Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutHeritage Preservation - 09/17/2007 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2007 7:00 P.M. Prairie Rooms A & B 8080 Mitchell Road COMMISSION MEMBERS Betsy Adams, Chairperson; Ann Higgins, Vice Chairperson; Richard Akerlund, Nina Mackay, Mark McPherson,Ed Muehlberg, Jane Plaza STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES: Megan Clark,Alexandra Shea COMMISSION STAFF John Gertz, Historic Preservation Specialist Peggy Rasmussen, Recorder I. ROLL CALL Adams called the meeting to order at 7:06 p.m. Commissioners Plaza and Muehlberg, and Student Representatives Clark and Shea, were excused. Also present were Chuck Liddy, Miller-Dunwiddie Inc., Architects; George Watson, Brauer & Associates, Ltd.; Jay Lotthammer, Director of Parks and Recreation; Janet Jeremiah, Director of Community Development; and Jeff Strate, a member of Friends of Birch Island Woods. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Adams asked to move the presentation on the Eden Wood Center Master Plan to the top of the agenda. MOTION: Higgins moved, seconded by Mackay, to approve the agenda as amended. Motion carried 5-0. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES —AUGUST 20, 2007 Adams made the following corrections: On page 2, Item B., paragraph 2, the second sentence was deleted. In paragraph 4, the last sentence was corrected to read "Also, Scott Neal has just informed her that the probability of allowing another building on the property was very low." On page 3, Item C., paragraph 5, the first sentence was changed to read "Adams said an outside source suggested that the sesquicentennial be a springboard for fund-raising for the Anderson schoolhouse." On page 7, the date in the last sentence was changed to September 18. On page 9, Item A., paragraph 3 was changed to quote the BAC recommendation, as follows. The BAC recommends "(b) that a review of ownership of historic properties be conducted to determine if title could be transferred to a unique business or a historical society. Since these have a historical designation they would continue to be protected." HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES September 17, 2007 Page 2 MOTION: Higgins moved, seconded by Akerlund, to approve the minutes of the Heritage Preservation Commission meeting held on August 20, 2007, as published and corrected. Motion carried 5-0. NEW BUSINESS A. EDEN WOOD CENTER MASTER PLAN Lotthammer explained that the City Council authorized City staff to apply for funding from the State of Minnesota through the bonding bill of about $6 million, for upgrades to Camp Eden Wood. Friendship Ventures would like to upgrade and improve the camp setting in order to advance their camp programs. Lotthammer said one of the requirements for making the application for funds was to write a Master Plan. To meet this requirement, the City hired Brauer & Associates and Miller-Dunwiddie, two firms the City has used in the past. George Watson of Brauer & Associates, and Chuck Liddy of Miller-Dunwiddie, have met with several groups, including Friends of Birch Island Woods, to discuss the proposed plan. They also met with the Parks Commission, which recommended that the City Council approve writing the Master Plan. This was approved, and Watson and Liddy developed a draft plan. They are now ready to bring it back to the Parks Commission for review. It will eventually go to the Planning Board and then back to the City Council for approval. If the major funding request is not approved by the State Legislature, Friendship Ventures can use funding previously obtained from SHPO to do a little of the work at a time. Watson distributed the draft program statement and preliminary plans for the Commissioners to review. He said they put together this program, which details the direction Friendship Ventures would like to go. They are going to be meeting with the Board of Friendship Ventures this week to review the plan and elicit their comments on these three different concepts. The three concepts each provide for 66 campers and staff. Total capacity for the camp is 100 campers. The completed dormitory has 34 beds. Two other dormitories are not compatible with that one, and have reached the point where they should be removed and replaced. Also, the building used as a medical clinic should be replaced. Watson explained that the three concepts all have six elements in common: (1) Create a safer intersection with Indian Chief Road by making the camp drive intersection perpendicular to Indian Chief Road. (2) Create better identification signage from the road. (3) Relocate the entry to the house and maintenance building and screen them from entry view. (4) Suggest current parking be removed; use added width for drop off, and build a more formal parking area. (5) Keep the aggregate drive into the heart of the camp for historic reasons. (6) Keep the whole central core of the camp for general use. Dormitory Concept One is a double-size, single building with 66 single beds. It is similar in design and layout to the existing dormitory, but would be larger, with HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES September 17, 2007 Page 3 two stories. It would include a basement with office/storage space, medical clinic and storm shelter. Dormitory Concept Two has half bunk beds and half single beds in one building. There are 66 beds, consisting of 32 