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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHeritage Preservation - 02/12/2018 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12,2018 7:00 P.M. CITY CENTER 8080 MITCHELL RD HPC COMMISSION MEMBERS: Steve Olson-Chair; Tara Kalar-Vice Chair; Pamela Spera; Valerie Ross; Paul Thorp; Meredith Anderson; Shanti Shah STUDENT COMMISSION MEMBERS: Caleb Miller; Inika Shetty; Neha Bhupatiraju; Alyssa Meiners COMMISSION STAFF: Lori Creamer, Staff Liaison Kristin Harley, Recording Secretary I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Chair Olson called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. Absent was commission member Anderson. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Shah moved, seconded by Ross to approve the agenda with the addition of the Society of Architectural Historians annual conference as an FYI item (b)by Creamer. Motion carried 5-0. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: Kalar moved, seconded by Thorp to approve the minutes. Motion carried 5- 0. IV. REPORTS OF STUDENTS Shetty and Miller announced the students had formed a group and agreed to meet regarding the website research project. Each student spoke a bit about college choices. V. OLD BUSINESS A. STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES WEBSITE RESEARCH PROJECT IV. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF A. TOWN OF HENNEPIN ARCHAEOLOGY PROJECT-Thorp EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 12, 2018 Page 2 Thorp stated he disagreed with the authors of the report on several points and had communicated this with them. The authors had concluded there was no proof of the existence of the Ox Cart Trail until 1870, whereas Thorp gave an origin in the 1840s. He read from an email detailing evidence the road was originally part of the Yorkville-Bloomington Road a legislative state road begun in 1863 and located near a natural spring, as was the Ox Cart Trail. Thorp maintained roads usually evolved from animal trails, then foot trails, then cart and wagon trails, and grew into interstate highways. Thorp stated he will receive their conclusions though he and the commission members do not have to agree with them. The commission could confirm and/or continue the research with the goal of including the road in the National Register nomination. The consultants' preliminary recommendation was to include the road but viewed everything else as compromised, worth noting but not worth designating. The consultant did unearth interesting information worth further research, especially regarding Peter Richie who owned the land to the west of the site. Creamer asked for next steps. Thorp replied the commission should talk to its consultant about the National Register nomination. Olson noted the site was protected now due to being on park land property. Thorp added the recommendation was to clear the buckthorn and prickly ash around the site for more visibility without causing erosion. Kalar asked if this would conflict with their no trespassing stance, since the Parks and Recreation Department did not post the land and were not willing to develop it to bring foot traffic there. Discussion followed on the difference between opening up concealing foliage and causing erosion. Thorp clarified the Parks and Recreation Department would merely remove at ground level the shrubs and trees obscuring the trail, but not tear out foliage. Olson spoke in favor of its nomination. Kalar asked if an interpretive plan, i.e., to facilitate pedestrian traffic, would tip the scales in favor of the nomination, and Olson replied he had never seen that considered in a nomination. Spera asked for clarification the date disparity and asked if it could harm the Ox Cart Trail. Thorp replied the bed of the road commission in 1863 was built on top of the trail and the site would probably not now show the cart wheel ruts. Olson noted this site would be eligible for CLG grants, and once on the National Register would become eligible for even more grants; there was no downside to pursuing nomination. Thorp listed four sites that could be historically significant: the approach to the ferry, two building sites, and the Ox Cart Trail. There was some disagreement about the warehouse site being too eroded to yield historical details and being on private property. He read from page 38 of the report: "Examination of the suspected road leading to the former site of the ferry and warehouse revealed significant impacts from development projects and erosion such that remaining sections did not retain sufficient historical integrity." Thorp reiterated this does not have to be the final word, and Olson expressed confidence EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 12, 2018 Page 3 in Thorp's judgment on the road. Thorp stated he was happy overall with the work and would receive the final report soon. Ross asked if the commission pursued grants for this project would that affect other