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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013 05-14 HPB Meeting Minutes Regi;arIT44.I DZ1 CITY OF EDINA, MINNESOTA HERITAGE PRESERVATION BOARD REGULAR MEETING EDINA CITY HALL — COMMUNITY ROOM TUESDAY, MAY 14,2013,7:00 P.M. 1. CALL TO ORDER II. ROLL CALL III. APPROVAL OF MEETING AGENDA IV. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES: April 9, 2013 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. V1. REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS A. PRESERVATION CONSULTANT INTRODUCTION — Robert Vogel B. HERITAGE PRESEVATION BOARD TRAINING /II. OTHER BUSINESS: VIII. CORRESPONDENCE AND PETITIONS A. 4116 W. 44th Street — Simmons House — Decline Invitation for Landmark Designation B. Celia Bertoia — Thank You Southdale Heritage Award C. Heritage Month Proclamation IX. CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS X. STAFF COMMENTS X1. NEXT MEETING DATE: June 11, 2013 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 advance of the meeting. • MINUTES Regular Meeting of the Edina Heritage Preservation Board Edina City Hall — Community Room Tuesday, May 14, 2013 7:00 p.m. CALL TO ORDER 7:00 P.M. II. ROLL CALL Answering roll call were Members Moore, Christiaansen, Sussman, McDermott, Weber, Good, and Holtan. Absent were Members Mellom, O'Brien, and Johnson. Staff present was Senior Planner, Joyce Repya. Consultant Robert Vogel was also in attendance III. APPROVAL OF MEETING AGENDA Member Christiaansen moved to approve the meeting agenda. Member McDermott seconded the motion. All voted aye. The motion carried. V. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES April 9, 2013 Member Sussman pointed out that under item #VIII. A. 1. COA for 4515 Browndale Avenue, paragraph 8 explaining Consultant Vogel's opinion of the proposal was written as though Mr. Vogel was in attendance at the meeting, and should reflect that his review of the plans preceded the meeting. Member McDermott moved to approve the minutes from the April 9, 2013 meeting with the recommended change from Member Sussman. Member Weber seconded the motion. All voted aye. The motion carried. VI. COMMUNITY COMMENT — None The board welcomed four students who were observing the meeting. VII. REPORTS & RECOMMENDATIONS A. Preservation Consultant Introduction — Robert Vogel Consultant Vogel introduced himself to the newest board members; explaining his responsibilities and current projects he is working on. He pointed out that in addition to the ongoing Mid Century Modern Historic Context Study which will be submitted in August, his firm also provides technical expertise relative to the design review of COA's. Mr. Vogel's contract calls for him to attend four HPB meetings per year. B. Heritage Preservation Board Training Preservation consultant Vogel explained that the work of Edina's HPB is provided in the Heritage Preservation Chapter #6 of the City's Comprehensive Plan. Adopted by the Edina Heritage Preservation Board Minutes May 14, 2013 Metropolitan Council in 2008, the plan calls out the goals, policies, and action plan for the HPB through the year 2020. He added that the action plan is what the board uses to craft the annual work plan which is presented to the City Council for their approval. Because the HPB is advisory to the City Council, the work plan is an excellent way to ensure that the Council and HPB share the same vision for the preservation program. The work plan also ensures that the HPB stays focused and accountable for identified projects. A brief discussion ensued regarding the Comprehensive Plan's Preservation Chapter. Mr. Vogel pointed out that the Metropolitan Council requires all Comprehensive Plans to be updated every 10 years; thus the HPB will reevaluate the Preservation Chapter as part of the 2018 update. Mr. Vogel then introduced the following 10 principles of preservation which drive the work of preservation boards and commissions: Principle #1: Recognize heritage preservation as a legitimate function of government and an important city service. Principle #2: Identify significant heritage resources that give the community its special character and that can aid in its future well-being. Principle #3: Give priority to the preservation, protection, and rehabilitation of those significant heritage resources that can be retained as functional parts of the city in the 21 S` century. Principle #4: Make the preservation, protection, and use of significant heritage resources a goal of city planning for land use, economic development, housing, transportation, and recreation. Principle #5: Create organizational, regulatory, and incentive mechanisms to facilitate heritage preservation and provide the leadership to make them work. Principle #6: Develop revitalization and redevelopment strategies that capitalize on the existing value of historic properties and neighborhoods. Principle #7: Ensure that policies and decisions on community development respect heritage resources and enhance overall livability. Principle #8: Demand excellence in design for new construction and in the stewardship of historic properties. Principle #9: Recognize the cultural diversity of the community and empower a diverse constituency for heritage preservation. Principle #10: Use the community's heritage to educate citizens of all ages and backgrounds to foster civic pride. Member Holtan questioned the mission of the HPB. Member Weber observed that the board's mission or purpose is found in the Heritage Preservation Board section of the City's Zoning Ordinance (#1504). Specifically, the code states that "The Board shall assist and advise the Council, Manager, and other City boards and commissions on all matters relating to heritage resource preservation, protection and enhancement. The Board shall safeguard the significant heritage resources of the City by identifying significant heritage resources and nominating them 0 2 Edina Heritage Preservation Board Minutes May 14, 2013 for designation by the Council as Edina Heritage Landmarks; by developing and maintaining a comprehensive preservation plan; by reviewing applications for City permits in relation to properties designated as Edina Heritage Landmarks; and by encouraging the preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and reconstruction." Ms. Holtan pointed out that she believes the entire community should be involved with heritage preservation. Member Christiaansen agreed that community support is important, however added that heritage preservation means different things to different people; and it is important that the HPB establish goals and stand by them, and not be reactionary to the desires of special interest groups. Consultant Vogel agreed with Ms. Christiaansen, pointing out that deviating from the established goals of the work. plan threatens