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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHeritage Preservation - 02/25/2008 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2008 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: Claire Lukens, Mark Muston,Alexandra Shea COMMISSION STAFF John Gertz, Historic Preservation Specialist Peggy Rasmussen, Recorder I. ROLL CALL Adams called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. All Commissioners were present. Student Representative Lukens was absent. Seven high school students were in attendance as part of a student government class. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Plaza moved, seconded by Akerlund, to approve the agenda as published. Motion carried 7-0. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES —JANUARY 28, 2008 Adams made a correction on page 5, the third paragraph, which should read "Adams said the free banners for light poles at two City locations came as a result of an Eden Prairie News article written by Karla Wennerstrom about the sesquicentennial. She and Gertz received an e-mail from a woman saying she would like to donate banners." MOTION: Mackay moved, seconded by Muehlberg, to approve the minutes of the Heritage Preservation Commission meeting held on January 28, 2008 as corrected. Motion carried 7-0. IV. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF A. BOARD AND COMMISSION INTERVIEWS Gertz reported that Muehlberg and Mackay reapplied for the HPC and were interviewed by members of the City Council. Plaza is not continuing beyond the March meeting, so another person is needed to complete the Commission. Gertz said it would be better to fill the vacancy now, although the HPC can operate with six members. Adams urged the Commissioners to ask people they know if they would be interested in serving on the HPC. HERITAGE PRESERVATON COMMISSION February 25, 2008 Page 2 V. OLD BUSINESS A. SESQUICENTENNIAL PLANNING Higgins reported that Akerlund, Mackay and herself, the HPC's subcommittee on the sesquicentennial, met with City staff members in February to talk about plans. Joyce Lorenz, communications manager, will contact a graphic designer about designing a logo representing the Eden Prairie sesquicentennial. Gertz will work with Sandy Werts to prepare a budget request based on funding needs and forward it to Scott Neal. Funds are needed to mail a packet of information to community businesses, non-profits and organizations inviting them to plan and participate in the sesquicentennial, and to supply buses for tours of Eden Prairie historic sites and to the State Capitol. Higgins said Werts has an interest in expanding the sesquicentennial celebration into events the City already has planned for the year. With regard to involving the School District, Adams said students at the high school are interviewing some older members of the Historical Society to obtain their oral histories. Higgins said Ron Case did an oral history project with his students some time ago. The tapes from that project are in the possession of the Historical Society. Higgins said there may be an opportunity to take up that project on a smaller scale now and use the Council Chambers to make a video of older citizens giving their oral histories. Higgins said there would be an attempt to reach out to organizations and churches to tell them what the City is planning to do and ask them what they can help with. Adams provided a list of groups that she believes should participate in the sesquicentennial planning. Adams said it is hoped there will be a representative from each of these groups to get together and discuss their plans. The goal is widespread awareness of the sesquicentennial. Adams said the City's Web site can be used to get out the word, and probably the school's Web site could also be used. Other groups might be interested in letting the community know they are participating. Adams reported that the Historical Society said they would like to include information in the packet the City is sending out. They have chosen May 10 for tours of the historic sites, and will dress in costume to man all of the locations. They would like to have the City provide a brochure with a map that shows where to go on the tour and place them at different locations in the City, perhaps at local businesses. The packet being sent to businesses could include a card to return to the City if they want some of the brochures. There will be buses that pick people up and take them to various historic sites. Gertz said the sites would include the J.R. Cummins Homestead, the Riley-Jacques Farmstead, the Dorenkemper House, Central School gym, Staring Lake Outdoor Center, the Dunn Bros. Coffee/Smith- Douglas-More House and one of the cemeteries. Plaza suggested including a stop on the bluffs overlooking the river valley, with a discussion of its history and the history of Flying Cloud Airport. Gertz agreed those were good suggestions and should be incorporated in the tour. HERITAGE PRESERVATON COMMISSION February 25, 2008 Page 3 Gertz said the schedule of various events around May 11 would have to be coordinated with the Historical Society. City staff is thinking about taking a bus tour to the Capitol on May 11, and also on May 17 and 18 for the Statehood Festival& Expo. Gertz reported that printing the book, Eden Prairie: The First 100 Years, is on track for reprinting, but he did not know whether or not it would be printed in- house. With regard to the design of the logo, the communications manager is getting three different logos drawn up, and the Commissioners can select the one they prefer. The logo will be put on the Web site for anyone to use and it will be printed on banners to be put out at the City parks. The Web page will be set up with the schedule of events; they would include all the programs and events to download. It will also include some historic photos. Adams said the Web site of the late Ernie Schultz, called "Eden Prairie History", is still available to look at, and it contains about 500 photos owned by the Historical Society. Higgins said they had talked about the need to take note of the beginning of organized governance in this area 150 years ago. Adams said the HPC would be working with the School District and local newspaper prior to May 11. That is when they have to start educating the public about the structure of the government. It might be possible to have one of the theater groups use the Council Chambers to portray the first town meeting. It could be filmed and shown on the City's Web site and Channel 17. Adams suggested that it could also be performed at the Riley-Jacques barn for the general public. Akerlund said he has found out that the Mdewakanton Sioux are planning their own celebration at the Mall of America; however, they are also willing to do something with the City. Gertz reported that Jessica Broveak, an intern working in the Parks and Recreation Department, would be focusing on the sesquicentennial. There is a meeting scheduled for the end of this week for further discussion of the plans. Gertz received a phone call from Eden Prairie Magazine. They wanted to know about programs and other information on the sesquicentennial that could be published in the May issue. The deadline for that issue is March 10. B. CUMMINS PROPERTY 106 REVIEW UPDATE On February 12 Gertz met with City