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Heritage Preservation - 10/21/2002 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2002 7:00 P.M. Heritage Room III 8080 Mitchell Road Commission Members: Lori Peterson-Benike, Chairperson; Betsy Adams, Deborah Barkley,Jennie Brown, Elise Kist, Kati Simons Commission Staff: John Gertz, Historic Preservation Specialist; Peggy Rasmussen, Recorder I. ROLL CALL Peterson-Benike called the meeting t order at 7:07 p.m. She reported that John Gertz was ill and not able to be present. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Peterson-Benike added Item C. under New Business, Request to Council for Appointment of a Vice Chair. Under Old Business, Item A. Follow-Up Points was added. In the absence of John Gertz, Items B, C and D were deleted. Under New Business, Items A and B were deleted. Under Old Business, the presentation by Glenn Geissinger on the adaptive reuse plans, was placed ahead of Reports of Commission and Staff. MOTION: Adams moved, seconded by Brown, to approve the agenda as published and amended. Motion carried 6-0. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES — SEPTEMBER 16, 2002 MOTION: Kist moved, seconded by Brown, to approve the minutes of the meeting of the Heritage Preservation Commission held on September 16, 2002, as published. Motion carried 6-0. IV. OLD BUSINESS A. Follow-Up Points • Pleasant View Cemetery. Due to the absence of John Gertz, this report was deferred to the next meeting. • Molly Gilbertson submitted an application to be on the HPC to fill the unexpired term of Art Weeks. However, because she is working for Dunn Bros. on renovation of the Smith House, it was thought that for her to serve on the HPC at the same time might be considered a conflict of interest. • Memo to City Council asking them to direct staff to clear up the debris on the J. R. Cummins Homestead property. Due to the absence of John Gertz, this will be discussed at the next meeting. • Interpretive panels update. Article in paper regarding installation. Due to the absence of John Gertz, this will be discussed at the next meeting. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES October 21, 2002 Page 2 B. Riley-Jacques Farm 1. Adaptive Reuse Plans from the Northwest Technical Institute — Presentation by Glenn Geissinur,Architecture Department Chair Geissinger said he appreciated the chance to partner with the City on this project. It was a wonderful opportunity for the students to gain hands-on experience by learning how to go out to existing buildings, measure them, and figure out how to detail the plans and analyze problems. The project also benefits the City. The students made measurements of five buildings on the farm. They also came up with educational and recreational ideas for adaptive reuse of the buildings and land. Geissinger said the building inspector for the City came over to the school and answered questions about building code issues related to these buildings, which was a very good learning experience for the students. The Site. Students suggested this site would be an opportunity for the City to create an urban forest, with trees indigenous to Eden Prairie. This could provide camp sites for Boy Scouts. The City might also be interested in creating a small apple orchard. Scouts could use the apples to make cider, which they could sell. The students looked at the issue of parking. A great deal of parking would be required if the idea of adding a curling arena to the site were adopted, which would mean paving a large area. The Dorenkemper Log House. The students' intended reuse for the building is a Boy Scout house, so they proposed having a full basement to provide storage. A stairway to the basement would be built in a corner of the kitchen. They would put in an old-fashioned drainboard and sink with a hand pump emptying into a cistern. The porch would be put back on where it originally was. There would be two handicapped-accessible restrooms. There would be no auxiliary heating and no electricity, except in the bathrooms. It would have a wood-burning stove tied to a new chimney. Upstairs, the students proposed dividing the space into two good-size offices, each with its own storage space. The house might also be used for meetings of scouts and scout leaders. Outside, close to the log house, should be an out-house style of building, which would be used as a security system for the whole farm. Brick Residence. The scheme for the house would be to use the first floor as a place to create art, where painting, sculpture, and other artistic endeavors could take place in three rooms. The students proposed removing everything in the basement and removing the exterior steps to the basement. The basement could be used for storage, and the underground space to heat and air-condition the whole house. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES October 21, 2002 Page 3 On the main floor, they propose removing the bathroom, which is not original to the house, and put in two handicapped-accessible restrooms and a dark room for processing film. They would remove the divider walls and the cabinets in the kitchen. They would make the front door wider so it meets ADA requirements. Upstairs, where there are bedrooms, the students decided the best use would be to gut the area and turn it into an apartment. It would have one bedroom, a living area, a kitchen with dining space, a bathroom and a walk-in closet. It was suggested that perhaps a horticulturist or grounds- keeper could live there. It would be equipped with security devices, so it could be the hub for security of the farm property. The students thought it made sense to remove the chimney from the basement into the attic but leave it on the roof so it doesn't change the exterior look of the house. Brown asked how students reacted to preserving the integrity of the historic property. Geissinger said he talked to them quite a bit about the importance of doing that. Three-Car Garage. Geissinger said the garage is in bad shape. The students proposed tearing the roof off and putting on a trussed roof, covering it with wood shakes to match the rest of the farm buildings. Adaptive reuse for the garage would be to turn it into a karate and yoga center. They would put on an addition for a utility room, storage area and