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Heritage Preservation - 01/22/2001 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 2001 7:00 p.m. CITY CENTER Atrium III— Group 1 8080 Mitchell Road COMMISSION MEMBERS: Lori Peterson-Benike, Chairperson; Deborah Barkley,Jennie Brown, Kati Simons, Art Weeks, Mike Wroblewksi STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES: Kathleen Luther, Christopher Pesheck, Elise Johnson COMMISSION STAFF: John Gertz, Historic Preservation Specialist Peggy Rasmussen, Recorder I. ROLL CALL Peterson-Benike called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. Commissioner Wroblewski was absent, and all Student Representatives were absent. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Peterson-Benike added Item C. under New Business, regarding a Preservation Alliance of Minnesota (PAM) nomination form; Item D. future agenda ideas, and Item E. a thank you card for Jan Mosman. MOTION: Weeks moved, seconded by Brown, to approve the agenda as published and amended. Motion carried 5-0. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES —November 20, 2000 Peterson-Benike made a correction on page 3, the first line, which should read ". . Lookout Park." Page 3,paragraph 8, should read "Mosman said students at the Hennepin Technical College . . ." MOTION: Brown moved, seconded by Barkley, to approve the minutes of the Heritage Preservation Commission Meeting, held on November 20, 2000, as published and amended. Motion carried 4-0, with Weeks abstaining due to his absence. IV. REPORTS AND REQUESTS A. Update on Eden Prairie Historical Society Projects Peterson-Benike and Gertz attended the monthly meeting of the Eden Prairie Historical Society. The former Anderson School has been given to the Society by the present owner of the property, who wants it moved so the land can be developed. It was made into a private house and is now empty. The Society is very interested in restoring it and opening it for an educational use, along the lines HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES January 22, 2001 Page 2 of the Cahill School in Edina. They are asking local service organizations to help with funding the cost of moving and restoration. Their plan is to involve Mike DeVetter, the architect who worked on the school gym project, to find out what it would entail to turn it into a schoolhouse, and then meet with the school board to discuss it. They would like to move the building to school property. Possibly the Hennepin Technical Center would allow it to be moved to that property for restoration by the students there. The Society asked if the HPC would be interested in being involved in this project and will keep the HPC up to date on what is happening. Gertz showed the Historical Society the ten interpretive panels. Laurie Obiazor was also at the meeting and discussed programming at the Cummins-Grill House. She asked the Historical Society to volunteer to help with some of the planned programs. Programming this year determines what the City will do in the future. V. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF A. Update on January 16 Boards and Commissions Open House Gertz said he had a table at the open house where those in attendance could get answers to questions about the HPC. Not many came to the open house, but a couple of them stopped by his desk and seemed interested, but he didn't know if they wanted to serve on the HPC. There is one opening on the HPC. He talked to Natalie Swaggert, who said they might try holding the open house at different locations next year. Gertz told the commissioners if they know of anybody who would like to serve on the HPC, to tell him and he will see that an application is mailed. B. Amended 2001 HPC Meeting Schedule Gertz said he and Peterson-Benike agreed on a schedule to include meeting at the Cummins-Grill House. The amended schedule was approved at the January 16 Council meeting. The HPC will be meeting at the Cummins-Grill House on the third Monday in March, June and October. C. Update on Birch Island Woods Peterson-Benike said the County agreed to a six-month extension to the deadline for the City to purchase the property, but denied the request for a no-cost conveyance to the City. The City and County agreed to do a joint appraisal; the Friends of Birch Island Woods will pay for the City's share of that cost. The City is applying for a Greenways grant to help pay for the property. Peterson-Benike praised the work of the Friends and the tactics they have used to assist the City. VI. OLD BUSINESS HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES January 22, 2001 Page 3 A. Historic Sites Interpretive Panels Gertz said the panels are 95 percent done. He edited and corrected them and sent them back to Steve Lastavich, who is working on those changes. Gertz hopes to send the electronic CD's to Pannier Graphics in Pennsylvania in a couple of weeks, and they will make the signs. Gertz has told the Park Maintenance Department that he will be asking them to build the stands for the signs and put them up in the spring. Gertz explained the City received a $4,000 matching grant from the Minnesota Historical Society to have the signs made, and also received funds from the Parks and