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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHeritage Preservation - 03/19/2007 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MONDAY, MARCH 19, 2007 7:00 P.M. Prairie Rooms A & B 8080 Mitchell Road COMMISSION MEMBERS Betsy Adams, Chairperson; Nina Mackay, Vice Chairperson, Richard Akerlund, Bob Amell,Ann Higgins, Ed Muehlberg, Jane Plaza STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES Kaitlin Robinson, Claire Lukens, Lauren Bentz COMMISSION STAFF John Gertz, Historic Preservation Specialist Peggy Rasmussen, Recorder I. ROLL CALL Adams called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Commissioner Amell was absent. Student Representatives Bentz and Robinson were absent. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Plaza moved, seconded by Mackay, to approve the agenda as published. Motion carried 6-0. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES —FEBRUARY 26, 2007 MOTION: Akerlund moved, seconded by Muehlberg, to approve the minutes of the Heritage Preservation Commission held on February 26, 2007, as published. Motion carried 6-0. IV. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF A. CITY COUNCIL-CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMISSION PROTOCOL Gertz said the City Council approved the new protocol at its March 6 meeting. This is the process the HPC will now follow. There is an opportunity to have much more dialog with the Council. An annual work plan will be required in the future, and the Council will give the Commission their feedback on the work plan. Gertz said he would keep them informed about how and when the HPC will be asked to engage with the Council. A Council Member might come to a Commission meeting and Scott Neal could come whenever it fits into his schedule. B. NEW COMMISSION MEMBERS Gertz reported that Mark McPherson would be joining the HPC at the April meeting. Adams said all newly appointed and reappointed Commissioners go to a training session. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETING March 19, 2007 Page 2 V. OLD BUSINESS A. GLEN LAKE CHILDREN'S CAMP UPDATE Gertz reported that the City hosted an all-day meeting on March 1, attended by representatives of Friendship Ventures and their architecture firm, City staff, the SHPO, the construction company hired to work on the project, and two trade union representatives. The purpose of the meeting was to resolve outstanding issues related to the construction project and get the work started as soon as possible. The goal is to have the camp open by June 1 for the regular camping season. Gertz said they resolved most major issues. The original windows will be restored and reused, the foundation will remain and pier mockups will be approved the week of March 19. Interior dormitory bunkroom wall partitions will be lowered and have semi-enclosed roofs installed overhead. Where exterior siding was removed, new cedar siding will be reinstalled. Where window frames and sash were removed, new frames will be rebuilt and installed. New work plans were recently submitted to the City, and Gertz reviewed them with the Commissioners. Gertz said he is meeting on March 20 at the camp with Mark Buechel from SHPO and the new superintendent of the project working for Friendship Ventures. Every piece of exterior siding on the dormitory will be inspected and individual pieces that need repair or replacement will be marked. When that is done, they will meet with Mark Wickstrom and look at the mockups he has done for the foundation work. They are going to be concrete block, cut down 5/8" and will be bonded to the foundation. It will be close to being in line with the upper siding. Gertz said if that works on the southeast corner of the building, it should be okay for the other corners. They would also be talking about the windows and some of the interior work in the dormitory that had been discussed at the meeting on March 1. Friendship Ventures requested additional excavation under the dormitory, which was approved. They want to go underneath the building and excavate for storage and an emergency shelter. Gertz said it would not have a visual impact. There is already an opening in the southwest corner, and that will be temporarily widened to accommodate excavation, then it will be closed up to the dimension it is now. Gertz said his concern was to make sure all the excavation material was removed from the site and he was told that it would be taken off site. Regarding the windows, Gertz said they would be a screen/storm combination that will be operated from inside the building. They went back to the original plan for the interior profile. