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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHeritage Preservation - 04/20/2015 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MONDAY,APRIL 20, 2015 7:00 P.M., CITY CENTER Prairie Rooms A & B 8080 Mitchell Road COMMISSION MEMBERS: Steve Olson (Chair), Ed Muehlberg (Vice Chair), Cindy Cofer Evert, Pamela Spera, Mark Freiberg, Tara Kalar, Paul Thorp STAFF: Robert Vogel, Pathfinder CRM, LLC Lori Creamer, Staff Liaison Heidi Wojahn, Recording Secretary STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES: Zeinab Hussen, Alexander Modeas, Courtney Sweeney I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Chair Olson called the meeting to order at 7:06 p.m. Vogel, Commissioner Spera, and Student Representative Hussen were absent. Introductions took place. II. SWEARING IN OF NEW MEMBERS - Creamer The new commissioners took an oath of office with Creamer administering. III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Cofer Evert added Item IX. B. WELLS FARGO HISTORY WALL and Creamer added Item VII D. SMITH DOUGLAS MORE HOUSE to the agenda. MOTION: Freiberg moved, seconded by Kalar, to approve the agenda as amended. Motion carried 6-0. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: Cofer Evert moved, seconded by Muehlberg, to approve the March 16, 2015 minutes. Motion carried 4-0-2 with Kalar and Thorp abstaining. V. PRESENTATION— OVERVIEW OF HPC - Olson Olson gave a brief presentation about the HPC including mission statement, roles, acronyms, partnerships, a history of historic preservation and related organizations and standards, and Eden Prairie heritage preservation sites, programs, and interpretive panels. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES April 20, 2015 Page 2 VI. REPORTS OF STUDENT COMMISSION MEMBERS Sweeney announced she received a Rotary scholarship. Modeas reported both he and Sweeney recently attended the DECA marketing banquet at which Sweeney was presented with a prestigious award. Both are currently involved in spring sports. VII. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF A. EDEN PRAIRIE INVENTORY LIST— Olson Olson said he and Creamer recently met with Michelle Decker, office administrator for the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and local SHPO coordinator Michael Koop to solicit feedback on the HPC's work plan and to look at records of Eden Prairie historical sites on file at SHPO. Decker provided them with a property inventory list from the early 1990s. Some sites no longer exist or have been redeveloped. Creamer said the first step is to determine which properties still exist and then add other current properties to the list. Thorp noted the addresses for some properties were unclear. Others can be verified via Hennepin County which he volunteered to do prior to the next HPC meeting. Cofer Evert suggested taking pictures when Commissioners split up and investigate the remaining properties so we have current photos for the files. Muehlberg said it would also be helpful to identify zoning up front. Creamer stated the SHPO representatives confirmed sites listed on or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) may qualify for additional grants. Because the Smith Douglas More House (SDM) is NHRP-eligible, Commissioners should discuss whether to apply for a grant to replace the roof or to nominate SDM for NRHP designation. B. TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMISSION MEMBERS —Creamer A three-part symposium consisting of panel discussions, tours, peer review, and networking opportunities related to history and architecture will take place June 4-7 in Minneapolis, St. Cloud, and Rochester. Creamer is attending the Minneapolis session. Any Commissioners interested in going should let her know. The Commission Assistance and Mentoring Program (CAMP) will meet in Pipestone this year. Dates are forthcoming. The annual preservation conference will take place in Little Falls September 17- 18 with a reception on Wednesday evening. The City will pay for one Commissioner and one staff person (Creamer) to attend. Additional scholarships for training may be available. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES April 20, 2015 Page 3 C. UPDATE ON KIOSK PROJECT —Evert/Muehlberg/Husssen/Modeas/Sweeney Cofer Evert reported the design overview for the kiosk has been finalized. It will be fabricated with naturally-stained wood and a black painted metal roof, brackets, and poles. After the construction contract receives city approval, the roof will be ordered. It takes approximately four weeks. Park and Rec will lay the concrete foundation. Bluestem Heritage Group (BHG) has subcontracted out the construction work and continues to work on content and graphics in-house. Editorial changes can be made during the graphic design phase, if necessary. The first graphic rendering should be available in the next couple of weeks. It is feasible the finished product including panels could be ready by August. D. SMITH DOUGLAS MORE HOUSE - Creamer Facilities Manager Paul Sticha and Economic Development Manager David Lindahl recently met with Ann Schuster from Dunn Brothers and a representative from the Minnesota Hosta Society (MHS). MHS would like to invest dollars in the property to make a portion of the grounds a showplace for hostas in anticipation of the National Hosta Society Expo coming to the Twin Cities in 2020. Because the scope of the proposed project is more extensive than what was anticipated, more