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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011 03-08 HPB Meeting Minutes RegularAGENDA THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE _NA HERITAGE PRESERVATION BOARD _ �ESDAY, MARCH 8, 2011, AT 7:00 P.M. EDINA CITY HALL — COMMUNITY ROOM 4801 WEST 50TH STREET, EDINA, MN OPEN HOUSE — MORNINGSIDE BUNGALOW STUDY — 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., City Hall Lobby I. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES: February 8, 2011 II. COUNTRY CLUB DISTRICT: Certificates of Appropriateness H-10-6 4901 Sunnyside Rd. — Change to a COA — Approved, December 14, 2010 (Change to windows on rear elevation) III. ELECTION OF OFFICERS: Chairman and Vice Chairman IV. OPEN HOUSE EVALUATION: V. COMMUNITY COMMENT: * During "Community Comment" the Heritage Preservation Board will invite residents to share new issues or concerns that haven't been considered in the past 30 days by the Board or which aren't slated for future consideration. Individuals must limit their comments to three minutes. *The Chair may limit the number of speakers on the same issue in the interest of time and topic. Generally speaking, items that are elsewhere on tonight's agenda may not be addressed during Community Comment. • *Individuals should not expect the Chair or Board to respond to their comments. Instead, the Board might refer the matter to staff for consideration at a future meeting VI. BYLAWS AND RULES OF PROCEDURE: Change to reflect new Ordinances 1500 & 1504 VII. 2011 HERITAGE AWARD PREPARATION: VIII. WOMEN'S HERITAGE (CLG) PROJECT: Update IX. OTHER BUSINESS: A. Filming of City Meetings B. New (Proposed) Ordinance — Special Setback Requirement for Single Dwelling Unit Lots in Edina Heritage Landmark Districts — UPDATE C. Neighborhood Street Signs D. 2011 Work Plan X. CORRESPONDENCE: XI. NEXT MEETING DATE: April 12, 2011 XII. ADJOURNMENT: The City of Edina wants all residents to be comfortable being part of the public process. If you need assistance in the way of hearing amplification, an interpreter, large -print documents or something else, please call 952-927-8861, 72 hours in 0dvance of the meeting. A, MINUTES ,MINUTES Regular Meeting of the t Heritage Preservation Board p Tuesday, March 8, 2011, 7:00 PM w �y Edina Community Room 4801 50th Street West aaa MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Joel Stegner, Chris Rofidal, Bob Schwartzbauer, Claudia Carr, Colleen Curran, Ross Davis, David Anger, Katherine McLellan and Lauren Thorson MEMBERS ABSENT: Jean Rehkamp Larson STAFF PRESENT: Joyce Repya, Associate Planner OTHERS PRESENT: Robert Vogel, Preservation Consultant New Member, David Anger was introduced to the Board. I. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES: February 8, 2011 Member Curran suggested several changes to the minutes. The Board agreed with • Ms. Curran's suggestions. Member Rofidal moved approval of the minutes from the February 8, 2011 meeting as amended. Member Schwartzbauer seconded the motion. All voted aye. The motion carried. II. COUNTRY CLUB DISTRICT: Certificates of Appropriateness (COA) A. H-10-06 4901 Sunnyside Road — Change to a COA issued 12-14-2010 Mr. Andy Porter of Refined, LLC, contractor for the subject new home explained that at the December 2010 Heritage Preservation Board meeting a new home was approved and a Certificate of Appropriateness was issued for 4901 Sunnyside Road. As the project has proceeded into the framing phase, the buyers of the home have been able to better visualize the views provided by the abutting Minnehaha Creek, especially from the basement level. With this new vision in mind, they have requested the addition of three small windows at the lower level walkout. Mr. Porter concluded that the additional windows will add a great deal to the view of the creek from the lower level, however will be virtually unseen from any of the adjacent properties. Board members discussed the minimal impact the proposed change would have on the home, especially since it will not be visible from the front street. Member Rofidal opined that perhaps such a minor change should be handled administratively, and not brought back to the HPB. Several board members agreed with Member Rofidal, but pointed out that in the past they had determined that any change to a plan approved for a COA should Minutes Heritage Preservation Board March 8, 2011 be brought back to the HPB for review. There was agreement that in the future the Board should consider establishing a policy that would allow the Planning Staff to administratively 40 approve changes such as the one under consideration, which are not visible from the street and will not impact the historic integrity of the subject home, or those in the surrounding area. Following a brief discussion on the subject proposal, Member Schwartzbauer moved to approve the change to the lower level of the rear elevation providing additional windows facing Minnehaha Creek. Member Davis seconded the motion. All voted aye. The motion carried. Mr. Porter thanked the Board for allowing the additional windows on the rear of the home. He added that since he had submitted the information for the additional windows, his clients have asked that the rear walk -out design be reworked to provide for look -out windows instead of the doors that were approved. The Board agreed that changing the door to look -out windows on the rear elevation is minor, and would not impact the historic integrity of the new home or the surrounding homes. Member Rofidal moved for approval of the change to look -out windows on the rear elevation. Member Curran seconded the motion. All voted aye. The motion carried. 