HomeMy WebLinkAboutBHPCMinutes_2015_05_21Brookings Historic Preservation Commission
May 21, 2015 Minutes (amended)
A meeting of the Brookings Historic Preservation Commission was held on Thursday, May 21, 2015 at
4:00 p.m. in City Hall. Members present: Janet Gritzner, Dennis Willert, Janet Merriman, Leah Brink, Les
Rowland, Angie Boersma, Jessica Garcia Fritz, and Greg Heiberger. Mary Bibby was absent. Shari
Thornes, City Clerk, was also present.
Chairperson Rowland called the meeting to order. A discussion regarding Gettysburg and 610 3rd Street
were added to the agenda. A motion was made by Brink, seconded by Gritzner, to approve the agenda
as amended. All present voted yes, motion carried. A motion was made by Brink, seconded by
Merriman, to approve the minutes. All present voted yes; motion carried.
Next meeting was scheduled for Thursday, June 19th at 4:00 p.m.
11.1 Review Applications:
809 8th Street – UNIVERSITY DISTRICT (Review Completed). The owner applied for a roofing permit
for 809 8th Street. He wants to remove the existing asphalt shingles and replace with a standing
seam metal roof. The ribs are 9” apart and the color is a blue gray. The home is a non‐contributing
rental property located in the University Residential District.
SHPO determined that although standing seam metal roofing is not common in the historic district,
the home is non‐contributing to the district. Kate Nelson reviewed this project with the NR staff in
the office, and they can’t see a way that a standing seam metal roof on an NC house in a historic
district will damage, destroy, or encroach upon the district as a whole.
9th Street Vacation – UNIVERSITY DISTRICT (Review Completed). SHPO had the following additional
questions after receiving the completed case report and BHPC comments. SDSU Foundation officials
provided responses to all the following and SHPO has signed off on the project. The City Council will
hold a public hearing on the street vacation at a future meeting.
“Looking at the information and the revised maps, it looks like Harvey Dunn will NOT be vacated
now, but the east half of 9th Street between 9th Avenue and Medary will still be vacated. In order to
reroute the traffic from the west half of 9th Street, the alley will be “widened to 27 feet,” according to
the information provided. Given that the alley appears to be the eastern boundary line of the
University Residential Historic District, please provide the following information for our review:
1. How wide is the alley presently? Please submit a drawing of the existing alley width and where
the proposed widening will occur (to the east or west or both?), showing the expansion’s
relationship to any properties (emphasis on contributing ones), both houses and garages, in the
University Residential HD. Clearly label the houses and garages by address and indicate whether
they are contributing or non‐contributing to the district. Additionally, please provide
photographs taken all the way down the alley to show which properties are on the alley.
2. The University Residential HD map shows two contributing properties east of the alley on 8th
Street – 919 and 923 8th Street (see attached) – although Google aerials seem to indicate that
those two properties are no longer extant. Can you clarify whether those two properties are still
standing? If so, how will the widened alley affect those historic properties (i.e. will they be “cut
off” from the rest of the district by the wider alley)?
809 5th Street – CENTRAL DISTRICT (Pending). An official 11.1 review notification has not been sent
on this project. Thornes is still in communication with the owners on the proposed project. They
want to lift the house and install a new foundation, but the house mover is recommending lifting
the house only without the poured concrete porch indicating it would be cost prohibitive. The
owners are checking to get an exact number from the movers. If it can't be lifted, or the cost is
prohibitive, they would rebuild the porch exactly as it currently appears with the same materials.
They are interested in the property tax moratorium so we need to know if this approach would be
possible. They are scheduled to lift the house mid June. If they miss this date, it will take a year to
get back on this list. Staff is trying to guide them in the best direction possible to keep this project
moving, meet standards and hopefully qualify for the moratorium.
610 3rd Street – CENTRAL DISTRICT (Pending). The owner wants to remove the existing porch door,
widen the opening and install a 36” wood panel door with 2 ½ foot sidelights on both sides. The
front porch is enclosed with double‐hung windows and a door. The home is a non‐contributing
rental property located in the Central Residential District. According to the National Register
nomination, the J.W. Linn house was built circa 1913‐1916. The impact on the structure is not
perceived as negative.
CITY VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP COFFEE WITH THE MAYOR. Mayor Tim Reed is hosting informal coffees on June
18th & 30th with city volunteer board, committee, council and commission Chairpersons and Vice
Chairpersons. His goal is to provide information on city issues and projects and seek input. This will
also be an opportunity for the Commission to bring forward an issue or concern pertaining to historic
preservation. Each group is asked to provide a brief overview of the projects and activities over the past
year and what is planned for 2015. Brink will attend the June 18th meeting and will mention the
Preserve America signs. Rowland will attend the June 30th and ask about the status of the Main to
Medary project.
