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HomeMy WebLinkAbout13 Heritage Preservation Chapter_12-31-19 13-1 13. Heritage Preservation Chapter Highlights The Heritage Preservation Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan discusses the City’s Heritage Preservation Commission and its ongoing efforts to recognize, honor, appreciate, and make accessible the City’s past. It is the mission of the Commission to preserve the City’s historically significant resources (sites, districts, buildings, and objects) and ensure that they will be available for future generations to provide a sense of identity and continuity in a rapidly-changing world. It is the belief of the Commission that these things reflect and shape values and aspirations and thereby contribute to the City’s identity. This chapter includes: • Description of the process by which historic resources gain Heritage Landmark designation • Brief description of existing heritage resources and their historical contexts • Heritage resource goals and policies Heritage preservation goals are summarized under six program areas: • Program Area 1 - Preservation Planning • Program Area 2 - Identification of Heritage Resources • Program Area 3 - Evaluation of Heritage Resources • Program Area 4 - Designation of Heritage Landmarks • Program Area 5 - Design Review and Compliance • Program Area 6 - Public Education and Outreach Introduction The Edina Heritage Preservation Commission (formerly the Heritage Preservation Board) is a seven-member body appointed by the Mayor to advise the City Council, City Manager, other City boards and commissions, and staff on all matters relating to the protection, management and enhancement of heritage resources. The mission of the Heritage Preservation program is to preserve Edina’s heritage resources by protecting historically significant buildings, sites, structures, objects and districts. The centerpiece of the city preservation program is the Edina Heritage Landmarks Registry, which is essentially the local government equivalent of the National Register of Historic Places. Properties are designated Heritage Landmarks or Heritage Landmark Criteria guiding the Edina Heritage Preservation Commission and City Council in evaluating potential Heritage Landmark designations: • An association with important events or patterns of events that reflect significant broad trends in local history. • An association with the lives of historically significant persons or groups. • An embodiment of distinctive characteristics an architectural style, design, period, type of construction; possess high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction • Important archaeological data or the potential to yield important archaeological data. Edina Comprehensive Plan Heritage Preservation Chapter Draft 12-31-19 13-2 Districts by the Edina City Council, upon nomination by the Heritage Preservation Commission. The Heritage Landmark program is administered by the City’s Planning Department. The purpose of this Comprehensive Plan chapter is to help decision-makers plan for the wise use of heritage resources. The Heritage Preservation Chapter also helps improve city officials’ understanding and awareness of the role heritage preservation plays in the delivery of important municipal services. Equally important is the comprehensive nature of this chapter, which, in scope, is integrated with other city planning efforts and provides an efficient and effective means of evaluating the performance of the heritage preservation program. How Historic Resources Gain Heritage Landmark Designation: 1. The terms historic property and heritage resource are used interchangeably and refer to buildings, sites, structures, objects and districts that are of historical, architectural, archaeological, or cultural interest. 2. The Edina Heritage Landmark program focuses solely on the preservation, protection and use of heritage resources that meet established criteria for historical significance and integrity. 3. In order for a property to qualify for registration as a Heritage Landmark, it must meet at least one of the preservation ordinance eligibility criteria by being associated with an important historic context and by retaining integrity of those physical features necessary to convey its significance. 4. If the property appears to qualify for landmark registration, the Heritage Preservation Commission directs its staff to prepare a written nomination report, which is submitted to the City Council. 5. Following a public hearing, the Council may formally designate a landmark by resolution. Historic Cahill School was built in 1864 and was located near the intersection of 70th and Cahill. It served as the center of Edina’s Irish community, providing a gathering place for school, meetings, church services, and social events. It was used by the congregation of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church until 1958. