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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHeritage Preservation - 07/15/2013 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MONDAY,JULY 15, 2013 7:00 P.M., CITY CENTER Prairie Rooms A & B COMMISSION MEMBERS: Ed Muehlberg (Chair), Cindy Cofer Evert (Vice Chair), Steve Olson, JoAnn McGuire, Pamela Spera, Mark Freiberg, Deb Paulson STAFF: John Gertz, Pathfinder CRM, LLC Lori Creamer, Staff Liaison Heidi Wojahn, Recording Secretary I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Chair Muehlberg called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Commissioner Cofer Evert was absent. Paulson arrived at 7:07 p.m. Muehlberg took a moment to note the recent tragic passing and contributions of Nina Mackay, former HPC member. II. SWEARING IN OF MEMBERS MCGUIRE AND OLSON McGuire and Olson took an oath of office with Creamer administering. III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: McGuire moved, seconded by Freiberg, to approve the agenda. Motion carried 5-0. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: Olson moved, seconded by Freiberg, to approve the June 17, 2013 minutes. Motion carried 5-0. Paulson arrived at 7:07 pm V. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF A. UPDATE ON HISTORIC SITES - Creamer Kathie Case contacted Richard Grill who confirmed the shed at the Cummins Grill House (CGH)property is not original to the site although he was unable to say with certainty when it was built. Betsy Adams has said it holds no value for the Eden Prairie Historical Society (EPHS) nor does EPHS have the funds to restore it. The HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES July 15, 2013 Page 2 Parks Department has also conveyed it has no use for it. As a result,plans are in place to demolish the structure. Facilities Manager Paul Sticha does not have a specific timeframe for teardown, but Parks Maintenance will try to remove it this month. Gertz said the building could still be historically significant depending on when it was erected. Grill was going to contact another family member who might have a clearer idea of the shed's age. No reply has been received yet,but Gertz would like this person's input. Creamer said it sounds like the decision to tear down the shed has already been made. Olson asked if demolition would affect the landscape plan. Gertz said it would not, but the structure needs to be documented and cited for interpretive purposes. Photographs and measurements have already been taken; recording GPS coordinates is the only thing left to do. Creamer advised Gertz to contact Parks and Recreation Director Jay Lotthammer within the week to apprise him of this so it can be done prior to demolition. B. UPDATE ON LEGACY GRANT - Gertz The grant was finished and submitted to the Minnesota Historical Society last week. Gertz circulated copies of proposals from Bluestem Heritage Group (BHG) and The 106 Group (106G) to commissioners. The proposals came in at $9000 and $9700 respectively. The small grants maximum has been raised to $10,000 which is the amount Gertz applied for. The scope of service and experience is similar between the two groups, but the owners of BHG have teaching backgrounds which could be beneficial considering interpretive goals. In addition, BHG suggested an interpretive plan for the entire farmstead be created. 106G would likely be receptive to including the farmstead if asked. There are other vendors who can be approached as well. Creamer inquired about having one group do the work for both the legacy and CLG grants. Gertz agreed it makes sense to tie the two together since a CLG grant has already been awarded for four interpretive signs at the Riley Jacques property including the barn. The Dorenkemper House (DKH) would remain the focus of the overall project, however. Gertz explained the proposals cover research, writing, and graphic artwork for interpretive signage. 106G also handles fabrication,but it is not an issue to contract for this separately. Both firms are good. Paulson noted BHG did a presentation for the 35W bridge collapse and has won local awards. 106G did the work for Murphy's Landing. Muehlberg said he would like to see at least one more proposal. Gertz explained the CLG grant is a fixed amount. The firm who best fits the legacy grant project should be selected first, and then estimates for the other part of the project can be obtained. Gertz said Creamer has been listed as the City official for grant purposes. Grant applications will be reviewed in August and results revealed soon after. Both firms have projected start dates in September with 106G proposing a January 2014 HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES July 15, 2013 Page 3 deadline. BHG expects to finish in May which might be a better fit given the CLG grant's July 2014 deadline. Assuming the grant is awarded, the UPC will have an opportunity to review and discuss proposals prior to deciding on a firm. Creamer can access the portal to make copies of the grant. Spera asked what the purpose of the proposals is at this point in the process. Gertz explained the grant application is based on ballpark proposal figures. The proposals are for plan development. They include consideration of budget considerations, prioritization broken down into phases, and identification of responsible parties. The HPC and EPHS and possibly others will be involved in the process. The City will be responsible for implementing the plan. Gertz noted these types of grants do not fund landscape plans. An interpretive plan must be developed first. If landscape implementation is recommended at a later time as part of the interpretive plan, separate funding can be sought for that. This may also include signage. Gertz identified five areas of need for the project. In particular there is a need for an accessibility study for the house and how it would relate to the interpretive plan. The lower level of the house must be accessible according