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Heritage Preservation - 09/19/2005 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2005 7:00 P.M., CITY CENTER PRAIRIE ROOMS A & B 8080 MITCHELL ROAD COMMISSION MEMBERS: Betsy Adams, Chairperson; Molly Gilbertson, Vice Chairperson; Bob Amell, Deborah Barkley, Nina Mackay, Ed Muehlberg, Jane Plaza COMMISSION STAFF: John Gertz, Historic Preservation Specialist Allison Burr, Recording Secretary I. ROLL CALL OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS Chair Adams called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. Adams noted Commissioners Gilbertson and Muehlberg were excused. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Jane Plaza moved to approve the agenda and Bob Amell seconded. Motion carried 5-0. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF AUGUST 15, 2005, MEETING MOTION: Mackay moved to approve minutes of the Heritage Preservation Commission meeting held August 15, 2005, and Amell seconded. Motion carried 5-0. IV. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF Adams reported she and John Gertz attended the statewide historic preservation conference in Duluth recently. She highly recommended it to all Commission members in 2006 when it will be held in Redwing. Every year the conference attracts better speakers, many of whom are national speakers. The conference was very well done. The opening was held in an old home in Duluth, which had been owned by one couple for 30 years. The next door neighbors invited everyone to tour their restored home as well. Adams continued she went to a number of sessions, many of which had information on comprehensive and future planning. Gertz reported he plans to attend next year's conference, September 28 and 29, 2006, in Redwing. He indicated this year's conference was probably the best preservation conference he has personally been to. Sherry Butcher of the Eden Prairie City Council was pulled out of the crowd during Randy Wilson's Design and Review session to represent the elected official in a very entertaining and illustrative scenario. Wilson was an excellent speaker. Friday Gertz went to the Duluth Cultural Landscapes tour for three Eden Prairie Heritage Preservation Commission September 19, 2005 Page 2 hours. Thursday he went to the Preservation Alliance Minnesota dinner awards at the Glensheen mansion. After the dinner the director gave a talk about fundraising, followed by the awards portion. Ten recipients were selected for the awards, and the City of Eden Prairie was the third recipient. Eden Prairie had the only barn that received an award. Sherry Butcher accepted the award on behalf of the City. Gertz passed around handouts from Wilson's Architectural Design Review seminar and discussed a handout on Midwest Preservation Institute classes and the information available through them. V. OLD BUSINESS A. Cummins and Riley House Repairs Gertz reported the major change on the Cummins and Riley House was the collapse of the ice house. The plan had been to lift the roof and discard it and make a new roof. Removal of the roof began and the pressure caused the floor to give way and crack. It sunk 6 to 8 inches. The other problem was the east wall collapsed when trying to take the roof off. The walls are three bricks wide which provide insulation on the ice house. The mortar is also very dilapidated. The City building official visited the site along with others, and all concurred that it will not be worth spending budgeted dollars to restore it because there are other structural needs. The options at this point are (1) demolition and reconstruction or(2) do nothing except stabilize and tarp it. Currently the demolition and reconstruction option does not seem possible because it will cost over$10,000 to do so. That restoration goes outside the scope of repairs to the house. If the state appropriates funds, Gertz plans to write a grant application to reconstruct the ice house. If there are no state funds available,he may possibly go elsewhere for funding. The ice house was originally constructed in the 1920s. Mackay asked if the demolition occurs, will the bricks be saved. Gertz replied yes, they will be put on a pallet, the mortar removed and reused when the ice house is rebuilt. Adams asked if the door to the ice house would become a nonfunctioning door to the house and Gertz responded yes. Gertz continued, if the ice house is tarped, work will halt immediately where it is. It will remain tarped for an undetermined amount of time. For other items on the change order, there is not much change. The change order will go before the council in October. Gertz stated when he has been asked about how historic the ice house is, and he responded the historical significance of it is very high. The best scenario is if the state legislature approves funding and we apply. That money is available to houses on the National Register. Eden Prairie Heritage Preservation Commission September 19, 2005 Page 3 Debra Barkley asked if tech students could work on the house. Amell stated Hennepin Tech does not have a masonry program. Students would have to come from Dakota County where they do have