information is needed before any approval can be given. There are questions about irrigation and maintenance. A landscape architect will develop a plan which will come before the HPC for review. Olson suggested consulting the management plan for anything in particular we may need to be mindful of. VIII. OLD BUSINESS - Creamer A. HERITAGE PRESERVATION MONTH AWARD Communications directed Creamer to gather information regarding preservation awards programs in other cities. She has done that and is now in the process of entering information on the website for Communications to review before it goes live. She asked for feedback on a rollout date in May. Kalar suggested we pick three or four candidates on which to vote. Since the program is new, most people will not have ideas for whom to nominate. Olson requested we have a draft ready to review at the next meeting before going live and making decisions. We want to make sure we have solidified the initiative before going public with it. Cofer Evert recommended picking one candidate we think is exemplary for the first year. Possible nominees were brainstormed. Creamer reviewed program criteria from other cities. She will put together a draft of website content and email it to commissioners for feedback before the next meeting. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES April 20, 2015 Page 4 B. DORENKEMPER (DK) SITE NOMINATION PROGRESS Vogel recently provided Creamer with a nomination draft. Several pieces are missing. Vogel did relay the boundaries need better definition. Olson suggested consulting the Best Management Practices (BMP) document for the DK and Riley Jacques properties. There is likely overlap with the treatment plan referred to in the nomination. Creamer said there have been challenges accessing information from the electronic files. The plan is to retrieve the necessary information to complete the DK nomination, then to work on information for SDM. Olson suggested getting clean scans from SHPO to create new records. We want to start build a good foundation for any new properties. Muehlberg recommended getting the BMPs from Pathfinders. Thorp suggested using a copy of the completed designation for RJ as a boundary reference. Creamer said this could be ready to go before Council in June. C. WORK PLAN REVIEW The inventory files have been started. Creamer checked with Michael Koop from SHPO for more information about the monitoring of Glen Lake Children's Camp. Koop wasn't sure what that entailed. Muehlberg said it consists of on-site annual monitoring of progress and improvements. Creamer said plans have not been provided for the proposed playground equipment or addition of a new building, but they may be available for the May 4 joint meeting. Muehlberg said we should remind those involved of the review process timelines. The DK nomination process and Preservation Month award program have been started. Interpretive signage at RJ is ongoing. Creamer expects to hear within the next couple of weeks if we've been awarded a CLG grant to help complete the Riley-Jacques interpretive signage project. The joint meeting with Park and Rec is May 4 at the Staring Lake Outdoor Center. Creamer asked about changing the work plan to reflect grant application for SDM roof repair rather than NHRP nomination. Kalar said it makes sense and would be a higher priority. Olson said there does not seem to be a lot of competition for this particular grant according to SHPO. We should take care of the resource first. Creamer said the pre-application is due May 29 and the final is due July 17. Both steps are required. Review for the matching-funds grant will occur in September. Muehlberg said the type of roofing needs review by the HPC. Cofer Evert said she was concerned about delaying the roof project until next year if the funds don't come through in time. Her opinion is dependent on the extent of roof damage. We don't want the problem to get worse. Freiberg suggested having inspections take a look and provide us with feedback. Creamer said she will get more information and work on submitting the grant. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES April 20, 2015 Page 5 Olson suggested, in the interest of time, the remainder of the work plan review be tabled. IX. NEW BUSINESS A. GRANT OPPORUNITIES This item was discussed out of order under Item VIII.C. B. WELLS FARGO HISTORY WALL—Cofer Evert Well Fargo has been incorporating history representative of the communities they inhabit into their branch decor. Kathie Case and Anne Higgins from the Eden Prairie Historical Society were recently contacted to help select historic Eden Prairie images for a mural at the new branch office in the Kowalski's strip mall. X. FYI ITEMS A. BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS BANQUET The Boards and Commissions Banquet will be held Wednesday, May 13 beginning at 6 p.m. All are encouraged to attend. Outgoing commissioners and students will be recognized. XI. FUTURE MEETINGS/EVENTS The HPC and Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commissions will hold a joint meeting at Staring Lake Outdoor Center, 13765 Staring Lake Parkway, on Monday, May 4, 2015 at 7 p.m. Freiberg announced the Cummins Grill House will serve as the site for the Farmhouse Market& Vintage Sale hosted by the Eden Prairie Historical Society April 23-25. XII. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Kalar moved, seconded by Thorp, to adjourn. Motion carried 6-0. Chair Olson adjourned the meeting at 9:02 p.m.