Recreation Department. The fund was established in Gerald Hoppe's memory, and his name will be put on the sign at the Cummins-Grill House. Gertz will run off a poster version of the interpretive panel for Lookout Park. He will take this to the Eden Prairie Foundation Ball to show what the sign will look like and to ask for funds to help restore the site. Gertz said he would bring this poster to the next HPC meeting. B. Eden Wood Center Re-Roofing Project The City Council rejected the bids at its January 16 meeting and approved re- bidding on the project. The City is advertising for bids in the January 25 Eden Prairie News and the bids will be opened on February 8. The contractor selected will have until May 1 to complete the project. The previous bids were rejected primarily because the City changed the specifications. C. Cummins-Grill House Programs Simons said there were good story-tellers and great crafts for the children at the Christmas program. Gertz said the Valentine's Dinner is fully booked. It was decided that 36 people could be seated in the bedroom and parlor area. The event is being catered. He and staff are meeting at the house on January 23 to discuss plans. Volunteers are needed to assist the evening of the event. Volunteers are also needed to assist at the March program "Climb Your Family Tree", which is almost booked. Historical Society members were asked to be involved. HPC members were asked if they would be interested in volunteering. Tria Mann is coordinating the volunteers. Laurie is still looking for ideas for summer programming. VII. NEW BUSINESS A. Cummins-Grill House Restration Plannin! Gertz asked to have this tabled until the first meeting at the Cummins-Grill House in March. Gertz will update the list of items that need restoration and dedicate the whole meeting to go through the list and prioritize the items. There is a $10,000 improvement budget for the property for 2001. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES January 22, 2001 Page 4 B. Lookout Park Restoration Planning With the assistance of Steve Lastavich, a poster is being made from the interpretive panel for this historic site. Gertz plans to take the poster to the Eden Prairie Foundation Ball to gain support for the restoration. Gertz said he would work with Scott Kipp, the Flying Cloud Airport Advisory Commission, and MAC to try to get their support for efforts to restore the site. Until the City has MAC's approval, it is difficult to ask for donations. It is assumed they would be happy to have the site cleaned up. Gertz said he would be sending out the Request For Proposals (RFP) in the next week to consultants familiar with restoration. The HPC will be asked to review the proposals and select the consultant who will be hired to prepare the National Register nomination for the site. July 31 is the CLG grant deadline to complete the project. The HPC will visit the park when the weather is better. Bob Mack, restoration architect with MacDonald and Mack Architects, went to the site with Gertz, and will have estimates back this week on what it would cost to restore the property. The park was closed in the 70s, and since then it has been deteriorating. Gertz said restoring it should be a priority, because if the vandalism continues it will be destroyed. The stone wall has been spray-painted, which will be difficult to remove. It was suggested that the poster made from the interpretive sign be taken to the schools and put up for the students to see, with the hope of deterring further vandalism. C. Preservation Alliance of Minnesota (PAM) Nomination Form Peterson-Benike had the PAM nomination form. She suggested submitting Lookout Park for nomination as one of the ten most endangered historic sites. If it makes PAM's list of ten most endangered sites, it would be publicized in the Star Tribune during Preservation Week, the second week in May. Gertz said the Lookout Park would be a good historic property to submit. It is eligible for the National Register. It has value beyond the usual local site and is in imminent danger. MOTION: Simons moved, seconded by Brown, to nominate Lookout Park for submittal to PAM for the list of endangered property. Motion carried 5-0. The deadline for submittal of nominations is February 19, 2001. Gertz said he would fill out the nomination form, including more information than is asked for. He will meet with Peterson-Benike and Weeks to go over it before submittal. MAC will be sent a copy. D. Agenda Idea Peterson-Benike suggested having a ten-minute lesson at each meeting on the background of Eden Prairie's designated historical properties. They could also HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES January 22, 2001 Page 5 discuss the City's historical people. The museum run by the Historical Society is a good resource for information. Peterson-Benike asked the commissioners to come back with ideas on how they want to do it. This will be on the agenda for the next meeting. E. Thank You to Jan Mosman Peterson-Benike had a card for everyone to sign, thanking Jan Mosman for her work on the HPC. VIII. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Brown moved, seconded by Barkley, to adjourn the meeting. Peterson- Benike adjourned the meeting at 8:25 p.m.