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	Grand Forks Historic Preservation Commission 1405 First Avenue North P. O. Box 13876 Grand Forks, ND 58208-3876 701-772-8756 Meeting Minutes Oct. 14, 2008 7:00 p.m. City Hall A101 Present: Marsha Gunderson, Chair, Caprice Benoit, Sharon Bures, Chuck Flemmer, Gordon Iseminger, Cory Lien, Dale Sickels, Sandy Slater Others: Kevin Severson, Red River Valley Community Action; 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 Sept. 23, 2008, meeting as presented. (Slater, Sickels) Motion carries. Red River Valley Community Action Agency – Kevin Severson 514 Cottonwood Street, built 1898 – This house was approved for window replacement and painting before extensive wood rot was discovered throughout the siding. Much of the window replacement has occurred. Severson provided the Commission with cost estimates for several types of cementitious sidings. The costs for the siding are not significantly higher than vinyl but installation costs will be higher. O’Leary had consulted with Tom Linn, architect with the SHSND, who concurred that under the special circumstances presented here a cementitious siding would be a viable alternative to new growth wood. He also said the State would not approve vinyl or steel siding. Benoit asked if the rot is concentrated so that portions could be replaced, leaving historic material where it is in good shape; the owner replied that there is rot throughout and Severson agreed. Motion: to concur with a determination of no adverse affect if the siding is replaced with a quality cementitious siding having a wood appearance and retaining the existing reveal, if the fish scale gable trim is maintained, and if the window trim moldings and reveals are all maintained or replicated as necessary. Motion carries. 728 N. 6^th Street, built 1916 – The house has been found to have no nomination potential. Motion: to concur with a determination of no historic properties affected by the work proposed at 728 N. 6^th Street. (Slater, Benoit) Motion carries. 821 N. 6^th Street, built 1894 – The house has been found to have no nomination potential. Motion: to concur with a determination of no historic properties affected by the work proposed at 821 N. 6^th Street. (Benoit, Lien) Motion carries. 410 N. 8^th Street, built 1907 – The house has been found to have no nomination potential. Motion: to concur with a determination of no historic properties affected by the work proposed at 410 N. 8^th Street. (Slater, Sickels) Motion carries. Granitoid Discussion – Caprice Benoit Benoit explained the revised draft of the MPO 4^th Avenue South/Minnesota Avenue proposal. It recommends removing all Granitoid from 4^th Ave. S. (between Cherry and MN) and MN Ave. and placing a small roundabout at the intersection of MN and 4^th. Since the Granitoid is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places and because most of this stretch runs through the Near Southside Historic District, the loss of the Granitoid and effect on the district will have to be mitigated. Federal regulations also require that enhancements or amenities that are part of the project must be context sensitive. Benoit and O’Leary suggested that appropriate mitigation for the loss of the Granitoid would include a firm and clearly defined commitment from the city to protect and preserve a designated portion (to be determined) of Granitoid, a guarantee that the corridor will not be widened in the future, salvage of all sandstone curbing for use in patching Granitoid curbs not affected by this agreement, defined methods for protection of the mature trees along the corridor during the project, and some form of interpretation of the Granitoid. The triangle park has been proposed for the site of the interpretative material but the proposal of a 24’ x 24’ area plus signage is too big and intrusive for the park. Gunderson suggested a single small section of Granitoid with a small plaque and a bench to sit on. Kannowski Park has also been suggested as a site for the interpretation; this area already has a playground and parking, providing a natural draw and it, too, is on a section of Granitoid. Gunderson noted that the intersection at 4^th and MN has been determined to be dangerous even though there is no real history of accidents at that corner. Once that determination was made, it became necessary to deal with the danger issue and the options are a roundabout or squaring off the corners. O’Leary noted that the roundabout is reversible should conditions ever permit, it is not historic in appearance so it would not be mistaken for an original element of the district, and it does not make permanent changes to triangle park. It was noted that the last public hearing had better attendance from the neighborhood and most seemed in favor of changing out the Granitoid; an objection to the roundabout was primarily about drivability, not aesthetics. Neighbors also seemed to like the proposed amenities, which include period appropriate street lighting, Historic District markers, etc. Consensus: to support the project in principal and as defined above, if appropriate mitigation can be worked out with the city. Chair Report – Marsha Gunderson MPO Downtown Charette – Gunderson announced a one-day charette, Wednesday, Oct. 15, to “shape the future of downtown Grand Forks & East Grand Forks.” Flemmer noted that he hoped zoning concerns regarding main level housing would be addressed. Walnut/Chestnut Infill – Gunderson said some projects had been denied due to code violations but one made adjustments and has since been approved, and a new project has also been approved. Both are mid-century modern styles; similar homes exist within the neighborhood. 20^th Annual Governor’s Conference on North Dakota History – The conference focus is “Lincoln Legacy: The Homestead Act,” and it will be held on Nov. 7-8, 2008, in Bismarck. Coordinator Report – Peg O’Leary County Fairgrounds Nomination Update – The nomination will be reviewed at the Oct. 24 meeting of the State Review Board in Bismarck. Steve Martens will make the presentation. O’Leary will attend through an IVN hookup locally. Iseminger is a member of the SRB and will be in Bismarck. Riverside Pool Update – Ben Olson, EAPC Architects, says work is progressing well; they have discovered that the building was not constructed exactly according to the drawings but the differences have not put any stress on the structure. Other Business Walhalla Log Barn – Lien said he is working to restore an unusual log barn near his home town and asked about the NRHP nomination procedure. Gunderson explained a bit about nominating a single building but suggested Lien pursue the National Trust’s Barn Again program, which is specifically designed to help preserve historic barns. Motion: to adjourn. (Lien, Iseminger) Motion carries. Meeting adjourned. 8:45 p.m. The next regular meeting will be at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, October 28, 2008, room A101, City Hall. Respectfully submitted, Peg O’Leary Coordinator