Committee Minutes
Meeting
September 8, 2009
7:00 p.m.
City Hall A101
Present: Marsha Gunderson, Chair, Sharon Bures, Chuck Flemmer, Gordon Iseminger, Ted Jelliff, Cory Lien, Sylvia Kloster, Melinda Leach, Sandy Slater, Judy Swisher
Others: Joe O’Neil, Urban Development; Kevin Severson, Red River Valley Community Action;
Peg O’Leary
Motion:
to approve the minutes of Aug. 11, 2009, changing the header date to Aug. 11. (Leach, Bures)
Motion carries.
Office of Urban Development
– Joe O’Neil
O’Neil explained a new HUD program called the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), which provides funding to purchase foreclosed housing stock in designated neighborhoods for the purpose of rehabilitation and resale to LMI eligible buyers. The program goal is to put energy efficient properties back on the tax rolls and free-up bank funds to loan elsewhere. The federal grant to Grand Forks is $1.2 million and OUD plans to purchase and rehab several properties over the course of the grant.
430 South 5
th
Street (built 1893) – The home is in the Near Southside Historic District but is not a contributing element. It currently has 6” steel siding, multiple additions and replacement windows throughout. OUD proposes to replace the siding with double-four vinyl siding (no original wood siding remains), with a shingle detail in the gable. They will also replace the myriad of existing window styles with a picture window appropriate to the period and single- or double-hung 6/6 divided light windows in the historic openings. There’s a fake chimney on the north that will be removed; the siding will not be carried down to the ground as the picture indicates, but will stop above to display foundation. A new roof and gutters/downspouts will be part of the rehab, as well as extensive work on the inside of the home. The garage is in poor condition and will be razed; a parking pad will be poured for future construction of a garage at the owner’s discretion.
Motion:
to concur with a determination of no adverse effect for the work proposed at 430 S. 5
th
St. (Swisher, Flemmer)
Motion carries
unanimously.
Red River Valley Community Action
– Kevin Severson
2210 7
th
Avenue North (built1914) – The house is not listed on the NRHP nor is it in an area ever likely to become an historic district. The owner plans to use a federally-funded, low-interest loan to remove Masonite and install new double-four vinyl siding, include metal wrap on all window and door trims, metal fascia and soffit, and install new metal gutters and downspouts. Gunderson wondered if the house is in its original location; Severson said he did not think it had been moved. Slater said there is a scattering of old houses in this mostly 1950s neighborhood.
Motion:
to concur with a determination of no historic properties affected by taking these actions at 2210 7
th
Ave. N. (Slater, Jelliff)
Motion carries.
Chair Report
– Marsha Gunderson
Election of Officers – Jelliff proposed keeping the existing slate of officers: Gunderson, Chair and Slater, Vice-chair. It was suggested that a position of 2
nd
Vice-chair, which was filled for a period of time by Randy Lee, was beneficial to the commission. Flemmer was nominated for 2
nd
Vice-chair.
Motion:
to close nominations. (Iseminger, Jelliff)
Motion carries.
Motion:
to approve the slate as defined above. (Iseminger, Jelliff)
Motion carries
unanimously.
Downtown Design and Review Board – Gunderson reported that DDRB met at 8 am, Wednesday, Aug. 12, and approved new windows to be installed at 102 S. 3
rd
Street.
Coordinator Report
– Peg O’Leary
Granitoid – Lorna Meidinger and Tom Linn will be in the area next week and would like to meet with HPC to discuss Granitoid. A meeting was tentatively set for 7:00 pm, Tuesday, Sept. 15.
Riverside Plaque – Tony Anderson provided a bid of $400 to install the plaque and it will go in this fall.
FY09 Nomination Projects – The contract has gone out to Kim Porter; dates were extended into spring to accommodate the late funding decision at the federal level. Steve Martens has begun work on the cemeteries stonework nomination.
Downtown Plaques/Stands/Placement – Engineering has been asked to give a final yes or no answer regarding placement of plaques/stands at the base of the dike on S. 3
rd
St. If no, HPC will have to decide where to display the plaques. Urban Development has offered to permanently mount them on the wall in Loon Park, along with another plaque that would show the original locations of the buildings and other information as necessary. Gunderson expressed a strong preference for placing the plaques at the site of the original buildings.
Fairgrounds NRHP Plaque – The Fair Board agreed that a marker style is more appropriate and they will pay half the cost (approximately $800). This has been ordered.
Minnesota CLG Meeting – To be held on Thursday/Friday, Sept. 17-18, with informational sessions on windows. Travel funding exists in FY08 monies. Discussion revealed that no commissioners were able to go but they felt the coordinator should attend.
North Dakota CLG Meeting – In Fargo, Saturday, Sept. 19 and focusing on disaster recovery. Gunderson, Slater, Flemmer and O’Leary will definitely attend. Others will contact O’Leary by Thursday, Sept.10 to confirm attendance.
Governor’s Conference on North Dakota History, Sept. 25-26, Bismarck – It is not known if any Fair Board members are intending to go to receive the nomination certificate for the County Fairgrounds WPA Structures and Grandstand. O’Leary will check into that. O’Leary may be the only HPC person able to attend the Gov. Conf. this year.
Historic District Street Signs – They’re all in place. It was decided to send out a press release letting people know what they are and why we put them up.
SHSND Grants to Grand Forks Properties – Two properties in the city received grants from the state: 717 Reeves Drive for roofing and the County Fairgrounds for electrical work on the Grandstand.
Donor Forms – Commissioners completed the donated labor forms for June-August, 2009.
Sites 2 C @ UND – Dawn Botsford has completed a brochure of art and architecture at UND. She provided copies to various entities that helped her edit the brochure. These were distributed to the commissioners.
Other Business
Flemmer said he recently visited the historic missile site and the Carl Ben Eielson museum and really enjoyed both.
Bures said the Riverside Pool was wonderful this fall and commended the changes to the railing.
Motion:
to adjourn. (Bures, Kloster)
Meeting adjourned.
8:30 p.m.
The next regular meeting will be at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009, room A101, City Hall.
Respectfully submitted,
Peg O’Leary
Coordinator