Ordinance Amendment. The passage of HB1165 now allows for governing bodies to determine
jurisdiction requirements for those members serving on their historic preservation commissions. Now
that it has passed, the BHPC enabling ordinance needed to be modified to allow for those outside of city
limits to serve. The City Council approved the amended ordinance at the May 12th meeting. No
further action is needed on this item.
Sec. 46‐22. ‐ Manner of appointment, composition, terms.
1. Members of the BHPC shall be appointed by the mayor, with the advice and consent of the
council, for three‐year terms commencing in January. Members may be appointed for additional
terms not exceeding three years.
2. The BHPC shall consist of not less than seven nor more than ten members, who shall be
appointed with due regard to proper representation of such fields as history, architecture, urban
planning, paleontology, archaeology and law. All members of the BHPC must reside within the
city, and Where possible, property owners from each historic district shall be considered for
membership.
MAYOR’S AWARDS FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION. The BHPC annually awards property owners who have done
exceptional restoration or rehabilitation projects on historic homes and businesses. For the last three
years the BHPC has combined the recognition event with two other city committees. This year, in
addition to rewarding property owners, awards will also recognize the architects, consultants, designers,
and contractors for their work on these projects.
Letters of congratulations have been sent to this year’s winners. Members volunteered to interview
property owners and prepare and submit the press releases to Thornes by May 22nd. Pictures will be
done later this summer.
824 5th Street, Dave & Diane Kosbau – Residential Addition (MERRIMAN)
621 6th Street, Ribstein Law Office – New Construction in Residential District (BIBBY)
907 and 911 8th Street, “SDSU Foundation’s Bungalow’s on 8th” – Adaptive Reuse as guest
cottages (2 plaques) (GRITZNER)
423 8th Street, Bob & Pat Fishback’s garage – New Construction (BRINK)
The event date and location has been finalized for Thursday, October 29th at the SDSU Performing Arts
Center, 5‐7 pm.
At the last meeting, the Commission agreed to change the award design to an exterior
plaque. A draft design is included in the packet. The design would be similar to the
Nashville award illustrated on the right. Thornes requested direction regarding the graphic
to be included on the plaque. No other graphics were suggested. Members asked about
the size and if it would present mounting difficulties. There was discussion about letting the property
owner decide if they wanted an interior or exterior plaque. A motion was made by Willert, seconded
by Boersma, to approve the design as presented unless another design was submitted by June 1st for
consideration. Discussion: Thornes will contact the Nashville HPC staff to inquire about mounting
concerns. On the motion, all present voted yes; motion carried.
PRESERVATION MONTH/GENERAL PUBLICITY. The Commission had identified the following possible activities
to celebrate May Preservation Month in May: Radio Interviews, Public Service Announcements, Mayor’s
Proclamation and press release, Re‐release of Dave & Tasha Jones Sustainability Poster, and co‐sponsorship
of Les Rowland’s workshop presentation during History and Garden Festival. However, the workshop
advertising did not include the necessary Park Service information or give credit to the BHPC. And, the
National Trust didn’t release its Preservation Month information until May 19th.
Public Education Committee Report. The 11.1 review property owner flyers have been printed and will
be mailed out to all property owners next week along with a mailing to all area realtors and contractors.
The following documents have been developed and added to the BHPC website: 11.1 Application and
Instructions, Checklist of Potential Projects, District Map, Flowchart, Secretary of Interior Standards for
Rehabilitation, 11.1 Summary and Case Report information, and supplemental information.
Additional items added to the website include 10 years of National Park Service Annual Reports,
National Register District Nominations/property lists/maps, Preservation Plan, Incentives, and resource
links.
Members discussed how to digitize existing walking tour brochures. One suggestion was a link to a digital
“flipbook” by using the inDesign software and “issue.com” free database service. Further review of the
option is needed.
Heiberger suggested information including information on what “contributing” and “non‐contributing”
properties are.
PROJECT/ ISSUE UPDATES & FINAL REPORTS:
Park & Recreation Building Adaptive Reuse. Garcia Fritz reported she is serving on a committee that is
writing a rough draft for an RFP. The former Armory is an anchor building in the city and downtown.
The RFP would relate the armory to the rest of the surrounding urban context. They’d like to present a
draft to the Mayor on June 17th and a master plan completed by September.
National Alliance of Preservation Commissions CAMP. The Brookings Historic Preservation Commission
has received funding to sponsor an onsite 1 ½ day NAPC “CAMP” training for the Brookings Historic
Preservation Commission and any other interested South Dakota Commission members and staff.
The National Alliance of Preservation Commissions offers an intensive training opportunity called CAMP.