to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Alternative interpretation for the upper level needs to be made available on the lower level. This could be in a handout or video format. C. WEBSITE UPDATE - Creamer Creamer did a brief demo of the website. The banner has been finalized and the site is primarily ready to go. There are several minor issues still needing to be corrected. Gertz offered to take a look at the site one last time before Communications reviewed the Commission's final version. Creamer said everyone is eager to launch the site; however we have to rely on the IT staff to make changes. While IT staffing levels are still low, Creamer believes this phase of the project will be ready to launch once the Communication staff reviews the final version. The site will be promoted at a later date when it is more complete. Karla Wennerstrom has granted permission to use photos and information as long as Eden Prairie News is properly credited. Olson suggested each commissioner adopt one or two sites in terms of sorting through and selecting photos and content. Paulson cautioned against putting too much information on the website. There should be just enough to pique interest but not so much that it discourages people from visiting the sites in person. Creamer said there also should be enough to facilitate student research. Logistics for adding content still needs to be worked out. Gertz said similar sites typically have a link to City code as well as information explaining how the sites came to be heritage sites and what that means. Eden Prairie should do the same. The Oklahoma City website provides a good model. Olson noted HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES July 15, 2013 Page 4 relevant information is accessible from the HPC webpage. Creamer will discuss this with Communications. Paulson said if the goal is to make these sites more accessible, it is important to include the days and hours of operation as well as contact information. Gertz said it was his understanding this information was going to be available on the site. DH and CGH are supposed to be available to the public. Creamer explained most of the sites are not open to the public, but they can list"tours by appointment" for those that are. She will follow-up with EPHS. She will also have Communications do a final review before having the website go live. D. UPDATE ON 4" OF JULY CELEBRATION - McGuire McGuire's help was not needed other than with booth set up. She was not in attendance during the hours the booth was manned. Flyers about the Calico Ball and applications for EPHS membership were available. Creamer said a couple books and a few mugs sold. It is her understanding the event was well-attended. VI. OLD BUSINESS A. JOINT MEETING WITH PARKS AND RECREATION - Creamer The joint meeting is scheduled for August 5h and will take the place of the regular August HPC meeting. The plan is to meet at the River Valley Overlook and then follow with a brief meeting at the Senior Center. The meeting needs to end prior to the 7:30 p.m. aquatics public input meeting. Draft agenda items include the Overlook and the landscape plan schedule for the Cummins Grill homestead. Commissioners should let Creamer know if they have additional items for discussion. A finalized agenda and map will follow. Muehlberg said one of the reasons for the meeting is to see if the proposed trail at the Overlook could lead to better access into the site. Olson explained part of the site is under Flying Cloud Airport's runway protection zone which prevents people from visiting. B. UPDATE ON BEST MANAGEMENT PLANS (BMP) - Gertz 1. Cummins Grill House The BMP is in process and will only take a few days to complete. It should be finished by month-end. A Certificate of Appropriateness will eventually be needed for the upper level. 2. Goodrich Ramus Barn The BMP for this site has not been started,but Gertz expects to have it completed within a month. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES July 15, 2013 Page 5 C. WORK PLAN REVIEW - All The joint meeting with EPHS has occurred. An update on the heritage site plaques is needed. Cofer Evert was working on this. The local designation of the DH will be worked on yet this summer. VII. NEW BUSINESS Olson inquired about the status of the Reeder Ridge project. Creamer said it has been to the Planning Commission and is going to Council tomorrow evening for its first reading. One neighboring couple raised concerns,but they met with the developer and have worked out the issues to the neighbor's satisfaction. VIII. FYI ITEMS - Creamer A. CAMP 2013 RED WING: JULY 18-19, 2013 McGuire and Creamer are attending a camp centered on mentoring HPC members and staff. They received a CLG grant to go and will report back at the September meeting. B. LEASE EXTENDED FOR DUNN BROTHERS Due to the need for extra time to pay off capital improvements, Ann Shuster is requesting to extend the Dunn Brothers lease at the Smith Douglas More House by four years to December 21, 2021. It will go before Council tomorrow evening. Gertz said the HPC may need to be involved depending on what the proposed improvements are. IX. FUTURE MEETINGS/EVENTS - Creamer The annual State Historic Preservation Office conference will be held September 11-13 in Lanesboro, MN. There is a reception Wednesday evening from 5 to 7 p.m. Tours are scheduled for Friday afternoon. As many who want to go can,but the City only has the budget to pay for registration, accommodations, and food for one. One commissioner must attend. Interested parties should let Creamer know. Paulson asked for further details and said she may be available. Olson indicated he may decide to attend on his own. A joint meeting with Parks and Recreation will be held August 5, 2013, 6:30 p.m. at the Overlook and 7 p.m. at the Senior Center. XI. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Freiberg moved, seconded by Olson, to adjourn. Motion carried 6-0. Chair Muehlberg adjourned the meeting at 8:29 p.m.