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. Edina: A Community of Learning. Edina has a prized education system of high-quality public schools. Edina’s education system is a major factor that has contributed to the City’s growth and success, and extending education beyond the classroom will enhance livability and help create a stronger community. Heritage Preservation, a potential vehicle for learning, can be incorporated in the City’s parks, in the delivery of community health programs and services, in the development of transportation infrastructure, and in artistic programs. Edina Comprehensive Plan Heritage Preservation Chapter Draft 12-31-19 13-3 Trends and Challenges Heritage Resources Inventory Between 1972 and 2018, the Edina heritage preservation program carried out more than a dozen major studies to survey historic properties. As used in preservation planning, survey refers to the process of identifying and gathering information on a community’s heritage resources. It includes field survey (the physical search for and recording of historic properties) as well as historical research in documentary sources. An inventory is one of the basic products of a survey. As a result of these activities, more than 600 historic properties within the Edina city limits have been investigated as part of surveys sponsored by the Heritage Preservation Commission, and 11 properties have been designated Edina Heritage Landmarks: These are listed in the Appendix to the Comprehensive Plan. In addition, the Heritage Preservation Commission has determined that 79 properties are eligible for heritage landmark registration. These, too, are listed in the Appendix. The heritage resource identification and evaluation effort is ongoing, and as of 2018, it is estimated that approximately 75 percent of the city remains un-surveyed for heritage resources. Historic Contexts Historic contexts are the cornerstone of the preservation planning process. Historic contexts have been used since ancient times to organize information about historical events and to provide a rational framework for evaluating their importance. In the field of heritage preservation, historic contexts are planning constructs used to develop goals and priorities for the identification, evaluation, registration and treatment of historic resources. The City of Edina has employed a contextual approach to preservation planning since the 1970s. The initial statement of local historic contexts has been continuously refined, modified, added to, and elaborated on as new information and interpretations have become available. Edina’s historic contexts are organized in a two-tiered format. Tier 1 historic contexts represent broad, general themes in Edina history and are organized around the concept of historic landscapes to denote a holistic, or ecosystem approach focusing on changing patterns of land use. Conceptually, each study unit represents a different historical environment within the 12,000-year arc of Edina area history, from the end of the last ice age to the present day. The Tier 1 contexts emphasize linking general categories of heritage resources with important broad patterns that describe major changes in the relationships between people and their surroundings. The first-tier historic contexts are city-wide in geographic scope: • American Indian Cultural Traditions, 10,000 BCE to AD 1862 • Agriculture and Rural Life, 1851 to 1959 • Suburbanization, 1883 to the present Southdale Center, Designed by Victor Gruen Associates, opened in 1956 and is the oldest fully enclosed, climate- controlled shopping mall in the United States. Site of the historic Edina Mill, one of the first of six gristmills to be built on Minnehaha Creek in Hennepin County between 1855 and 1876. Edina Comprehensive Plan Heritage Preservation Chapter Draft 12-31-19 13-4 Tier 2 historic contexts are more narrowly defined thematically, chronologically, and geographically. As their names indicate, these study units represent aspects of Edina history that are reflected in the kinds of heritage resources found at particular locations. In contrast with the Tier 1 study units, there is more emphasis on the development of neighborhoods and the characteristics of specific types of heritage resources. The Tier 2 historic contexts are: • Edina Mills, 1857 to 1932 • Morningside, 1905 to 1966 • Country Club District, 1922-1944 • Southdale, 1952 to 1975 • Country Clubs and Parks, 1909 to 50 years before the present • Minnehaha Creek, 10,000 BCA to 50 years before the present • Postwar Residential Neighborhoods, 1945 to 1975 • Midcentury Modern Architecture and Landscapes, 1934 to 1975 • Edina’s Recent Past, 1975 to the present • Morningside Bungalows, 1905 to 1930 A number of new historic contexts are currently being developed for the identification and evaluation of specific types of historic resources, such as churches, Cold War fallout shelters, American Foursquare style houses, and the Works Progress Administration Goals and Policies Guiding Principles This section of the Heritage Preservation chapter discusses the City’s heritage preservation goals, policies, and implementation steps, which were developed after consideration of the following guiding principles. 1. Heritage resources are scarce, non-renewable cultural resources and should be treated as critical assets for community development. 2. Heritage preservation is an important public service and a legitimate responsibility of city government. 3. Not everything that is old is worth preserving: strategic planning for heritage preservation must focus on historically significant heritage resources. 