grants being pursued by the City? Olson replied archeology seems to have very few grant requests submitted and there were few competitors for them. Kalar replied different types of grants did not really compete. Thorp stated there was no tremendous expense involved: no signs, low profile, clear some foliage. Creamer agreed CLG grants are a different type of grant than Legacy grants and do not compete. Thorp stated after receiving the final report, the commission should meet with the Parks and Recreation Department, and Creamer agreed. Olson asked for more feedback, and there was no disagreement to moving forward with nominating the site. B. DESIGN WORK FOR FINAL 6 SIGNS AT LAKE RILEY Creamer announced the design work has begun. Spera and Ross will be reviewing the designs as they are produced. The first design was completed. VII. REPORTS OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY A. ANNUAL MEETING—APRIL Ross announced the Annual Meeting would be April 12 at 6:00 p.m. at the Cummins Phipps Grill House. She encouraged all to attend and become members. The speaker would be Adam Kaeding of the 106 Group who may also bring the tray of artifacts from the Flying Cloud Drive road project discoveries. Thorp was expected to join the board at this meeting. B. GLEN LAKE CHILDREN'S CAMP EVENT—MAY 10 Ross summarized the upcoming event at Camp Edenwood with a talk by writer Mary Krugerud and appetizers provided by the venue. A beer and wine bar would be provided by the Lions' Club, and there would be a tour of the camp at 5:00 p.m. The Eden Prairie Community Foundation may give a donation. The goal was to raise awareness of the site, not necessarily a fundraiser. Case had requested the HPC become a partner and what they could contribute. Discussion followed on a possible role for HPC in this event. Kalar suggested creating a visual representation of the history of the site, since it has only one interpretive sign, and supply the content to the Communications Department. One idea would be a promotional poster for social media, and a second one would be displayed on an easel at the event. Ross stated there were old photographs of the site to use. Discussion followed on display ideas. Ross offered to take these ideas back to the Historical Society's board meeting. Creamer agreed if the commission EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 12, 2018 Page 4 supplied the promotional flyer content it could be completed in time to advertise the event in April, and the larger historical display could be completed later. Kalar and Shah volunteered to put together both. Olson offered to provide photographs. Ross offered to send details about Mary Krugerud the speaker to Kalar, Shah, and Creamer. C. OTHER HISTORICAL SOCIETY EVENTS February 11 —Valentine Making Event March 7 —Eden Prairie Foundation meeting May 10-12 - Vintage Sale at Cummins Phipps Grill House (Thurs, Fri, Sat) 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 10 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. on Friday May 11 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 12 June 7 —potluck, Historical Society, HPC, and city staff Ross announced the cataloging project was ongoing. Creamer stated the grant work for upstairs plans and specs is completed and approved. The pre-application for a grant to complete the work is due in May with the final application due in August. If successful, the work could begin in early 2019. VIII. ONGOING TRAINING A. CHAPTER 3: DESIGNATING PROPERTIES Olson displayed Chapter three of the MN Heritage Commission online training and explained the main points. Designation is a zoning ordinance for a local agency, and includes description of the significance, findings, boundaries, and other relevant evidence. Alterations to the property's exterior are limited or forbidden. The Park Services puts together the National Register form, and the Heritage Preservation Commission looks at it and brings it to a hearing, then brings it to the Planning Commission, who refers it to the City Council. The commission's role is to review the nomination, hold informational meetings, and make formal recommendations to the elected body (Planning Commission). An inventory is a collection of data about the potential historic significance of properties in the community. It does not bring with it any regulatory weight. It is a EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 12, 2018 Page 5 reference point in determining if any properties would merit consideration for designation, an aid to develop educational materials, a resource for neighborhood plans, and when evaluating development proposals. Historic properties include buildings, historic districts, objects, a structure, and sites. They include culture landscapes, traditional cultural property, maritime sites, and archaeological resources. IX. NEW BUSINESS A. REVIEW NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATION FOR SMITH DOUGLAS MORE HOUSE Creamer described the most recent