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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHeritage Preservation - 11/19/2001 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2001 7:00 P.M. CITY CENTER Prairie Rooms A and B 8080 Mitchell Road COMMISSION MEMBERS: Lori Peterson-Benike, Chairperson; Betsy Adams, Deborah Barkley,Jennie Brown, Kati Simons,Art Weeks, Mike Wroblewski COMMISSION STAFF: John Gertz, Historic Preservation Specialist Peggy Rasmussen, Recorder STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES: Jane Field, Timothy Roth, Ross Viland I. ROLL CALL Peterson-Benike called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Commissioner Weeks was excused. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Peterson-Benike added an update on the Historical Society, under IV. B. Reports and Requests. MOTION: Adams moved, seconded by Wroblewski, to approve the agenda as amended and published. Motion carried 6-0. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES —OCTOBER 15, 2001 MOTION: Wroblewski moved, seconded by Adams, to approve the minutes of the Heritage Preservation Commission meeting held on October 15, 2001. Motion carried 6-0. IV. REPORTS AND REQUESTS A. Heather Olson—Eden Prairie Murals! Heather Olson, project leader of Eden Prairie Murals, was introduced by Peterson-Benike. The program came out of the Eden Prairie schools but has now become a community effort. Five core values were identified by students, staff, parents and residents. They are Caring, Respect, Trust, Integrity and Honesty. She showed a video in which a number of people stated what each of these values meant to them. Ms. Olson said these values are to be depicted through creation of five painted murals. The work will be done at the Eden Prairie Center on Monday and Thursday evenings between January 7 and February 28, 2002. All City residents are invited to participate in this work. The Fresco Community Outreach Program has formed a partnership with the committee, and has professional muralists to assist City residents with making the murals. There will be a celebration at the Eden Prairie Center when the murals are unveiled on March 10, HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES November 19, 2001 Page 2 after which the murals will travel through the Eden Prairie School District and City spaces, finally coming to a permanent place at Eden Prairie High School. Funding has been received from the Eden Prairie FamiLink Advisory Council and the K-12 Parent Involvement Advisory Council. Ms. Olson said she wants to include Eden Prairie's past in the murals. She plans to bring the project group to the museum in the City Center. She requested one or two people to come at that time and talk about the community's history and how the core values have been demonstrated through the years. The week of January 7 was suggested, and John Gertz offered to work with her on the date and time. Ms. Olson also asked if anyone would be willing to speak about the City's history and values at an Open House in the atrium of the City Center on January 24 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Peterson-Benike said she would let the Eden Prairie Historical Society know about this invitation, and someone from the group would likely be interested in speaking. Ms. Olson also invited everyone to consider contributing their ideas of core values to "Art on City Walls" that will be on display in January, and also come to the Community Room at the Eden Prairie Center to work on the large murals. B. Update on Eden Prairie Historical Society Peterson-Benike reported that she attended the most recent meeting of the Historical Society. She accepted their nomination to serve on its Board of Directors. The nine-member Board meets every other month. She would like to have the HPC and the Historical Society do some things together. The Anderson House was demolished. The owner of the property gave the door bell to the Anderson's grandson who came to see the house before it was demolished. V. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF A. Welcome and Introduction of HPCStudent Members The student representatives introduced themselves, and explained why they wanted to join the HPC. They will be student members until May 2002. Ross Viland is a Junior at Eden Prairie High School. He had been in Ron Case's class, and was taken on a tour of old elementary schools. Jane Field is a Senior at the high school, and history has always been a subject she likes. She knows a lot about Eden Prairie's past and wanted to learn more. Tim Roth is a Junior, and he thought it would be fun and interesting to be on the HPC. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES November 19, 2001 Page 3 Members of the Commission introduced themselves to the students. B. Preservation Alliance of Minnesota Annual Meeting and Preservation Awards The Preservation Alliance selected Glen Lake Children's Camp for an award at its annual meeting in Duluth on November 3. John Gertz accepted the 2001 Preservation Honor Award plaque on behalf of the City. It was presented because of the City's involvement in restoring the camp, which was formerly used for children with tuberculosis. The HPC, then City staff, and eventually the Council decided to preserve and restore it, an effort that has taken three years to accomplish. C. Minnesota Recreation and Parks Association Conference The above conference presented an award to the City for the interpretive panels, which have been recently completed and will be put in place next spring. Gertz put together an exhibit about the panels that City Parks staff presented at the conference in Duluth, and the exhibit was well received. The HPC reviewed the exhibit and the award. D. Grant Update Gertz said the last grant is finished and he is not working on any grants at this time; the first time in about ten years. Gertz said he would bring information to the January HPC meeting about future CLG grants. VI. OLD BUSINESS A. Lookout Park Gertz reported City crews worked two full days to clean up the site by removing trees and brush. The picnic area is not finished,but the crews will keep working through the winter months to finish it. The stone wall is now visible, and the whole site is visible from the road. The other benefit is that the site is no longer an appealing place to party on weekend nights. The City hopes to have a meeting sometime in the next two weeks with representatives from the Minnesota Parks Commission, MAC, and the Mdewakanton Dakota group on restoration of the wayside. Gertz expressed hope the site will be restored in the next year or two. B. Dornkemper House This was a log cabin built in the late 1800s. It may have had the exterior siding put on it right away, however, as that was commonly done. The house is located HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES November 19, 2001 Page 4 at Settler's Ridge. Dan Herbst is the developer. Gertz said the most recent plan for the house is to restore it on its original foundation and incorporate it into the monument area at the entrance to the site. Gertz agrees that is the best thing to do. Whether or not to remove the siding and reveal the logs has not been decided and no use for the house has been determined. If possible, it would be restored and furnished with the original Dornkemper family furniture and turned over to the Historical Society. They would be responsible for it and the City would not be involved. The barn would probably be torn down because of the cost to restore it. If the farm, including the barn, were going to be kept intact, the HPC might consider designation. The HPC could suggest keeping the barn there for that reason. Commission members should have received information about local designations. If not, members were asked to let John Gertz know. At the January meeting there will be a discussion of local designations. VII. NEW BUSINESS A. J.R. Cummins House Use Guidelines Gertz said drawing up these guidelines has become a top priority for him. The house has been used quite a lot during the past year. Recently one of the pianos had to be moved to clear space in the parlor. A Parks maintenance person moved it without protection for the floor, and now there are permanent ruts in the floor boards. As a result, there will be a discussion about this with City staff, and Gertz will draw up basic guidelines. He said that from now on programs have to adapt to the house and not the house to the programs. City staff is still learning how to program the house, and most of the programs were very successful. At the end of the year staff will evaluate the programs. Gertz said the guidelines will also cover how to clean the house. It will state that no large pieces of furniture can be moved without contacting him. It was pointed out that most of the furnishings in the Cummins House are owned by the Historical Society. Gertz will send the Commission members a draft of the guidelines. B. Schedule of Meetings in 2002 The Commission agreed to change their normal meeting dates in January and February, because they both fall on holidays. The meetings were changed to January 14 and February 11, 2002. It was also agreed to meet at the Cummins House on the same schedule as this year, in March, June and October. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES November 19, 2001 Page 5 C. History of Josef Kucera The Commission viewed a video based on the diary of Josef Kucera, who wrote down his experiences in emigrating from Europe and moving to Eden Prairie in the mid-19"' century. VIII. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Adams moved, seconded by Brown, to adjourn the meeting. Chair Peterson- Benike adjourned the meeting at 8:35 p.m.