“The Commission Assistance and Mentoring Program (CAMP) is the signature training offered by
National Alliance of Preservation Commissions (NAPC). CAMP® is led by qualified preservation
professionals in support of local preservation commissions and the NAPC’s mission to build strong local
preservation programs through education, advocacy, and training. The goal of CAMP® is to provide high‐
quality, engaging and informative training to preservation related boards and commissions of all types
through presentations, hands‐on exercises, group discussions and networking (mentoring) opportunities
via live training. Trainers include commissioners, local, state and national staff members, attorneys and
commission partners.”
The program will consist of one day of the basics that would include Chair Training, Legal Basics,
Meeting Procedures, Building Public Support, Reading Plans, Identifying and Designating Historic
Resources, Standards and Guidelines and a Hands‐on Design Exercise. An additional half day would be
dedicated to long range preservation planning. A copy of their session menu is attached.
Other CLG members may attend the training; however, will be asked to pay a nominal fee to cover the
cost of their meals. The training will also be videotaped to be used as a training tool for future
members or other CLG staff/members in South Dakota.
Members discussed a proposed schedule and suggested sometime during 2016 SDSU Spring Break
(March), June or July. Thornes will contact NAPC for available dates. The agenda format and topics
will be finalized at a later date.
Central Residential District Markers. The Brookings Historic Preservation Commission received funds
for National Register Markers for the Brookings Central Residential Historic District. It has become
increasingly apparent that many current property owners in Brookings do has become increasingly
apparent that many current property owners in Brookings do not realize they live in or own a home in a
National Register district. Many potential buyers are also unaware of this important designation. This
has become more noticeable since the City’s implementation of 11.1 reviews last year for all permits.
In response, the BHPC has implemented a multi‐faceted educational campaign which includes building
markers, direct mailings to property owners and realtors, and packets of information for potential
buyers.
Due in part to the University, ownership in the two residential Districts changes frequently. For that
reason, the Commission feels a small, tasteful cast bronze plaque located next to the front door would
be a clear message to the current owners, future buyers and realtors that this is a historic property.
Seeing the plaque would invite questions and dialogue with the BHPC. Expansion of our signage
program would also improve general public knowledge of our local heritage, encourage others to seek
Register listings, and promote the preservation of our historic resources.
The plaques will be installed on all contributing primary structures. The Commercial District properties
already have plaques. In order to simplify the process and keep costs low, the plaques will state the
name of the district, but would not be address specific. Sample plaques from other cities are illustrated
above. The project would be done in two phases: Central Residential (15‐16) and University
Residential (16‐17). The cost per plaque is estimated at $45 each if ordered in quantities over 50. The
Central District has 87 contributing primary and the University District has 181. A local contractor
would be hired to install all the plaques. Installation is estimated at $20/each.
Staff recommends creation of a subcommittee to notify property owners and coordinate with the
contractor. A subcommittee of Willert and Garcia Fritz was formed.
Merriman suggested using the individualized street sign images for the medallion graphic.
Completing the installation before next year’s grant application deadline would be desirable (March
2016).
Workshops. The BHPC is scheduled to host a workshop that provide technical assistance to property
owners. Topics under consideration are energy savings, researching history of historic property, plaster
repair and restoration or local register 101. A presentation at Million Cups was suggested.
PRESERVATION PARTNERS:
State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). SHPO is preparing for its Annual History Conference.
Downtown Brookings Inc. (DBI). Thornes met with Elliot Johnson, the new DBI Director, on May 4th
regarding a number of historic preservation and city issues.
ANNOUNCEMENTS/CORRESPONDENCE/COMMUNICATIONS/CALENDAR.
Sloat Round Barn in Gettysburg‐ Willert announced that this barn has to be removed and asked for
suggestions on how to preserve it. The City wants to move it in town to be used as an educational
center; however, it may prove to be cost prohibitive. Moving might not be an option and it could
require a complete disassembly and reassembly.
Lawsuit pertaining to an 11.1 Review Property in Sioux Falls
May 29‐30 SDSHS Annual History Conference in Pierre w/ SDSHS Board Meeting
June 9‐11th – SHPO Archaeology Camp for Kids
June 11th – City Volunteer Reception, McCrory Gardens Visitor Center, 5‐7 p.m.
June 18th – Coffee with Mayor ‐ 8:00 a.m.
June 30th – Coffee with Mayor ‐ 5:00 p.m.
July 7‐9 – SHPO Section 106 Training in Pierre w/ the Advisory Council for Historic Preservation
Brooklyn Pratt will be filling in for Laurie Carruthers from July‐October.
FUTURE AGENDA/PENDING ITEMS:
Official Comment Submittal for City Planning Commission Comprehensive Plan
Installation of Sexauer Historic District Sign
2015 Statewide CLG Meeting
Impact of Building Codes & Zoning in Historic Districts (setbacks, egress from double‐hung windows)
Central Residential District Trolley Rides
Local District information on the website
“Facts about Preservation” promotion
Meeting adjourned at 6:00 p.m.
Submitted by Shari Thornes