111. ELECTION OF OFFICERS: Planner Repya announced that as called for in the Bylaws, it was time to elect a Chairman and Vice Chairman to serve a one year term. Member Schwartzbauer moved to reappoint Joel Stegner to the office of Chairman, and Claudia Carr to the office of Vice Chairman. Member Curran seconded the motion. No other nominations were presented. Members Stegner and Carr agreed that they would be willing to serve for a second term. The vote was taken. All voted aye. The motion carried - Joel Stegner will serve as Chairman, and Claudia Carr will serve as Vice Chairman for the next year. IV. MORNINGSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD OPEN HOUSE: Evaluation The Board agreed that they were pleased with the public turn -out for the open house. Members enjoyed visiting with the Morningside residents and liked the visual materials provided - particularly the "Anatomy of a Morningside Bungalow". V. COMMUNITY COMMENT: None VI. BYLAWS AND RULES OF PROCEDURE: Change to reflect new Ordinances 1500 and 1504. Planner Repya explained that the changes proposed for the Bylaws and Rules of Minutes Heritage Preservation Board March 8, 2011 Procedure are suggested to reflect the newly adopted Ordinances #1500 and 1504, which define general provisions for all boards in #1500; and the make-up of the Heritage Preservation Board in #1504 — replacing the previous ordinance #801. Ms. Repya pointed out that when the HPB reviewed the new ordinances at the February meeting, several areas for clarification and change were identified. She suggested that since the City Council has already adopted the new code, the time to introduce potential changes will be at the joint meeting with the Council which is tentatively planned for Tuesday, May 3rd, at 5:00 p.m., prior to the City Council meeting. The Board briefly discussed some of the items they would like to share with the Council. Chairman Stegner suggested the subject be on the April 12th HPB meeting's agenda, when the Board can prepare for the joint meeting. Following a brief discussion, Member Curran moved approval of the proposed changes to the Bylaws and Rules of Procedure, bringing the document into compliance with the newly adopted Ordinances # 1500 and #1504. Member Davis seconded the motion. All voted aye. The motion carried. VII. 2011 HERITAGE AWARD PREPARATION: Planner Repya reported that nominations for the 2011 Edina Heritage Award are open until April 6, 2011. The Board will review the submitted nominations at the regular meeting on April 12th and determine the 2011 award winner. A plaque recognizing the winner will be presented at a City Council meeting during the month of May, which is Preservation Month. Notification of the nomination process has been issued in the Edina Sun Current, the City's "City Extra" email distribution, and the Edina Chamber of Commerce's March newsletter. An ad will also be included in the City's upcoming issue of the "About Town" magazine. Ms. Repya concluded that to date, no nominations have been submitted, and she encouraged the Board members to consider submitting a nominee on the forms each of them received. VIII. THE IMPACT OF WOMEN ON HERITAGE RESOURCES IN EDINA(CLG) PROJECT: Update Consultant Vogel provided the Board with a brief explanation of the work undertaken thus far for "The impact of Women on Edina Heritage Resources" project. He pointed out that the project, which began in October 2010 will continue until July 31, 2011 when a final report is due to the Minnesota Historical Society (MHS). After the MHS has had an opportunity to opine on the document, it will be submitted to the HPB for final revisions and approval. Minutes Heritage Preservation Board March 8, 2011 Mr. Vogel explained that thus far, research has proven that early on, women were very instrumental in formation of the Minnehaha Grange as well as the Morningside bungalow movement, where several women contractors left their mark on the neighborhood. He added that several women's clubs have had a marked impact on the history of Edina, however today, there are no structures remaining that reflect the clubs' roots. Mr. Vogel added that while there is no quantitative data, it appears that in the 1920's there were more women owned businesses in Edina, than there are today. Following a brief discussion, Board members thanked Mr. Vogel for his report and agreed that they looked forward to seeing the results of the study. OTHER BUSINESS: A. Filming of City Meetings — Survey/Feedback Planner Repya reported that City Manager Scott Neal and the City Council have asked for input from the Boards and Commissions regarding the filming of Board and Commission meetings. They have asked the boards to respond to the following 4 questions. The HPB responses will be aggregated with the responses from the other groups for ultimate discussion at the April 19t Council meeting QUESTIONS: 1. Do you believe that filming your Commission meeting, and subsequently rebroadcasting the filmed meeting on cable television would change the manner in which commissioners or guests behave or participate in your Commission meeting? HPB Responses: • Yes, the meetings become more formal and streamlined .... the tone is changed. • Unless the meeting is filmed in the Council Chambers, it is difficult to provide visuals for the TV camera, and public participation is awkward. • Public comment can be compromised, with some people uncomfortable speaking up/ and others speaking to the camera i.e. "grandstanding". 