singles and 16 bunks, a basement medical office, office/storage space and storm shelter. It could be built outside of the historic district. Concept Three, Alternate 1, would have two buildings, each containing 32 beds, 16 of them single beds and 8 bunk beds for a total of 66. Alternate 2 has three buildings, each building containing 24 single beds for a total of 66. Liddy and Watson recommend historic restoration and adaptive reuse of Birch Hall. Concept One would create a large single-floor recreation activity space. Concept Two would include a full basement addition that would contain a medical office, an office/storage space and storm shelter. Watson and Liddy also met with officials from the SHPO last week. Mark Buechel's reaction was that he would not recommend a large single building. He said Susan Roth would be the person who would have to take a look at the site and decide if anything would affect the historic district. Roth would prefer a building outside the historic district. She said care must be taken so that the property is not de-listed from the National Register. Watson and Liddy also talked to Buechel and Roth about the landscape and the road. There are two small garages. One was original to the site and was moved. Another one was brought to the site. The location of the road is another item. Both Buechel and Roth would not advocate moving the road back the way it was because they don't want to impact the site that much. Liddy and Watson are going back to the SHPO and Friendship Ventures to review these concepts. Lotthammer referenced the possibility of building a boardwalk at the edge of the camp property. Watson replied that with a public trail there is a question of security for the camp. They suggest having a boardwalk with the only connection to the camp at the dining hall. The Watershed Wistrict is beginning to raise the level of the Birch Island Lake to its historic level. The lake level went down after the construction of Highway 62. Strate offered the information that the springs originally feeding into the lake were buried under the highway. Lotthammer said the City would like to get the reaction of the HPC to the draft Master Plan. Because the Commissioners have not had time to look it over, Lotthammer said they could give him their reactions and comments at a later date. Watson said after they receive comments from the HPC and others, they will make the final plans. Adams said the HPC would give its opinion regarding the historic portion of the site. She asked if there is a deadline for submitting their comments. Liddy said they need to have it ready for presenting the request for funding to the State HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES September 17, 2007 Page 4 Legislature as part of the bonding bill. Lotthammer said Scott Neal has talked to Senator Paulsen about the funding request. Jeremiah asked if they have a concept drawing that would compare the number of trees affected by the different concepts they are proposing. The Planning Board would want that information. Liddy replied they do not. They will walk out to the site and determine where trees are going to be planted. The majority of them would be near the dormitory. They are most concerned with where the trees are now. Gertz said the City has a tree inventory covering the area inside of the National Register District. Watson said that would tie into the survey inventory, which they would have to obtain. Gertz asked when more detail, such as the building design, would be available. Liddy replied that would not be done for some time, but he could state that it would meet the Secretary of the Interior's Guidelines. Gertz noted the building of trails is also going to tie into this Master Plan, and the width will have to be determined. Friendship Ventures wants a width of six feet. Liddy said a five-foot minimum width is needed for two people who are in wheelchairs to pass on a trail. Watson said a compromise is needed. Strate noted that Friendship Ventures leases part of their buildings out to the general public to defray costs, so the size and shape of proposed buildings have to appeal to those people also. He wondered if that consideration has been part of the conversation with Friendship Ventures. Lotthammer replied the feedback he has received is 90 percent about the campers' interests and 10 percent about how much it will be used by other groups. They have primarily talked about other groups' needs regarding parking and other related matters. Akerlund stated that what is being done in the area of the camp has a long-term impact on the Chicago Railroad right of way. Lotthammer replied that in some instances the City might have to ask for additional right of way. Watson said the railroad's long-term planning is to put a second line in there. The Twin Cities and Western Railroad operates the line. Strate said the railroad is now talking to groups about computer rail service, and there is plenty of space for that. Higgins asked what process Liddy and Watson use in working with the SHPO to ensure they are meeting National Register requirements. She wondered if it involves going to the SHPO after decisions are made and then getting their approval. Liddy replied you basically tell them what you are going to do, keep them informed, and tell them what you did when you are done. Lotthammer said any feedback from the Commissioners would be welcome. Their help is