a masonry program. B. Dorenkemper House Gertz reported the Dorenkemper House is moving along well. Steve Tobako is doing the work there. He is working on the entryway and ramp. He used all salvageable wainscot Eden Prairie had. Door locks are being installed. He encouraged everyone to visit the site. During Sunbonnet Days, Gertz took a number of people through the house. He was asked if some interior logs will be kept exposed, and he responded yes, but he does not know if there is a plan in place. Gertz suggested where the living room meets the kitchen wall, Plexiglas should be applied. Then wallpaper can come over top of the Plexiglas and people can see through it to the steps of reconstruction. Adams stated the Plexiglas is an excellent idea. Gertz continued there are things to put up around the room,pictures, et cetera, so a picture can be put up on the Plexiglas to make it a virtual wall. The group agreed this was a good idea. C. CLG Grant Update Gertz reported he worked on the RFP today and it will be out by the end of the week. In two weeks he will obtain bids. The next round of CLG grants is available in December and due in March. He advised the Commissioners to keep in mind ideas for future CLG grants. They are not capital improvement grants, more planning, educational, and context development. D. Smith House/Dunn Brothers Gertz reported the wheel stops have been ordered. In the last conversation with Dunn Brothers, they were working to repair the light pole near the rain gardens. It was hit by a snowplow. Adams asked about the split-rail fence reconstruction. Gertz responded the fence had been taken down. It will be removed from the Dunn Brothers site and stored. Adams asked if it is possible to have the fence put back in place. If the wheel Eden Prairie Heritage Preservation Commission September 19, 2005 Page 4 stops are installed, maybe the fence could be reconstructed at the same time. It was aesthetically appealing. Mackay asked who would be responsible for paying for the project. Gertz responded the City was responsible for installing the fence so it would cover the costs. VI NEW BUSINESS A. The Last 100 Years Adams reported at Sunbonnet Days the Historical Society's last copies of The Last 100 Years were sold and there were requests for more. People bought two and three copies at a time. She suggested going to the City Council and asking for funding to publish additional copies. Plaza suggested that may be a possible CLG grant. Gertz commented the book was initially commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce, which did a fundraising campaign for it. The City has the copyright, given to it by Helen Anderson, the author and head of the Historical Society at the time. All funds over the years have been put into a City fund. Adams added the Historical Society would like to talk to Helen Anderson about updating the foreword. B. Student Representatives of HPC Gertz stated the three new student representatives are Danny Dunleavy, Anna Hewitt, and Jennifer Nicklay. The students can do everything except vote. They are required to attend all meetings as part of their membership. Adams stated they will attend meetings beginning next month through May. C. Contact Information Adams stated she would like further contact information, i.e., additional phone numbers and email, for Mackay and Plaza. They provided this information, and Gertz also stated there is a private contact list the City maintains which he will make sure Adams receives. D. Off-site Meetings Adams suggested the Commissioners schedule some offsite meetings prior to regularly scheduled meetings. Three locations need to be visited: Glenn Lake Children's Camp, Staring Lake, and the Consolidated School. Gertz stated the Commission will need to coordinate with school officials to get into the Consolidated School. The gymnasium is in the basement, so it may be possible to get in there to visit. Adams suggested the visits may have to wait until spring to most effectively look at them when it is light out. Mackay agreed waiting until Eden Prairie Heritage Preservation Commission September 19, 2005 Page 5 spring may be a good idea. Amell suggested parking lot lights may cast enough light for the purpose of the Commission. Mackay and Plaza offered to visit the sites either individually or together. Adams indicated she will email some information about each of the places before anyone visits on his or her own. Then in the spring all the Commissioners can make the visits as a group. Gertz offered to put together a brief history of each site and send them out. E. Sunbonnet Days After 25 years, Sunbonnet Days moved from the Cummins House to the Riley- Jacques Barn and were a huge success. The three local produce farmers all attended and brought in produce. A blacksmith, ponies, and big modern tractor were also there, which the kids loved. This was the first year bathroom facilities were available which was nice. Additionally, there was more room at this site. VII ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Amell moved to adjourn and Mackay seconded. Motion carried 5-0. The meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.