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Heritage Preservation - 12/17/2007 APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2007 6:30 P.M. Staring Lake Outdoor Center 13765 Staring Lake Parkway COMMISSION MEMBERS Betsy Adams, Chairperson; Ann Higgins, Vice Chairperson; Richard Akerlund, Nina Mackay, Mark McPherson,Ed Muehlberg, Jane Plaza STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES: Megan Clark,Alexandra Shea COMMISSION STAFF John Gertz, Historic Preservation Specialist Peggy Rasmussen, Recorder I. ROLL CALL Adams called the meeting to order at 6:40 p.m. Commissioners Akerlund and Higgins arrived later. Student Representative Clark was absent. Jeff Strate, from Friends of Birch Island Woods, was present. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Mackay moved, seconded by Plaza, to approve the agenda as published. Motion carried 5-0. III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES —NOVEMBER 19, 2007 MOTION: Mackay moved, seconded by McPherson, to approve the minutes of the Heritage Preservation Commission meeting held November 19, 2007 as published. Motion carried 5-0. IV. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF V. OLD BUSINESS A. FY 2008 CLG GRANT REQUEST Gertz reported that after talking with Janet Jeremiah, he was informed that the City's Web site is under-used by residents. People prefer to get information by phoning the City offices. Janet Jeremiah suggested educational pursuits would not be the best use of grant money, and Gertz said he agrees with that. Instead, they could do more preservation management plans, which are needed for the Glen Lake Children's Camp, the Smith-Douglas-More House, the Staring Lake Outdoor Center and the Riley-Jacques Farm. Gertz recommended applying for grant money to do management plans for all four properties. HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETING December 17, 2007 Page 2 Gertz said preservation management plans have to be approved by the City Council once they are done. The City maintains Staring Lake Outdoor Center, and having a management plan would assist Stan Tekiela, who manages the Center, with maintenance requests, etc. MOTION: Mackay moved, seconded by Muehlberg, that the HPC recommends applying for the Fiscal Year 2008 CLG grant to prepare preservation management plans for Glen Lake Children's Camp, Smith-Douglas-More House, Staring Lake Outdoor Center and Riley-Jacques Farm. Motion carried 5-0. Gertz said the pre-application deadline is January 11, 2008, and the final application deadline is January 22, 2008. The SHPO will consider grant applications on April 3, 2008. Commissioner Akerlund arrived at 6:45 p.m. B. "GREEN" PARKING FOR THE SMITH-DOUGLAS-MORE HOUSE Gertz referenced the expansion of the parking lot for the use of Dunn Bros. Coffee customers. The shed on the property would probably be removed and the parking lot would extend north of that. He has applied for State grant-in-aid funds, for which the SHPO gave him the criteria. Gertz also plans to contact the Watershed District to see if they are interested in sponsoring a "green" parking lot, using permeable pavers. The Watershed District funded the rainwater garden on the property. Gertz said he would work with City staff environmentalist, Leslie Stovring, on this project. He has also talked to her about using permeable pavers in more of the City's parking lots. Gertz said the City of Seattle has information on its Web site showing the city's "green" parking lots. C. MEETING AT EDEN WOOD CENTER Gertz reported on the meeting at Eden Wood Center on November 30 for the Minnesota Senate's Capital Investment Committee. Scott Neal presented the City's project, and Friendship Ventures staff provided information on their programs and facility needs. Gertz said he drove them around the camp and told them its history. The City is requesting just under$6,300,000. Strate said his group, Friends of Birch Island Woods, is planning to help obtain the grant by lobbying at the Capitol. Adams thanked him for all of his hard work on behalf of Eden Prairie. This portion of the meeting ended at 7:00 p.m. followed by a short recess. VI. NEW BUSINESS HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETING December 17, 2007 Page 3 A. JOINT MEETING WITH EDINA HERITAGE PRESERVATION BOARD The joint meeting began at 7:20 p.m., with Robert and Kathy Vogel, Joyce Repya, staff liaison for the Board, and the following members of the Edina Heritage Preservation Board present: Lou Blemaster, Chris Rofidol, Bob Kohetin, and Karen Ferrara, Chair. Members of the Board and HPC introduced themselves. Commissioner Higgins