to water down the preservation program, thus becoming less effective. Continuing with the training, Mr. Vogel explained that Edina's preservation program is structured after the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Archaeology and Historic Preservation. The standards provide for the following structure: PRESERVATION PLANNING Standard I: Preservation planning establishes historic contexts. Standard II: Preservation planning uses historic contexts to develop goals and priorities for the identification, evaluation, registration, and treatment of historic properties. Standard III: The results of preservation planning are made available for integration into broader planning processes. IDENTIFICATION OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES Standard I: Identification of historic properties is undertaken to the degree required to make decisions. Standard II: Results of identification activities are integrated into the preservation planning process. Standard III: Identification activities include explicit procedures for record-keeping and information distribution. EVALUATION OF SIGNIFICANCE Standard I: Evaluation of the significance of historic properties uses established criteria. Standard II: Evaluation of significance applies the criteria within historic contexts. Standard III: Evaluation results in a list or inventory of significant properties that is consulted in assigning registration and treatment priorities. Standard IV: Evaluation results are made available to the public. Edina Heritage Preservation Board Minutes May 14, 2013 REGISTRATION (DESIGNATION) Standard I: Registration (heritage landmark designation) is conducted according to stated procedures. Standard II: Registration information locates, describes, and justifies the significance and physical integrity of a historic property. Standard III: Registration information is accessible to the public. Discussion ensued regarding the structure and work of the HPB. Member McDermott questioned the effect the current "tear down trend" will have on heritage preservation in the community. Mr. Vogel responded that thus far, there hasn't appeared to have been a loss of significant historic properties. He added that the issue becomes a struggle of balancing preservation and property rights. Member Christiaansen observed that the replacement of older homes with new has certainly become an issue in many neighborhoods, however to require a home to be preserved just because it is old is not practical either. She added that the City Code identifies the characteristics for a property to be eligible for landmark designation; and in order to qualify a property would have to possess significant historic factors in addition to being old. Consultant Vogel pointed out that the economics of preservation in Edina is unique. Usually, heritage preservation is seen as a method to control the decline of historic structures. To protect important heritage resources in Edina, an important task for the HPB is to find the balance between regulation and education. Member Sussman wondered if the establishment of conservation districts might be a tool the HPB could use to provide protection in areas where the entire neighborhood would not qualify for a district designation. Mr. Vogel responded that conservation districts do provide for the spot designation of an area. However, the practice can snowball in the community whereby more and more neighborhoods request the protection provided by a conservation district; and this practice could become very difficult to manage due to both the limited time and financial resources of the community. Member Weber observed that the task of the HPB goes beyond houses and yards — it is important to also consider the neighborhood setting and the impact the current activity will have on the future. Mr. Vogel agreed that while consideration of the community's future is important; the question of whether or not the HPB should get involved is one which should be determined by the City Council. A brief discussion ensued amongst the board; after which they thanked Mr. Vogel for the training session. No formal action was taken. VIII. OTHER BUSINESS None IX. CORRESPONDENCE & PETITIONS A. 4116 W. 441h Street — Simmons House — Declined Invitation for Landmark Designation Member Sussman expressed his disappointment that the owner of the Simmons House has declined the invitation to designate his home an Edina Heritage Landmark. While it is true that the owner, as mentioned in his letter, has completed a handsome remodel of the home, by declining the heritage landmark designation, he has lost an opportunity to provide preservation leadership in the Morningside neighborhood. Mr. Sussman pointed out that there is nothing to 4 Edina Heritage Preservation Board Minutes May 14, 2013 prevent a future demolition of the property, and that is a shame. Board members concurred with Mr. Sussman, and pointed out that the HPB needs to keep an eye out for a future sale of this property, and extend the landmark designation invitation to the new owner. B. Celia Bertoia — (sculpture Harry Bertoia's daughter)Thank You Southdale Heritage Award The board appreciated receiving the thank you email from sculptor Harry Bertoia's daughter, and commended Member Moore for sending Ms. Bertoia the link to the City Council's Heritage Award Presentation. C. Heritage Month Proclamation — "See! Save! Celebrate!" Planner Repya provided board members with a copy of the Heritage Preservation Month Proclamation that was adopted by the City Council at their May 7`h meeting. X. CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS Member Sussman announced that in keeping with the upcoming Quasquicentennial celebration, the Edina Guide has highlighted historic sites in Edina, and pointed out that this would be a perfect opportunity for the HPB to join in the event. Also, Mr. Sussman pointed out that he will be leading 2 tours hosted by Preserve Minnesota — the I't tour will be of South Lake Harriet, and the 2nd will be a Lowery Hill & Walker Art Center bike tour. He encouraged the board to contact him for more information. XI. STAFF COMMENTS Planner Repya reported the following: 1. The HPB/City Council work session is scheduled for Tuesday, September 17`h prior to the City Council meeting; and 2. Interestingly, the City's April web site report indicated that the Heritage Preservation Chapter 6of the Comprehensive Plan and the Edina Country Club brochure were among the most frequently accessed PDF's among visitors to the City's web site; attesting to the community interest in heritage preservation. XII. NEXT MEETING DATE June 11, 2013 XII1. ADJOURNMENT 8:45 p.m. Member Christiaansen moved for adjournment at 8:45 p.m. Member Holtan seconded the motion. All voted aye. The motion carried. Respectfully submitted, Joyce Repya 5