2. Do you believe there are circumstances where filming and rebroadcasting your Commission meetings would not be in the public interest? If so, what would be an example of such a circumstance? HPB Responses: • The Board did not identify a situation where filming or rebroadcasting would not be in the public interest. • If the decision is made to televise a Commission meeting, there should be no deviation from that decision. "You can't pick and choose." • 4 Minutes Heritage Preservation Board March 8, 2011 3. Do you believe that filming and rebroadcasting your Commission meetings is an important tool in communicating your Commission's activities and discussions with the public? HPB Responses: • Yes, filming and rebroadcasting is the future .... how many people expect to access information. • Does the cost benefit warrant the financial expenditure? This might not be a financially prudent tool if there are few viewers. • Rarely does a member of the public attend the HPB meetings if not interested in an agenda item, as evidenced in the lack of participation during the "Community Comment" portion of the meeting. 4. Do you have any other input that you would like Scott Neal or the City Council to consider when forming a policy on this subject? HPB Responses: • The HPB consists of 11 members and the configuration of the Community Room makes it difficult to set up the room to provide for spectator space as well as a place to provide visual information. (The screen is behind the area used for spectator chairs.) If the chairs are moved to the perimeter of the room where spectators can view the screen, Board members have their backs to the spectators. Filming in this room would be impossible. ® B. New (proposed) Ordinance — Setback Requirement for Single Dwelling Unit Lots for Edina Heritage Landmark Properties — Update Planner Repya explained that the Planning Commission has continued the discussion on the proposed change to the Zoning Ordinance that would exempt heritage landmark properties from the side yard setback requirement of increasing the setback by 6 inches for each foot the building height of the structure exceeds 15 feet. The Planning Commission recognized that since a Certificates of Appropriateness is not required for an addition to a heritage landmark property, if an owner were to take advantage of the proposed exemption, there would be no check to ensure that the addition met the criteria set out in the plan of treatment for the property. The Planning Commission recommends that as part of the subject change to the Zoning Ordinance, in the event the owner of a heritage landmark property were to take advantage of the exemption to the side yard setback when adding an addition, the Heritage Preservation Board require that the project receive a Certificate of Appropriateness. The Board briefly discussed the Planning Commission's suggestion and agreed that requiring a Certificate of Appropriateness for an addition to a landmark property that takes advantage of the side yard setback exemption was an excellent idea. C. Neighborhood Street Signs Planner Repya referred to an email exchange between City Manager, Scott Neal and • the Morningside Neighborhood Steering Committee. In the email, the neighborhood Minutes Heritage Preservation Board March 8, 2011 steering committee requested that the City postpone any branding efforts for Morningside until a City policy for neighborhood branding has been developed. Mr. Neal assured the committee that the City would not proceed with the Morningside logo at this time. Following a brief discussion, the Board agreed that they would not consider a logo for the Morningside neighborhood at this time. No formal action was taken. D. 2011 Work Plan Planner Repya explained that the 2011 Work Plan will be included on each meeting's agenda to provide the Board an opportunity to evaluate the progress made on established goals. All agreed that would be a worthwhile practice. E. Southdale Mall — Potential for Landmark Designation? Board members discussed the historic importance of Southdale Mall - being the first enclosed mall in the country, and wondered if there has ever been consideration of designating it as a heritage landmark property. Planner Repya explained that in 1990, the HPB approached the mall regarding potential landmark designation, and discovered that they were not interested, due to the concerns that historic designation would restrict their ability to be competitive with changes in the retail market over time. The owners at that time acknowledged the importance of the mall's history; and as a concession, created a pictorial kiosk display commemorating the development of the mall from a farm field to present day. Apparently, the display is stored in the basement of the mall and periodically moved to the garden court for the public to enjoy. Discussion ensued regarding memorable furnishings on the mall's interior that reflect back to its early days. Some of those items include the clock at the top of the escalator; the clerestory windows in the garden court, the bird cages (which are apparently in storage),a lantern sculpture, and a sculpture of children on stilts. Member Anger pointed out that in his readings, he discovered that at the time Southdale was built, 90% of the stores were locally owned — quite a change from the current day occupancy. Robert Vogel stated that while Southdale Mall is iconic, it would not be a manageable historic resource. Member Davis volunteered to talk to the Southdale management regarding the potential for recognizing interior elements of the mall for historic designation. The Board thanked Mr. Davis, pointing out that if nothing else, it would be good to know the mall's thoughts on recognizing its history, and perhaps there is a way the HPB can work with them to achieve a common goal. Minutes Heritage Preservation Board March 8, 2011 S IX. CORRESPONDENCE: 1. Article for Country Club District Newsletter 2. Email correspondence from a Morningside resident. X. NEXT MEETING DATE: April 12, 2011 XI. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 8:55 pm Respectfully submitted, Joyce R.epya