appreciated. Adams thanked Liddy, Watson and Lotthammer for their presentation of the Master Plan, after which they left the meeting. Gertz told the Commissioners to focus on the National Register portion of the Master Plan. The three concepts are located close to it. He said his initial HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES September 17, 2007 Page 5 reaction is that Concept Two would have the least impact on the National Register district. It shows the dormitory outside the district. Neither the SHPO nor the HPC has to deal with anything outside it. The concepts would all work; however, there has never been a two-level building and it would affect the viewshed. Gertz asked the Commissioners to base their comments on that perspective. Gertz noted that the road through the camp will be left intact as a gravel road. Concept Two leaves the grassy knoll area open, which it was originally. It would be a good idea to remove those two old dormitory buildings, and Friendship Ventures would approve of that. The amphitheater is an improvement and a nice amenity. If the Legislature does not include this request for $6 million in its bonding bill, Adams wondered how Friendship Ventures would prioritize their needs in order to go ahead with the most important ones. Gertz replied nothing has been approved. The best scenario would be to leave the dining hall relatively intact. Adams wondered if the HPC could ask Friendship Ventures what their first priority would be. Regarding the trail width, Friendship Ventures would like to have the trail around the back of the dormitory widened to six feet. Mark Buechel would prefer five feet. Gertz said he is trying to reconcile the fact that people need assistance with their mobility with the appearance of a trail that is wider than normal. If it is made as unobtrusive as possible, that would be a win-win solution. He believes it is more important how that trail is built than how wide it is. McPherson asked what kind of paving materials would be used. Gertz replied it could be crushed asphalt or concrete. If there were a storm,people would want to have the use of a wider trail to get back to the building in wheelchairs. Gertz said he would tell Buechel the City supports the six-foot width trail for the benefit of the campers. The Parks Commission indicated they would prefer the wider width. It makes sense, from both a practical and a safety point of view. Friendship Ventures told the City they prefer a six-foot width, and they went ahead to build part of the trail and use riprap without permission from the City. IV. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF V. OLD BUSINESS A. CUMMINS HOUSE REUSE STUDY Gertz reported that Robert Vogel informed him the reuse study and management plan will be done by the end of the week. Gertz plans to get copies out to the Commissioners soon after. Vogel plans to attend the October HPC meeting for a final look at the report, and will ask for input from the Commissioners before making final adjustments to it. The report will go to the City Council in November at the earliest. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES September 17, 2007 Page 6 Gertz said he is in the process of finishing the Certified Local Government(CLG) grant report, which is due to the SHPO on September 21. He has received the CLG packet for 2008 grant applications in the mail from the SHPO and the HPC should begin discussing it at the next meeting. B. GLEN LAKE CHILDREN'S CAMP UPDATE Gertz said the crew is back at work at the camp and things are going well. Gertz has been working with the supervisor on the window and weather-stripping. C. SUNBONNET DAY REPORT Adams, Higgins and McPherson attended Sunbonnet Day. There was a good turnout of both adults and children. Adams said many people came to see the Dorenkemper House. Ginny Dorenkemper was there and talked about her former home to those who were there. She is very pleased with all the work that has been done on the house. Gertz said the wallpaper was put up the day after Sunbonnet Day. The parts for the stove have now arrived. He said he would open the house for any of the Commissioners who want to see it. VI. NEW BUSINESS A. (See A. above) B. HPC REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL Gertz and Adams will be at the City Council meeting on September 18 to make a second report to the council about the HPC. They will report on what the Commission has accomplished and how much more it can do. Gertz and Adams will talk to the Council about celebrating the upcoming sesquicentennial. Adams said she talked to members of the Historical Society and they want to be active in the celebration as a partner with the City. Mackay said Shakopee just had their sesquicentennial and it might be possible to find out what they did to celebrate C. CHILDREN'S BOOK ABOUT LIFE IN EDEN PRAIRIE IN 1915 Adams said she has a copy of Jackie Nesbitt's book about her mother, who grew up on a farm in Eden Prairie. It is a children's book and covers the spring and summer of 1915. The farm is part of the Bearpath community now. The book is available through Marie Wittenberg at the Historical Society Museum. Adams also plans to sell it at the Bearpath shop. The cost is $12. VII. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Mackay moved, seconded by Akerlund, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 5-0. Adams adjourned the meeting at 9:10 p.m.