4. Saving significant historic properties for the benefit of future generations will always be in the public interest. Frank Tupa Park is located in northeast Edina on Eden Avenue, directly across from Edina City Hall. This one-acre park is the home of the Old Cahill School, visited throughout the year by students who want to experience a day of school in the 1800s. A Heritage Preservation Landmark overlay zoning designation was assigned to the Country Club District in 2003. Edina Comprehensive Plan Heritage Preservation Chapter Draft 12-31-19 13-5 5. Effective heritage preservation policies are those which create partnerships between the owners of heritage resources as city government. 6. Heritage preservation is about people, not things—significant historic resources should be preserved and protected, and used in a manner consistent with community values. Program Goals and Policies The city heritage preservation program is organized into six program areas: 1) preservation planning, 2) identification of heritage resources, 3) evaluation of heritage resources, 4) designation of heritage landmarks, 5) design review and compliance, and 6) public education and outreach. The organizational format reflects the Secretary of the Interior’s standards and guidelines for historic preservation as well as current professional practices in heritage preservation planning The heritage preservation program’s goals and policies are organized below to reflect consistency with the Interior Department’s standards and guidelines. Program Area 1: Preservation Planning Goals: 1. Adopt a Heritage Preservation Plan. 2. Integrate heritage preservation planning with other city planning for community development. 3. Develop strategies and establish priorities for the restoration and rehabilitation of City-owned heritage resources. 4. Participate in the federal-state-local government heritage preservation partnership. Policies: a) The City Council will adopt and maintain a Heritage Preservation Plan as part of the city’s Comprehensive Plan. b) All preservation program activities will be carried out in a manner consistent with the comprehensive plan. c) The City will use the Heritage Preservation Plan to establish policies, procedures, and plans for managing the preservation, protection, and use of significant heritage resources. d) The Heritage Preservation Plan will establish local historic contexts and the Heritage Preservation Commission will undertake research to revise and update these study units. e) The City will provide the Heritage Preservation Commission with the resources needed to prepare and implement the comprehensive heritage preservation plan. f) Because comprehensive planning is a continuous cycle, the Heritage Preservation Commission will periodically review and update the Heritage Preservation Plan. g) The City will continue to participate in the Certified Local Government (CLG) program and cooperate with neighboring cities and other communities in development their heritage preservation programs. Edina Comprehensive Plan Heritage Preservation Chapter Draft 12-31-19 13-6 Program Area 2: Identification of Heritage Resources Goals: 1. Identify, locate and collect information regarding significant heritage resources worthy of consideration in community planning. Policies: a) The Heritage Preservation Commission will carry out a comprehensive survey of heritage resources within the city limits and maintain an inventory of all properties recorded. b) The Heritage Preservation Commission will establish survey goals and priorities based on historic contexts. c) The results of heritage resource surveys will be systematically gathered, recorded, and made available to those responsible for heritage preservation planning. d) The City will provide greater access to the information generated by the heritage resources survey by investing in the technological infrastructure that will bring the information to all users who obtain information through the Internet. e) The City will make the heritage resources inventory data adaptable for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) users and map the location of heritage resources and their relationship to other layers of information. f) All surveys will be carried out by personnel who meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards (or other applicable qualification standards) within their professional field. Program Area 3: Evaluation of Heritage Resources Goals: 1. All heritage resources identified by survey will be evaluated for heritage landmark eligibility using established criteria applied within historic contexts. 2. The Heritage Preservation Commission will maintain an accurate, up-to-date inventory and map depicting the heritage resources evaluated as significant, including all properties designated or determined eligible for designation as heritage landmarks. Policies: a) For each property evaluated as eligible for heritage landmark designation the Heritage Preservation Commission will issue a finding of significance with a report documenting its location, ownership, date of construction, the relevant historic context and property type, and the criteria on which the finding of significance was based. b) Determinations of landmark eligibility may be provisional and it may be necessary for the Heritage Preservation Commission to conduct additional studies prior to initiating the landmark nomination process. Edina Comprehensive Plan Heritage Preservation Chapter Draft 12-31-19 13-7 Program Area 4: Designation of Heritage Landmarks Goals: 1. Significant heritage resources will be designated