HomeMy WebLinkAboutHeritage Preservation - 07/16/2018 APPROVED MINUTES
EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION
MONDAY,JULY 16, 2018 6:30 P.M. SMITH DOUGLAS MORE
HOUSE
8107 EDEN PRAIRIE RD
HPC COMMISSION MEMBERS: Steve Olson-Chair; Tara Kalar-Vice Chair;
Pamela Spera; Valerie Ross; Paul Thorp;
Richard Smith; Shanti Shah
COMMISSION STAFF: Lori Creamer, Staff Liaison
Kristin Harley, Recording Secretary
I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL
Chair Olson called the meeting to order at 6:37 p.m. absent was commission member
Smith. Commission Member Shah arrived at 7:01 p.m. and Spera arrived at 7:04 p.m.
II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
MOTION: Thorp moved, seconded by Kalar to approve the agenda. Motion carried 4-
0.
III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
MOTION: Ross moved, seconded by Kalar to approve the minutes with the correction of
Severin Peterson's name and removal of"for the trail" regarding the timeline panel for
the Smith Douglas More House, item IX, Reports of Historical Society. Motion carried
4-0.
IV. OLD BUSINESS
A. ANNUAL HERITAGE PRESERVATION CONFERENCE
Creamer stated she reached out to Michael Koop, from the State Historic
Preservation Office, but could not promise scholarships for people to attend. She
would reach out to Shah and Smith if no one else wished to attend; Creamer
planned to attend.
B. CITY WIDE OPEN HOUSE—OCTOBER 6,2018
EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION
July 16, 2018
Page 2
The City Wide Open House would be held on October 6 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00
p.m. Creamer, Thorp and Spera would represent the HPC at the event with a
booth selling street signs.
C. FALL HARVEST CELEBRATION - OCTOBER 6, 2018
The Fall Harvest Celebration would be held on October 6 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00
p.m. Since this and the City Wide Open House fell on the same day, Creamer
asked if the commission wished to split duties. Ross replied the Dorenkemper
House would be open and the Historical Society would have a table with items for
sale. The commission could collaborate with the Society. Kalar suggested
commission members think of ways to participate to discuss at the August
meeting. Due to scheduling conflicts, Kalar and Olson would be unable to
volunteer at either event.
D. NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH—NOVEMBER
Olson suggested this was an item to keep in mind for now, with ideas to be
brainstormed later. Creamer would continue to check back with the 106 Group to
see if the artifacts discovered in the County Rd 61 Hwy project would be
available.
V. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF
A. APPRECIATION FOR THE PAST
Olson displayed the original documents when the HPC was formed in the 1990s.
Planning sessions resulted in a five-year plan and a mission statement. The
current commission's education piece was more pronounced today but much of
the content had not changed. Olson asked if the comments on the Aspire 2040
Plan were completed, and Creamer replied this was ongoing. The Plan did include
heritage preservation descriptions with a map of designated sites and Creamer
offered to email these to the commission members. In addition, the draft chapters
were available at the City's website. Thorp asked if the City was going to request
the commission to look at the Plan. Creamer replied it probably would not,but
now was the time for the commission members to review on their own time and
suggest changes.
Olson noted the Planning Session Documents included information that had not
been updated in perhaps twenty years. He drew the commission members'
attention to the Youth Historian Program, scholarships, the Historic Preservation
Fund, and the "Awareness of committee in high school" language. The HPC was
created by ordinance in 1990, and certified in 1991. Discussion followed on the
differences and similarities between this founding document and current practices.
B. FINAL PREVIEW OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROJECT
EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION
July 16, 2018
Page 3
Kalar display a three-minute clip of the"Humans of Eden Prairie, History
Edition" video. Creamer asked if the plan would one video to show at all the
events or three separate clips- a different one for each of the three movie nights;
Kalar replied she hoped to have them. Spera and Shah had reviewed them in
advance of the meeting. Discussion followed on existing clips to be included.
Creamer reminded the commission that this group is familiar with this project as
they have been working on it for several months, and asked if the audience would
understand what the commission was trying to portray with this project. Kalar
replied this was an attempt to follow the Humans of New York format and the
Humans of Eden Prairie project of the Human Rights and Diversity commission.
Thorp replied he found the video self-explanatory. Creamer suggested some titles
such as "Past to Present" or"History in the Making." Shah replied the emphasis
was on changes in Eden Prairie as a part of growth and the City's current
residents. Creamer suggested incorporating the concept of"change" in the titles,
and Kalar suggested something like "Then and Now." Spera suggested an
introduction. Discussion followed on design and intertitle suggestions. Creamer
replied she would share the video with the City Manager along with the
comments from the commission members. Kalar and Shah turned in their signed
waivers to Creamer.
C. HENNEPIN COUNTY SIGN FOR CUMMINS HOUSE
Creamer stated she had previously e-mailed the two designs to the commission
members and the majority preferred the largest sign. The City Engineer is
working with Hennepin County on the sign design and final location. Hopefully
they would be installed yet this year.
IX. REPORTS OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Ross reported the inventory and cataloging was ongoing. Historical Society
artifacts were discovered in the Riley garage. Thorp stated this was supposed to
be the Society's garage, but the City did use it for storage and donations.
X. ONGOING TRAINING
XI. NEW BUSINESS
A. YORKVILLE AND BLOOMINGTON ROAD—NEXT STEPS
Thorp stated he had no real updates. Creamer replied Bob Mack, the City's UPC
consultant, sent a proposal for the National Register nomination of the Yorkville
and Bloomington Rd discovery. Olson asked if there was still a question of
engaging private owners, and Creamer replied the first step would be deciding
how and when to communicate with the effected neighbors of the findings. Thorp
EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION
July 16, 2018
Page 4
replied participants were more likely to attend a meeting when they had some idea
what the issue to be discussed was. Thorp suggested communications should
come through the City Manager. Creamer offered to speak to the City Manager
about next steps. Thorp replied placing the site on the National Register would
result in a restriction on owners' lands. Creamer clarified that would be the case if
there were federal/state dollars used for the portion of the trail that is on private
property. The designation alone does not restrict the use. Discussion followed on
possible owners' concerns (trail use, etc.). Shah asked if there was a precedent for
communication, and Olson replied this differed from previous similar situations
(burial mounds) in that the site was known up front,rather than discovered during
the investigation. Olson suggested 1) asking the City Manager how to approach
the land owners, and 2) deciding what content to deliver when. Thorp suggested
asking for the City Manager's feedback.
Ross asked if the land the property owners' would cede control was useable, and
Thorp replied it was a protected bluff, unable to be paved or built on,but owners
often resent any restrictions on their land. Ross asked if there were to be many
objections, would that prevent the commission's mission. Olson suggested the site
be seen as a public resource, with the privately-held parcels seen as contributing.
Spera asked if there were laws. Kalar replied while she was not the City Attorney,
but it was a Constitutional issue. Discussion followed on the intersection of
preservation mandates with private use. Olson suggested focusing on the park
land for now; the boundaries could be expanded later. Thorp suggested holding an
informational meeting and see what the turnout would be.
XII. FYI ITEMS
XIII. NEXT MEETING
The next meeting will be held Monday, August 20, 2018, at 7:00 p.m. at a site to be
determined.
XIV. ADJOURNMENT
MOTION: Ross moved, seconded by Kalar to adjourn. Motion carried 6-0. The
meeting was adjourned at 7:57 p.m.