handicapped-accessible, unisex bathroom. They would install double- insulated windows and insulate the floor. It would have a new front door with a canopy over it. The two garage doors would be removed and then permanently attached to the exterior wall so the building would still look like a garage. Granary. The students suggested building a curling rink attached to the granary. (There is only one in the Twin Cities, in St. Paul.) The footings of the granary would have to be removed by jacking up the walls and then putting in frost-proof footings. They would lower the floor four feet to bring it to grade. The students proposed removing most of the building but not throwing anything away, because it is constructed with tongue-in- groove walls and can be used to create an authentic granary look. The granary would become the lobby and locker rooms for the curling rink. There would also be a weight room. The exterior fagade of the corncrib would be replaced,but the replacement would still look like a corn crib. A bleacher area for spectators would be constructed at one end of the curling rink so they can look down the curling lanes. Upstairs there is a viewing area, which is designed with a sloping glass wall so viewers can look down on the curling surface. There is also an eatery and bar upstairs. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES October 21, 2002 Page 4 The curling arena can be changed to a figure-skating practice arena in the summer months and rented to figure-skating clubs. It would not be suitable for playing hockey, however. The rink is 202 feet long and 106 feet wide, larger than a normal ice rink. Barn. The students propose using the walls inside the barn for climbing walls. There are only three or four facilities in the Twin Cities. Everything inside related to the dairy barn would be removed. The exterior siding material would have to be removed because it is not airtight, then a skin would be put around the interior for insulation and the siding battens put back on. There would be new entry doors, with a handicapped-accessible ramp leading to them. The silo space would be dedicated for heating and air-conditioning. A staircase would be built in the middle of the open area. The column structure would be used for anchoring the climbing walls. Geissinger said one big issue is the cost of heating and air conditioning the barn and curling arena. He suggested this could become a demonstration project for the promotion of geothermal heating and cooling. It would be a perfect time and opportunity to dig trenches to put cooling coils underground. Peterson-Benike said that sounded like a good idea. There are no constraints historically because the barn has never been heated, except by the cows that were kept there. Geissinger said the buildings could be tied into an underground grid, so it wouldn't be necessary to bring natural gas to the site. Electricity is all that would be needed. Peterson-Benike thanked Geissinger for all the work that was done by him and the students and for his presentation. She said this was a great partnership, and there are other historic buildings students could work on. Also getting ideas like this from young people who would use the space is very beneficial for the HPC. 2. Dorenkemper Loy House Crews began working on the foundation this week. V. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF A. HPC Student Representatives Peterson-Benike said the HPC has three new student representatives who were approved by the City Council on October 15 and will be starting their term with the HPC at the November meeting. They are John Buteyn, Mackenzie Epping and Ross Viland (who was a student representative on the HPC last year). B. Historical Society Update Peterson-Benike reported that the next meeting of the Historical Society is at noon on Wednesday, October 23. The new City Manager, Scott Neal, has been invited HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES October 21, 2002 Page 5 to attend and meet the members. The Society will be discussing Christmas events at the J. R. Cummins Homestead. Peterson-Benike wrote a grant application to the Eden Prairie Foundation for funds to purchase a computer, which would be used for entering the inventory held by the Society. Peterson-Benike said this will be a very big job and asked if HPC members know of anybody who would be willing to work with the Society on this project as a volunteer. Simons suggested the person who runs the Community Education computer courses might know of someone. Also, there could be students at the high school who would be willing to do this job. The student representatives might have some suggestions. It was suggested that the HPC and Historical Society exchange copies of their meeting minutes in order to pass along information of interest to both groups. VI. NEW BUSINESS A. Requests for Proposals for Upcoming Projects Peterson-Benike said John Gertz informed her that there are some big projects coming up on the historical properties that will require preparing Requests For Proposals (RFP) in order to obtain bids. B. Desisnation of Historic Properties Gertz told Peterson-Benike that now he is finished with meetings on the Smith House and Dorenkemper Log House, he would be working this fall on writing the designations selected by the HPC. C. Request to City Council for Appointment of a Vice Chair MOTION: Brown moved, seconded by Kist, to submit to the City Council a request to appoint Betsy Adams as Vice Chair of the Heritage Preservation Commission. Motion carried 5-0-1. Peterson-Benike reported that the HPC doesn't have to fill the open position resulting from the resignation of Art Weeks until February, if the members choose to do that. The consensus of the members was to leave it open until February. D. Endorsement of Candidates for City Council Peterson-Benike said members of the HPC can endorse anyone they wish as an individual, but the HPC cannot endorse candidates, according to the guidelines for the HPC. She said it would be beneficial to invite City Attorney Ric Rosow to a meeting to discuss the guidelines with regard to forging partnerships, etc. VII. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Simons moved, seconded by Adams, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 6-0. Chair Peterson-Benike adjourned the meeting at 8:50 p.m.