Edina Heritage Landmarks or Landmark Districts. Policies: a) The Heritage Preservation Commission will nominate significant historic properties for designation as Heritage Landmarks or Landmark Districts by the City Council. b) A landmark nomination study will be completed for each property nominated; the nomination study will locate and identify the subject property, explain how it meets one or more of the landmark eligibility criteria, and make the case for historic significance and integrity. c) Each landmark nomination study will include a Plan of Treatment that will recommend property-specific approaches to design review and treatment. d) Except in extraordinary circumstances, the Heritage Preservation Commission will not nominate a property for landmark designation without the consent of the owner. e) The City may, upon recommendation by the Heritage Preservation Commission, nominate properties for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Program Area 5: Design Review and Compliance Goals: 1. Protect Heritage Landmarks and Landmark Districts through design review and compliance with heritage preservation standards. 2. Carry out public facilities maintenance and construction projects in such a manner that significant heritage preservation resources are preserved and protected. The Edina Theatre, itself, is an Art Deco style motion picture theater. Built in 1934, the original design by Liebenberg and Kaplan featured a brick-faced, ziggurat-stepped façade with a tower, metal canopy and lighted sign. In 2004, the Edina Heritage Award was presented to the owner of the Edina Theatre in recognition of the careful reconstruction of the historic sign. The attention to detail, referring to the original 1934 plans during reconstruction resulted in a sign that continues to prominently identify downtown Edina. Edina Comprehensive Plan Heritage Preservation Chapter Draft 12-31-19 13-8 3. Encourage voluntary compliance with historic preservation treatment standards. Policies: a) The City will take all necessary steps to ensure that no significant heritage preservation resource is destroyed or damaged as a result of any project for which a Certificate of Appropriateness has been issued by the HPC. b) The City will develop partnerships with property owners to develop preservation plans for their properties, advise them about approached used in similar preservation projects, and provide technical assistance in historic property rehabilitation and restoration treatments. c) The Heritage Preservation Commission will work closely with the Planning Commission and other citizen advisory boards and commissions to ensure that heritage resource management issues are taken into account in planning for development projects. d) Every application for a preliminary plat, rezoning, conditional use permit, or variance from the zoning code that may affect an Edina Heritage Landmark or Landmark District will be reviewed by the Heritage Preservation Commission, which will advise the Planning Commission whether or not the requested action will have an adverse effect on a significant heritage preservation resource. e) When demolition or site destruction cannot be avoided, careful consideration will be given to mitigating the loss by moving the affected heritage resource to another location, recording it prior to demolition, or by salvaging architectural elements or archaeological data for reuse or curation. f) In cases involving permits that are not subject to design review, a reasonable effort will be made to preserve and protect important historical, architectural, archaeological, and cultural features. g) The Heritage Preservation Commission and its staff will work with the city manager, city engineer, community development director, and others to ensure that heritage preservation resources are taken into account in project planning. h) The Heritage Preservation Commission and its staff will review voluntary requests for design review of work that would not ordinarily be subject to regulation under the heritage preservation ordinance and issue Certificates of Appropriateness for projects that meet preservation treatment standards. i) The City will consider financial incentives for the preservation, rehabilitation, and adaptive use of heritage resources, including but not limited to tax incentives, grants, loans, easements, and subsidies. Program Area 6: Public Education and Outreach Goals: 1. Provide the public with information about heritage preservation resources and public history education activities. Policies: a) The Heritage Preservation Commission will design and maintain a high-quality heritage preservation page on the City’s website. b) The Heritage Preservation Commission will develop facilities and programs that interpret heritage resources for the public. Edina Comprehensive Plan Heritage Preservation Chapter Draft 12-31-19 13-9 c) The HPC will partner with the Edina Historical Society, neighborhood groups, and other community organizations with shared interests in the preservation, protection, and use of historic properties or to develop effective public education and outreach programs. d) All current heritage resource survey reports and other studies carried out under the auspices of the Heritage Preservation Commission will be published or made available to the public through other appropriate media such as the City’s website.