staff to discuss the parking plan for the Cummins property. The Parks and Recreation Department staff agreed to prepare plans that removed the lower row of stalls from the current "Concept F" plan. Gertz said because the overall project is coming up to a deadline, the final approval for parking has been added to the 106 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). The MOA is to document the mitigation steps agreed upon by all the participants in the agreement with regard to the widening of Pioneer Trail. HERITAGE PRESERVATON COMMISSION February 25, 2008 Page 4 Gertz said the Parks and Recreation Department is required to mitigate the parking area's effect on the property. It is expected that their revised plan will be done within two-three weeks. Eliminating the lower row of parking would remove one driveway, so there will be one drive lane serving two rows of parking. Gertz said that would be a significant reduction in the size of the parking area. The rest of the parking stalls would be moved west into the area of the ball fields. Gertz explained that the HPC would be a signatory to the agreement because approval of the parking plan will be included in the MOA. That means everybody who is participating in the agreement has to sign off on the plan. If there is one party that doesn't agree to it, the MOA becomes void, and it would be necessary to start negotiations again on a new agreement. The HPC will need to look at the MOA in terms of a site alteration permit for the Cummins property. That would include the parking plan as well as the County's road-widening project. Gertz said if he gets a revised parking plan from the Parks and Recreation Department in the next month, he will send it to the Commissioners to look over. It will also be sent to the SHPO for approval; then it would come back to the HPC for a site alteration permit. MnDOT has approved a contract for the landscape study. The City's Landscape Architect, Bill Sawyer, the person who has been looking after the peony garden for the past few years, told Gertz he would like to work with the HPC and the people involved in the site study. C. CLG GRANT UPDATE Gertz received comments from the SHPO office on the CLG grant application about how to strengthen the application by addressing how the grant works into the statewide programs. He completed the changes to the final application, which was signed by Scott Neal, and was delivered to the SHPO on February 20. Gertz said he expected to hear from them in March about a Board review meeting where he will make a presentation on the grant request. He should hear in March or April whether or not the City will receive the grant. VI. NEW BUSINESS A. CITY COUNCIL/HPC WORKSHOP—APRIL 15 Gertz said the HPC has an opportunity to talk to the City Council on April 15, beginning at 5:30 p.m., for about 45 minutes, about the reuse plan for the Cummins House and the first draft of the updated preservation code. There would not be another similar opportunity until next year. Gertz asked all Commissioners to be present, if possible. Robert Vogel is planning to attend and will take the lead on the Adaptive Use Study. Gertz would also like his input on the preservation code. A certain amount of time can be set for each item. HERITAGE PRESERVATON COMMISSION February 25, 2008 Page 5 Gertz recommended that the March HPC meeting focus on the workshop. The Commissioners will have a complete draft of the code then. Prior to the workshop the City Council will get a draft of the updated code, the Adaptive Use Study, and a memo about what the Commission wants to present. The Council might give the HPC feedback on the reuse study at the meeting,but will not make a decision at that time. B. PARKING PLANS FOR DUNN BROS. COFFEE STORE Gertz said Dunn Bros. is in need of additional parking at the coffee store. The site plan shows 27 parking spaces. Gertz pointed out that the only practical way to add more spaces would be on the north end of the property. A shed is there now, which would be removed, but he would like to salvage some items, especially the cupola on the shed. He asked the Commissioners to let him know if they have some ideas about what items to salvage. A demolition permit would be required. The Commissioners reviewed three possible proposals to add more parking spaces. Gertz said whichever proposal is selected will require a site alteration permit. Because the work might be done in-house, and cost would be a factor, they may not be able to use green pavers, as previously discussed. Also, the hard surface of the parking area has to be dealt with. The rain garden has been able to handle the water runoff, but may not be able to handle the additional runoff from a larger parking area, requiring them to find a new area to handle it. Muehlberg asked if the depth of the existing rain garden could be modified. Gertz replied that he would check into it. He pointed out that there will be a loss of some existing parking when they construct the drive through the lot toward the new parking area. Gertz said the other issue is handicapped parking. Concept 3 addresses that. There are two existing handicapped parking spaces. The cost for Concept 3 is estimated to cost $25,500-$30,000 and would give 8 additional spaces, for a total of 35 spaces. For $5,000 more, as shown in Concept 1, they could get 17 additional spaces. Concept 2 would add 9 spaces, at an estimated cost of$27,500. Gertz said Dunn Bros. has not studied how often they have lost customers because of the lack of parking. They would like to have a drive-through window, but that cannot be done because of the added expense. There could be ten-minute parking spaces. Mackay pointed out there is a learning center operating in the upper level, so those spaces could be used when children are dropped off at the door. Muehlberg suggested combining Concept 1 with Concept 3 so that more green space could be captured. Gertz replied that providing a buffer between the parking and the house is important for a historic site. Akerlund said the right type of vegetation should be considered to soften the green space. Gertz replied he would talk to the architect about that. Higgins said her experience using handicapped parking showed her that it is best to keep it close together. She also thought it would be a good idea to have space available for ten-minute parking. HERITAGE PRESERVATON COMMISSION February 25, 2008 Page 6 Gertz said he received the CAD drawings of the site plan prepared by MacDonald & Mack Architects and got permission to do the parking study and plans. The CAD drawings were sent to Adam Feidt, the City's GIS coordinator, to incorporate these ideas. He will lay these plans on top of the site plan. Gertz said he would talk to engineering staff about runoff and come up with an idea on how to handle it. The HPC will be able to look at parking plan options again next month. Gertz said he would see if the rain garden could be dug deeper. The shed will be replaced by an enclosure for a garbage container. He told the Commissioners he would appreciate knowing if they have any thoughts about additional ways to run the traffic through. They can let him know by e-mail. VII. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Akerlund moved, seconded by Mackay, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 7-0. Adams adjourned the meeting at 8:25 p.m.