Committee Minutes
Grand Forks Historic Preservation Commission
1405 First Avenue North
P. O. Box 13876
Grand Forks, ND 58208-3876
701-772-8756
Meeting Minutes
August 14, 2007
7:00 p.m.
City Hall
Present: Marsha Gunderson, Chair, Caprice Benoit, Chuck Flemmer, Gordon Iseminger, Ted Jelliff, Melinda Leach, Cory Lien, Dale Sickels, Dave Vorland
Others: Kevin Severson, Red River Valley Community Action; Peg O’Leary
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m.; a quorum was present.
Motion:
to approve the minutes of the July 10, 2007 meeting, correcting the name of the second on the motion to approve the minutes from Sickels to Flemmer. (Flemmer, Leach)
Motion carries.
Red River Valley Community Action
– Kevin Severson
714 6th Ave. N., built 1946 – The owner proposes to use a federally subsidized loan to install nine vinyl replacement windows, two pre-hung steel exterior doors, and two metal handrails (front and back entrances). Severson said the windows are painted and caulked shut and in poor condition; replacements would be vinyl, divided light to match existing windows. The new doors will be paneled with a window at the top. Sickels noted that this will change the look of the house appreciably. Gunderson said the neighborhood has sustained too many changes to ever be eligible as a historic district and Flemmer noted that the house is in an obscure location.
Motion:
to concur with a determination of no historic properties affected by the work proposed at 714 6th Ave. N. (Flemmer, Jelliff)
Motion carries.
2011 12th Ave. N., built 1946 – The owner proposes to use a federally subsidized loan to add a shallow slope to a flat-roofed addition, reshingle the entire roof, replace 13 windows with vinyl replacements, install a concrete driveway in existing gravel area, and replace existing sidewalks and rear cement pad. Severson said the front window, which is now plexi-glass, would be replaced with two double-hung windows. It was noted that the door to be replaced is inside the vestibule and can’t be seen from the street. With the existing additions and other work, the house has very little historic integrity.
Motion:
to concur with a determination of no historic properties affected by the work proposed at 2011 12th Ave. N. (Sickels, Jelliff)
Motion carries.
1406 6th Ave. N., built 1938 – The owner proposes to use a federally subsidized loan to replace existing wood shake siding with double-four vinyl siding, replace ten original wood windows with vinyl windows, replace five basement windows with vinyl windows, install one egress window in the east façade, remove the bathroom window, and install two handrails (front and back). Severson said the owner has asked to include reshingling the roof to the request. In response to questions, Severson said the siding is in bad shape but repairable and the windows are not rotten but are in poor shape. Gunderson noted that the effect of all these changes would be to create a totally new house. Vorland asked why these loans, in general, are made available to the community; Severson said they are to be used to beautify the neighborhoods and improve the efficiency of the houses. The neighborhood is a mix of housing styles; this house is across from an elementary school. It was noted by several that the house is in virtually original condition and a good paint job on the shakes would be better for the house than residing.
Motion:
to concur with a determination of no adverse affect if the existing siding is not removed or covered over; if the replacement windows are wood windows in the same configuration, size and style as the existing original windows; if the two existing vinyl windows are replaced, they also would be wood in-kind replacements; and if the bathroom window is retained and replaced with a wood window in the manner of the other replacements. Replacement of the basement windows, installation of an egress window on the east façade, and reshingling of the roof are approved as presented. (Flemmer, Leach)
Motion carries.
1802 10th Ave. N., built 1900 - The owner proposes to use a federally subsidized loan to reshingle the roof on the house.
Motion:
to concur with a determination of no historic properties affected by the work proposed at 1802 10th Ave. N. (Flemmer, Sickels)
Motion carries.
Chair Report
– Marsha Gunderson
State Preservation Grants – The Commission has provided letters of support for the Masonic Temple grant request to repoint some of the brick work on their building and to UND for their grant request to repair balustrades on Oxford House. (See attached.)
Downtown Design and Review Board (DDRB) – The board is continuing to review their guidelines. Iseminger asked if DDRB can have any effect on downtown storefronts being converted to residences; Gunderson said that goes through Planning and Zoning. She also said a sign has been approved for the Social Security Administration office, and that the board has been trying to ascertain whether everyone who had tables and chairs on the sidewalks has gotten a permit to do so. She said that much of getting people to abide by the regulations is getting the word out about what they need to do and when.
Belmont Road RFP Review Committee – Gunderson will be sitting on the committee that reviews the proposals for building on the lots at 15th and Belmont. Other review committee members will include a City Council member, and a representative from the neighborhood and from Urban Development.
Coordinator Report
– Peg O’Leary
UND Nomination Proposals – The consultant has signed the contracts but we are awaiting word from the City Attorney’s office about some insurance constraints. The consultant is planning to be in Grand Forks for research on the UND project in September and will coordinate her travel so that she can attend an HPC meeting.
Web Site Demonstration – Postponed.
Riverside Nomination Revisions – We have not received the final revisions from the consultant yet.
NTHP National Conference – Four people are registered to attend: Marsha Gunderson, Caprice Benoit, Sandy Slater and Peg O’Leary.
Lustron House – Meredith Richards has reported that NDSU is pulling together another student crew and that she has scheduled a meeting with them for later in August.
St. Michael’s Hospital and Nurses’ Residence Mitigation – The difficulties with the appearance of the flood wall around the building seem to be resolved. The contractor has agreed to bring the product up to the specs of the prototype.
St. Vincent de Paul Garage – The group has to do some reworking of their plan to comply with city requirements. Any significant changes will be brought back to HPC.
Regrant Status – The Dinnie Apartment work has begun and the sign is in place to notify the public that preservation funds are being used for the preservation of the building.
Member Contact Sheets – O’leary distributed a list of Commission members’ contact information.
ND History Book – O’Leary congratulated Jelliff on the printing of the Fourth Edition of his course book on ND History and passed a copy around for Commissioners to peruse.
Other Business
Mural – Gunderson said that the owner of the property at 312 2nd Ave. N. has expressed an interest in having a mural painted on the alley façade of his building. The mural would be on the second story and would reflect the history of his profession (surveying/engineering). He wondered whether the Commission would be open to such a mural. Gunderson distributed pictures of murals in other towns in the region. Members were of two minds. Some felt the mural would dress up an otherwise bland façade and others felt approval of any new mural downtown would open the door to a wide variety of issues. O’Leary will research the subject.
State CLG Meeting – September 22, 2007, in Edinburg, ND. Please plan to attend if at all possible.
Motion:
to adjourn. (Flemmer, Benoit)
Motion carries.
Meeting adjourned. 9:00 p.m.
The next regular meeting will be at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2007, room A101, City Hall.
Respectfully submitted,
Peg O’Leary
Coordinator