arrived at 7:40 p.m. Gertz showed slides of Eden Prairie Heritage Preservation Sites and described their histories: (1) Peterson Farm on Flying Cloud Drive; (2) Dorenkemper House; (3) J.R. Cummins Homestead; (4) Riley-Jacques Farmstead; (5) Glen Lake Children's Camp; (6) Staring Lake Outdoor Center; (7) Consolidated School; (8) Fredrick-Miller Spring; (9) Smith-Douglas-More House. There were also miscellaneous sites: Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Creek Knoll Road bridge over Purgatory Creek, Lookout Park, and archaeological sites such as Indian mounds. Vogel distributed a brochure about the City of Edina's Country Club Neighborhood, an Edina Heritage Landmark and one of the first planned communities in the country. There are approximately 550 homes in the neighborhood, which was placed on the National Register in 1980. Vogel also distributed "About Town", the official magazine of the City of Edina, published quarterly. It has a section about historic places in Edina. Vogel said the National Preservation Conference included a bus tour of Edina, with about three dozen people taking the tour that included the Country Club District. The Edina City Council directed the EHPB to look at the management plan for the Country Club District. For the last year they have done a design review survey of the District, and by early spring they should be done. The EHPB has properties to designate in the process of dividing the city into neighborhoods. Part of its mandate is to preserve houses that are very diverse. Suburban neighborhoods are by far the most diverse. Vogel said the southwest quadrant of Edina is mid- to late 20ffi century, and how to preserve anything there is a major challenge. Commercial properties from the 1950s will be difficult to preserve compared with residential properties because the commercial buildings were not built to last. They were designed to be reconstructed as they were used. Southdale, for example, has been redesigned from the original. The windows are all that is left of the original design. Repya said the city approached the owners of Southdale in 1987 to discuss preservation. Adams asked if the Edina HPB has to spend most of its time with permits because of requests from Heritage Landmark Districts. Repya replied they deal with about ten per year. Vogel said what is probably different about the Edina HPB from the Eden Prairie HPC is they get involved in such things as designing speed bumps, redesigning traffic signs, and working on how to reintroduce public art into a district design so that it is compatible. Vogel said he and Repya try to divide permit requests into classifications, such as the Certificate of Appropriateness required for construction of new homes in Heritage Landmark Districts. One HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETING December 17, 2007 Page 4 third of their time is spent on planning, which includes surveys, and one third on education. A permanent member of Edina's Planning Commission sits on the EHPB. That allows the Board to stay connected with another part of the city that will probably be working with the Board on permits. Retired city staff frequently volunteer to serve on boards and commissions. Vogel said the EHPB has a meeting with the city council each year to stay connected with what they are doing. Gertz pointed out it would be a good idea for the HPC to have a workshop with the City Council. That is more beneficial than making a ten-minute update at a Council meeting twice a year with no time for questions or discussion. Vogel pointed out that the Edina Historical Society is part of the parks department, which handles administration of the work at Cahill School. Ferrara said the city pays a person to work for the historical society for 20 hours a week. There is a high expectation within the Edina city government that everything will work smoothly. The city council seems to trust staff and presumes that everyone is doing their job. Vogel spoke about having a heritage disaster response team for historic properties. The fire department in one city would work with other cities in responding to fires, floods, etc. affecting historic properties. Vogel said it makes sense for Eden Prairie and Edina to share jurisdiction when that happens. Adams said she hoped the Edina HPB and the Eden Prairie HPC could have another meeting like this. Ferrara said the HPB could host a meeting in Edina on a future occasion. VII. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Akerlund moved, seconded by Mackay, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 7-0. Adams adjourned the meeting at 9:15 p.m.