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
February 12, 2008
7:00 p.m.
City Hall

Present: Marsha Gunderson, Chair, Caprice Benoit, Gordon Iseminger, Ted Jelliff, Melinda Leach, Cory Lien, Dale Sickels, Sandy Slater
Others: Nancy Ellis, Metropolitan Planning Organization; Peg O’Leary

Gunderson called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.; a quorum was present.

Motion: to approve the minutes of the Jan. 22, 2008, meeting as presented. (Sickels, Iseminger)
Motion carries.

Minnesota Avenue/4th Avenue South MPO Study – Nancy Ellis
The City of Grand Forks has asked the MPO to revisit the 1994 study of this area to review traffic patterns and road conditions. The RFP has been released and the MPO hopes to complete the review in eight to ten months. The RFP asks for a contractor who will explore the condition of the Granitoid (for safety issues and visual appeal) and the need for a new Memorandum of Agreement with regard to treatment of the Granitoid, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The 1994 report recommended widening the road but alterations, including right turn lanes and street lights, have made that unnecessary. The new study will focus on road conditions, school safety, parking and sightlines, particularly at the corner of the triangle park where 4th Avenue and Minnesota converge. The MPO is forming two committees to work with the study: the selection committee will pick a consultant from the proposals; the steering committee will meet with the consultant and the public at a series of meetings over the course of the study. Ellis requested that a member of the Commission serve on each committee. The proposals are due Feb. 28 and Ellis hopes to have a contract finalized by the end of March. Slater agreed to represent the Commission on the selection committee. Gunderson asked Commissioners to consider whether they have time to commit to the steering committee and report to O’Leary by Feb. 15. Ellis noted that the RFP and the 1994 study are on the web at www.theforksmpo.org The study is federally funded. Gunderson noted that the mature trees were another major concern with the findings of the 1994 study. Ellis said that since road widening is not on the table, only one or two trees at the intersection might be of concern.

Chair Report – Marsha Gunderson
  No report.

Coordinator Report – Peg O’Leary
  YWCA Support Letter – The Commission provided a letter of support for the owner of the YWCA in his appeal regarding historic tax credits. Research has also shown that the interior of the YWCA was not completed until 1955, well after the period of significance for the Downtown Historic District. (See attached letter.)
  FY08 Certified Local Government Grant – O’Leary briefly reviewed the Operational Budget of $16,631, which the Commission had available at the Jan. 22 meeting. The Comprehensive Budget Narrative was distributed. This piece describes the actions of the Commission over the last fiscal year and lays out on-going activities. At the last meeting, O’Leary was asked to develop potential budgets for four projects:
  Historic District Signs – These signs would be placed atop a street identification sign at each intersection within a historic district to identify the area as a historic district. This budget also includes seven (7) directional signs that would be placed on main thoroughfares to indicate by an arrow where to find a historic district. The total budget for the initial manufacture and installation of a set of signs is $3,920. O’Leary has spoken with Jane Williams, Traffic Engineer, and Mark Aubol, Public Works, and they are in favor of the idea and of the timing. She also visited with Hal Gershman and Eliot Glassheim, whose wards are home to the three historic districts, and they are in favor of the signage, too. The Mayor’s office has been informed that this is a potential project and expressed no objection. All of these conversations included the fact that the Commission would not be able to provide follow-up maintenance or replacement of the signs. It was noted by several that, since the signs last ten years, the replacement cost would be quite low when prorated over time and it could be absorbed by the City.
  Grand Forks County Fairgrounds WPA Structures Nomination – Amy Munson, SHSND Grants Administrator, says the going rate for a single entity nomination in ND has been $5,000. O’Leary visited with Connie Triplett, County Commissioner, regarding the potential for the County’s consent to have the structures nominated and she believed there would be no objection to the nomination. If funding is obtained, O’Leary would make a formal proposal to the County Commission.
  Fraternity/Sorority Historic District – Given the amount of individual work that would have to go into a separate nomination of the Greek houses, consultation with the SHSND indicates that the budget would have to be about $10,000.
  Bronze Interpretive Historic District Plaques – Three plaques (two for Downtown and one for Riverside) of the same size and complexity were quoted at $10,055 by Erie Landmark Company. This is the company from whom we purchased the Near Southside plaques.
The Commission has typically received about $15,000 for projects in each fiscal period.
Motion: to authorize a funding request of $16,631 for administration of the HPC office and $4,000 for historic district street signs, $5,000 to nominate the Fairgrounds WPA structures to the NRHP, and $3,750 for a bronze plaque for the Riverside Historic District. (Slater, Benoit)
Discussion: Slater pointed out that this would bring us close to the $15,000 we typically receive for projects and that the projects could be readily completed within the necessary time frame. She also noted that the Downtown plaques could be requested at a later date and could coincide with the release of the Downtown Historic District Walking Tour brochure, giving us the chance to feature Downtown perhaps in 2009.
Motion carries.

Other Business
  SHSND Architectural Historian – O’Leary announced that Mary Kate Ryan will be leaving the SHS for a similar position in New Hampshire next month. She will be greatly missed.

Meeting adjourned. 8:30 p.m.

The next regular meeting will be at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008, room A101, City Hall.

Respectfully submitted,



Peg O’Leary
Coordinator