Committee Minutes

MINUTES/URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Wednesday, March 11, 1998 - 4:00 p.m.

Members present: Beach, Polovitz, Bouley

1. Matter of Corporate Park memorandum of agreement.
Curt Siewert, Urban Development, reported on Memorandum of Agreement to the Programmatic Agreement between the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the City of Grand Forks, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the North Dakota State Historic Preservation Officer, regarding HUD Disaster Assistance to Grand Forks, that this is for mitigating the adverse by demolition of two historic buildings for the Corporate Center, this has been negotiated with all parties, and the ND State Historic Preservation Officer has signed the document. He reported that Mr. Swanson recommended that this be brought to Urban Development and the city Council for approval because there are items included that would obligate City funds, main ones being: architectural survey of the central business district, the feasibility study of the Metropolitan Theatre and if the Commission and the State Historic Preservation Officer wish to get a nomination of the downtown and to document the historic buildings.

Polovitz reported present.

Mr. Siewert stated this mitigates the adverse effect of tearing down of the two historic buildings for the Corporate Center, mitigating the loss of the buildings by doing other things of historic significance. It was noted that there would be an extensive photographic survey done, write up of everything to know about the building, salvaging everything the Commission would like.

Moved by Polovitz and Bouley for approval of the Memorandum of Agreement.

Mr. Siewert reported that they did an environmental assessment and history of the tenants that were in the building, and are doing historical background on each building from when built until now, including pictures, floor plans, etc.

Upon call for the question, the motion carried.

2. Matter of Standard Mitigation Measures Agreement.
Mr. Siewert presented agreement between Federal Emergency Management Agency, the City of Grand Forks, North Dakota, and the North Dakota State Historic Preservation Officer pursuant to Stipulation IV-F-1 of the Programmatic Agreement regarding FEMA-1174-DR-ND - that this is same as memorandum of agreement, that in their programmatic agreement FEMA has a stipulation that they either do a memorandum of agreement or a standard mitigation measures agreement and FEMA had determined through Department of Emergency Management that this is what they were going to do in Phase 1 of the demolition. He stated what this says in mitigation is that there would be recordation which is basically a picture and MINUTES/URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
March 11, 1998 - Page 2

a State site sheet, relocation of the properties if someone purchases them, and City will put up for sale the properties on Attachment A at least once every 10 days for 30 days to offer for sale and if nobody chooses to bid on them, then can go ahead and do demolition, and last part of mitigation is that the local Com-mission will have authorization to salvage anything in Attachment A homes if they so choose. He reported they did remove two historic properties from listing in the two neighborhoods - 602 Lincoln Drive and the Bossoletti property in Riverside Park as parties wanted to further investigate them. He reported that any property in Phase 1 that is historical or non-contributing, if non-historical doesn't matter, but if historical , then covered. This allows City and FEMA to proceed and do demolition of all properties in Phase 1 excluding this listing (attached), and after doing advertisement, could do these demolitions. He reported this is first of Standard Mitigation Measures Agreement and will be doing same document for Phase 2 and is working with the local Historic Preservation Commission to come up with recommendation of how to handle Phase 2 properties and Phase 1A; any properties that are over 50 years old are in the process of discussing, and are doing this for FEMA. He reported that Mr. Swanson wanted this approved by council.

Moved by Polovitz and Bouley to approve the agreement. Motion carried.

3. Info - matter of fence along back of Public Works Garage.
Polovitz reported that Mr. Beach had suggested very good idea, that he would like to look into a change order on addition to Public Works building to put up fence along the Interstate (whole length of building); that City should practice what preach because if drive by on Interstate see bunch of dumpsters behind building, very unsightly, need sight barrier. Mr. Siewert reported that building funded through CDBG funds and will look into this and bring back to committee.

Moved by Polovitz and Bouley to adjourn; meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m.

Alice Fontaine
City Clerk

Dated: 3/11/98