changes to the nomination. Discussion followed on the latest draft of the nomination. Olson noted the hearing was next, and then the nomination would be submitted to SHPO in July. Creamer replied the public hearing would be in March at the HPC meeting, to the Planning Commission on April 9, then to the City Council in May, review board in August, and completion by the end of the year. Discussion followed on the processes and timeline. B. PLANNING FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES Creamer announced she received a training opportunity through the Society of Architectural Historians Conference on Strategies for Visual and Oral Documentation. The conference is April 18, 2018 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. at the state capitol. There will be an optional tour of the capital at 11:00 a.m. with lunch on own. This training would be beneficial for the preparation of the oral history project the commission is interested in pursuing in 2018. She also mentioned Lindsey Danhauser from the Parks and Recreation Department has planned the movie nights for 2018, as was discussed at a joint meeting with the Parks & Recreation Commission earlier in 2017. The dates for the movies at Staring Lake Park are August 3, 10, 17 and suggested these as opportunities, before each movie, to promote or actually show (depending on length) the oral history videos. Creamer also suggested having a staging place to conduct the interviews,perhaps in a public place such as the community center or the mall to capture walk-ins. Discussion followed on next steps for the project. Olson noted an August presentation required advertising in April with submissions in July and advertising in June, and therefore a project plan and prompt completed by the March meeting. Kalar wrote up a quick timeline and solicited ideas from the EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 12, 2018 Page 6 students for promotion. Miller and Meiners suggested the student newspaper and the Principal's announcements. Spera suggested the possibility of soliciting self-made videos. Shah stressed the importance of having more control over the video process to keep the focus and minimize the need for editing. Kalar agreed with going out into the community to solicit videos rather than depending on the public to send them in. Creamer agreed to inform the Parks and Recreation staff the commission was interested in participating in the film series in order to include this in the project plan. The commission could also publicize this effort on Facebook, in the newspaper, on the website, etc. A consent/contact information form could also be supplied. Ross suggested interviewing people at the Senior Center. Creamer agreed. Olson suggested soliciting interviews at the Miller's Spring site. Bhupatiraju stated she would be willing to do some interview at The Colony, where she volunteers. Kalar added the videos could resemble Snapchats and did not have to be polished products. Spera suggested any students who were aspiring journalists could get involved. Meiners offered to interview Eden Prairie fire fighters. Kalar suggested forming a subcommittee. Shah and Spera volunteered to meet with Kalar on this and bring the project plan and prompts back to the commission by the next HPC meeting. Creamer reminded them to copy her on all emails and to request her attendance if they needed it. Creamer mentioned the publicity in Eden Prairie News on the artifacts display by the 106 Group. The Human Rights and Diversity Commission (HRDC) would like to collaborate with the Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) on planning a local history kick-off event for Native American Heritage Month in November. Creamer is investigating the possibility of displaying some of the artifacts recovered from the Flying Cloud Drive road project at a City owned building during the month of November. X. FYI ITEMS A. SHPO ACCEPTING PROPOSALS FOR SPEAKER SESSION FOR 2018 ANNUAL CONFERENCE Creamer announced SHPO was seeking proposals for speakers and topics for the 2018 annual conference. If commission members had any suggestions or ideas they could contact her. The conference will be September 12-14, 2018 in Winona, MN. B. SOCIETY OF ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIANS CONFERENCE The Society of Architectural Historians will hold its annual conference April 18, 2018 and Creamer invited commission members to contact her if they were interested in the 1/2-day training on Visual and Oral Documentation. EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION February 12, 2018 Page 7 XI. NEXT MEETING A. PUBLIC HEARING FOR NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATION SMITH DOUGLAS MORE HOUSE The next meeting will be held Monday, March 19, 2018, at 7:00 p.m. in Prairie Rooms A & B. XII. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Shah moved, seconded by Kalar to adjourn. Motion carried 5-0. The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 p.m.