Members: Bob Bowes (Chair); Paul Thorp (Vice-Chair); Rod Fisher; George Maxwell; Andy Ludowese; Prima Sisinni, Lisa Rude, Nancy Cass, Betsey Woods City Staff: Beth Novak-Krebs, Staff Liaison, Kristin Harley, Recording Secretary AGENDA I. Call the Meeting to Order II. Reading of Land Acknowledgement Statement III. Approval of Agenda IV. Minutes Heritage Preservation Commission meeting held June 15, 2026 V. New Business A. Proposal from Authors for Phase 1.5 B. Heritage Plaque Program and Inventory VI. Old Business VII. Reports of Subcommittees A. Native American History B. New Heritage Preservation Site Designation & Documentation & Research C. Student Project Engagement VIII. Reports of Commission and Staff IX. Reports of Historical Society X. FYI Items XI. Next Meeting – August 17, 2026 XII. Adjourn Unapproved Meeting Minutes Eden Prairie Heritage Preservation Commission 7 p.m. Monday, June 15, 2026 City Center Heritage Rooms 8080 Mitchell Road Eden Prairie, MN 55344 ATTENDEES Commission Members: Robert Bowes (Chair); Paul Thorp (Vice-Chair); Rod Fisher; George Maxwell; Andy Ludowese; Prima Sisinni, Lisa Rude, Nancy Cass, Betsy Woods City Staff: Beth Novak-Krebs, Staff Liaison; Kristin Harley, Recording Secretary MEETING AGENDA I. Call the Meeting to Order Chair Bowes called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. Commission members Maxwell and Sisinni were absent II. Reading of the Land Acknowledgement Statement Fisher read the Land Acknowledgement Statement. III. Approval of Agenda MOTION: Rude moved, seconded by Woods, to approve the agenda. Motion carried 7-0. IV. Approval of Minutes A. Heritage Preservation Commission meeting held Monday, April 20, 2026 MOTION: Fisher moved, seconded by Rude, to approve the minutes of the Heritage Preservation Commission Tuesday, April 20, 2025. Motion carried 7-0. V. New Business A. Interpretive Panel for Smith Douglas More House Novak-Krebs stated Smith Coffee reconfigured the parking to the parking lot, requiring temporary removal of the interpretive panel, and the City decided to refresh it. She HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES June 15, 2026 displayed the former and the new panels. The new panel first mentioned the house and the house’s original residents, then talked about the rain gardens. The rain garden text was shorter, and the sections were given different colored backgrounds, making it crisper and more pleasing. Matt Bourne would order the new panel. Fisher suggested including a QR code pointing people to the HPC’s website and/or the Historical Society (specifically the house information). Novak-Krebs displayed an aerial view of the original location, which was now parking stalls, and gave several new location options with advantages and disadvantages. Discussion followed on possible locations. Novak-Krebs said she would also speak to the owners of Smith Coffee. Once a location was decided upon, it could be installed by the end of summer. Novak-Krebs added the coffee house had a timeline inside but was not sure if its website included any history of the site. VI. Old Business A. Discuss Subcommittees and Assign Members Bowes announced tonight was the opportunity for commission members to switch subcommittees if they wished, and even for subcommittees to be combined. Fisher suggested that subcommittees B and D (New Heritage Preservation Site Designations and Documentation/Historical Recordings/Outreach) be combined, and that subcommittee A (Native American History Outreach) be changed to “Native American History.” The commission members agreed. Subcommittee C (Renovation/Maintenance/Development) was eliminated. A new subcommittee (Student Representative Engagement) was created. Discussion followed on ideas for a new student representative project. Ludowese, Bowes, Woods, and Cass signed up for the Native American History subcommittee. Thorp, Rude and Woods signed up for the new Site Documentation and Preservation Subcommittee. Thorp summarized the subcommittee’s work for Cass and Woods. Novak-Krebs summarized the process for mentoring the student representatives. Cass signed up for the Student Representative Engagement subcommittee. Novak-Krebs reminded the commission members the students would start in September (the 21st). B. Joint Meeting with Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission Novak-Krebs announced this would occur on Monday, October 5, 2026, not on a regularly scheduled HPC meeting time, at the Cummin Phipps Grill House at 7:00 p.m. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES June 15, 2026 C. Grant Application for the Manuscript Novak-Krebs stated she worked with Mohlis and Maravelas , and made some changes to the application, which was submitted again on May 15. It would be reviewed by SHPO staff, who would assist with strengthening the language, and there would be stipends for everyone contributing to the text. The final application was due July 16, 2026, with a reply in the late fall. Fisher stated it would be advantageous to get the names of staff at SHPO reviewing the draft application who were also giving workshops at the conference, so HPC commission members could attend. Novak-Krebs agreed to give the commission members those names. VII. Reports of Subcommittees A. Native American History B. Site Documentation and Preservation Thorp stated his goal was to review and update the survey that was conducted in the early 1990s and submit a nomination for the Mitchell House C. Renovation/Maintenance/Development D. Documentation/Historical Recordings/Outreach VIII. Reports of Commission and Staff IX. Reports of Students X. Reports of Historical Society A. Report of Historical Society Members 1. Thorp stated furniture had been moved from the Dorenkemper House to the museum in City Hall with the assistance of the Facilities Department. They would celebrate with a get-together of hot dogs and beer. Thorp had no timeline for the opening of the bookstore at the Dorenkemper House; it could be next spring (2027) as there was no running water yet. Novak-Krebs stated the owner of the bookstore was still excited to move in and open. 2. Thorp stated the expansion of the museum space would occur in fall. Bowes explained the footprint of the museum would be doubled by opening up a wall. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES June 15, 2026 3. Bowes stated the Vintage Sale made over a $4,000.00 profit at the Cummins Phipps Grill House. The next sale would be in November. XI. Other Business A. Other Business XII. Next Meeting The next Heritage Preservation Commission Meeting will be held on July 20, 2026 XIII. Adjournment MOTION: Rude moved, seconded by Cass, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 7-0. Chair Bowes adjourned the meeting at 7:40 p.m.