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETING March 19, 2007 Page 3 Higgins said it seems all parties are working together and moving forward on this project. She asked Gertz if he was satisfied with what is being done. He said he wished mistakes had not been made but he was satisfied with it now, and the rest of the project should go smoothly. The on-site supervisor fully understands what needs to be done. Adams thanked Gertz for all of his diligence. B. CUMMINS HOUSE REUSE STUDY AND PARKING PLAN UPDATE The Commissioners looked at two plans. The HPC had approved the one with 24 extra parking spaces. However, the Parks Department approved the plan showing 99 stalls for parking, without the 24 extra spaces. The plan does not show any future parking plan for the house. Gertz said parking for the house will wait until the reuse plan is further along. If there is a small parking area near the house, they might consider the option of alternative paving materials. The HPC could make that recommendation. The access drive from Pioneer Trail would likely be where it is shown on the plan, which is the farmyard road that has always been there. The original drive leading to the house will remain but without access to Pioneer Trail. Regarding mitigation, Gertz said they are already looking at having the power lines buried in front of the house. The City also asked for a complete landscaping plan for the Cummins house. That would help to determine future plans for the site and trail connections. They talked about bringing trails through the site if they are not an encumbrance to the future users of the property. Those were all part of the discussion. C. CITY CODE REVISION A draft of the proposed revisions to the "Definitions" section of the preservation code was reviewed. Gertz said anything printed in red does not exist in the present code. Plaza asked Gertz if these were standard definitions. He replied these are common definitions that appear in a number of other cities' codes. A definition for a Certificate of Appropriateness was added because there needs to be both a Certificate of No Effect and a Certificate of Appropriateness. Gertz said he will be adding more revisions and would mail them out prior to the next HPC meeting. One revision is that a site preservation plan will be required as part of the designation of historic property. He asked for feedback from the Commissioners by e-mail. He will provide an updated version for the meeting, but there might be changes after the City attorney looks it over. D. MEETING WITH EDINA HERITAGE PRESERVATION BOARD Gertz reported that the Edina Heritage Preservation Board prefers to get together in the fall rather than in June. They are probably looking at a date in September. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETING March 19, 2007 Page 4 E. REUSE STUDY UPDATE Gertz said more ideas have come in. One is to use the house as a hospice. There is an emerging trend to locate hospice care in residential settings. Gertz handed the information over to Robert Vogel. Gertz said no business plans have been submitted yet for any of the ideas. Adams wondered if Vogel has looked at whether Eden Prairie needs these particular things that have been suggested. Gertz said he would pass along that recommendation to Vogel. Gertz said he and Vogel would be meeting in April with someone from the MAC to discuss the idea of using the house as a lounge for pilots. They also intend to continue discussions on a horticultural use for the property. At the next HPC meeting the Commissioners will have all the information about reuse options and will discuss them in depth. Some ideas will be eliminated. VI. NEW BUSINESS A. SECTION 106 PUBLIC MEETING—APRIL HPC MEETING Gertz said a public component is required with a Section 106 review. Dennis Gimmestad, the State compliance officer, suggested the HPC hold this public meeting. It would involve notifying neighbors within 500 feet of the Cummins property, and also publishing the notice. The public hearing could be at the beginning of the April HPC meeting. If anyone present has a concern they could talk about it. Gimmestad would be present, so the HPC can ask questions of him. Stuart Fox and Dave Lindahl said they would also be interested in attending. Gertz said he would schedule this public meeting with Gimmestad. B. RE-GRANTING CLG FUNDS FOR CUMMINS HOUSE PRESERVATION PLAN The City received a letter from the SHPO recently, notifying them of the immediate availability of up to $16,000 for re-granting to Certified Local Governments. Gertz said he had submitted a letter to the SHPO informing the office that Eden Prairie has an interest in obtaining $8,000 in additional funds to complete a Preservation Plan for the Cummins property. He has heard back from them, and was told it is very probable the City will be approved for funding. They asked for a cost breakdown. Gertz said the resubmitted budget shows (1) $6,000 for the Preservation Plan, (2) $1,000 for a preservation update for the City Guide Plan, and (3) $1,000 for preservation code amendments. He does not believe it would be necessary to request City funding to meet the grant match requirement because he is putting in much more time than he anticipated, as will Path Finder and the architect to do the preservation plan. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETING March 19, 2007 Page 5 MOTION: Muehlberg moved, seconded by Akerlund, to apply for re-granting CLG funds for a Preservation Plan for the J.R. Cummins property. Motion carried 6-0. VII. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Higgins moved, seconded by Akerlund, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 6-0. Adams adjourned the meeting at 8:30 p.m.