Committee Minutes


Grand Forks Historic Preservation Commission
1405 First Avenue North
P. O. Box 13876
Grand Forks, ND 58208-3876
701-772-8756

Minutes
April 27, 2010
6:30 p.m.
City Hall

Present: Marsha Gunderson, Chair, Chuck Flemmer, Gordon Iseminger, Melinda Leach, Cory Lien, Dale Sickels, Sandy Slater, Judy Swisher
Others: Joe O’Neil, Office of Urban Development; Peg O’Leary

Minutes
Motion: to approve the minutes of the March 23, 2010, meeting as presented. (Slater, Leach)
Discussion: Iseminger noted that the State Review Board meeting on the WPA Stonework at the cemeteries, which was the subject of the Public Hearing at the 3/27/10 meeting, would be held on Friday, April 30, in Bismarck. Jelliff said he had found the old Mike Kerrigan Grand Forks Herald articles about the GF Fairgrounds. They are in the Grand Forks Room at the Public Library, and date from the mid 1960s.
Motion carries.

Office of Urban Development – Joe O’Neil
201 S. 4th Street, built 1961 - The city is planning to use CDBG funding to rehabilitate interior aspects of the old County Office Building. At this time they are focusing on the second and third floors and plan to replace the heating system and the carpeting. Gunderson noted that the building is in the Downtown Historic District but is not a contributing element by virtue of being less than 50 years old when the nomination was written. She questioned whether the Commission needs to review “newer” construction in Districts when it becomes 50 years old; O’Leary said she thought non-contributing “newer” buildings within a district could be considered for individual eligibility as they reach 50 years old but that the district is set by the Period of Significance in the district nomination and these newer buildings could not be added as contributing elements to the district because they do not fall within the Period of Significance (for the Downtown District: 1875-1953).
Motion: to concur with a determination of no historic properties affected by the interior work proposed at 201 S. 4th Street. (Sickels, Slater)
Discussion: Jelliff noted that this site had been home to a hip surgery clinic and Absey Motors before being the First Federal Savings and Loan.
Motion carried.

Chair Report – Marsha Gunderson
Downtown Design and Review Board – Gunderson distributed a map of the downtown area showing the boundaries of the Historic District and of the B4 Central Business District Zone. The current DDRB review area covers the B4 zone, which is larger than the Historic District. Recent action by City Council will change the review area in August, 2010. The intent is to reduce the review area to include all of the Historic District and a buffer zone. The Planning Office will be working on the change over the summer. A procedural change is also being implemented that will reduce the number of times a petitioner needs to appear before various review groups. In the future, if a change would require review by both DDRB and the HPC, the change will only be brought to HPC.
Griggs Award – Gunderson noted that the Griggs Award is presented to people who have significantly and positively affected the history of Grand Forks. The award is not given every year; only when a specific person’s body of work merits acknowledgement. The award is typically given in May, which is Preservation Month. She distributed a list of past recipients and asked for suggestions regarding an award for this year. Slater chairs the sub-committee for the Griggs Award and will select a person to serve with her. Suggestions may be directed to Slater for review. Gunderson also described an award that would be new for the commission, if adopted. A second-tier award that would recognize a specific preservation project rather than a body of work. Members were receptive to this possibility, noting that it would allow the commission to recognize a broader range of preservation activities and promote the sense that individual choices can have an impact on the broader issues. It would also be easy to find one or more projects each year that would merit recognition. Lien will head a sub-committee to propose award criteria and a possible name for such an award. Swisher suggested “Preservation Award of Merit.”

Coordinator Report – Peg O’Leary
2011 City Budget – O’Leary distributed copies of the proposed budget for FY11. Costs are being held at 2010 levels wherever possible. Some small increases, in areas like Workers Compensation, are offset with small savings in the areas such as telephone costs. The FY11 state CLG grant will not be submitted until February, 2011, so amounts are estimates. The state grant pays for all line items and historic projects, as well as approximately one-third of the personnel costs. The city grant pays for some advertising costs and the remainder of the personnel costs. The proposed city budget is reduced from the 2010 allocation by $388 (approximately 1%).
Motion: to approve the FY11 city budget request of $31,150. (Swisher, Leach)
Motion carries.
Civic Auditorium – Kent Anderson has finished taking the documentary pictures of the auditorium and O’Leary has ordered three sets of ten of the black and white 5x7s and of two of the color 5x7s. Steve Martens has completed his walk through of the building and expects to have the historic context completed shortly. All necessary on-site documentary work is completed. The mitigation agreement states that the city can authorize demolition of the building anytime after May 1.
Energy Efficiency Discussion – Postponed.
Downtown Brochure – The printing bid is higher than anticipated because the brochure is twenty pages instead of sixteen. The shortfall can be made up in the HPC operating budget or four pages could be cut from the brochure. Members opted to keep the length at twenty pages.
Retirement – Walt Bailey, historian at the SHSND, is retiring. O’Leary will carry a card to Bismarck on Friday when she attends the SRB meeting. Appreciation was expressed for the depth of Walt’s knowledge and for the help he has generously provided to Grand Forks, especially following the flood of 1997.
Central Park Neighborhood Meeting – Meredith Richards, Office of Urban Development has scheduled the historic infill meeting for Thursday, April 29, at 5:30 p.m., at Phoenix School. She will discuss plans for disposition of the open, city-owned lots in the Central Park Area. Commissioners, particularly those from the neighborhood, are encouraged to attend.
Thank-you Note – Received in response to our new-homeowner mailing from a resident of the Near Southside Historic District. She was grateful for the information and asked how to find out more about the history of her house. O’Leary has responded.
Buxton Bank – Prairie Business magazine recently published an article on Bobbi Hepper Olson’s efforts to save and rehabilitate the Buxton bank. O’Leary distributed copies of the article.
State Review Board Meeting – O’Leary will attend the Bismarck SRB meeting for the discussion of the National Register nomination of the WPA Structures at Calvary Cemetery and Memorial Park on Friday, April 30.

Other Business
Masonic Temple – Lien announced that the Masons received a grant from the State Historical Society to assess the condition of their stage scenery and rigging.
Fire Hall Theatre – O’Leary passed along a message from Bures inviting members to attend the play, Kimberly Akimbo, which opens Thursday, April 29.
WPA Structures – Flemmer wondered when the Martens state-wide WPA survey would be completed. He wanted to be sure we would find out if there are any projects in Grand Forks of which we are unaware.
Flashing Signs – Lien asked if the flashing sign in the window across the street from City Hall conforms to the downtown signage guidelines. Gunderson said that since the sign is inside the building rather than mounted on the outside, there is some question about whether the guidelines apply. That is an issue to be addressed. She said that aside from any aesthetic determination, the flashing signs have been found to be a traffic hazard.
University Avenue – Lien asked if anyone knew the origin of the brick pillars on the SW and SE corners of 21st St. and University Avenue. Gunderson and Jelliff said a gated community had been planned for the area in the 1920s but, as far as they knew, the houses were not built and only the pillars remain of the plan.
Wilder and West Schools – Sickels suggested that the Commission have some input into the question of the school closures recommended by the School Board consultant. Discussion ensued about the viability of maintaining historic neighborhoods when the neighborhood school is closed.
Motion: that the coordinator draft a letter to the School Board regarding the effects on historic neighborhoods when elementary schools are closed. (Jelliff, Iseminger)
Discussion: The Commission will endorse the letter at the next meeting.
Motion carries.

Meeting adjourned. 8:00 p.m.
The next regular meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 11, 2010, in A101, City Hall.

Respectfully submitted,




Peg O’Leary
Coordinator