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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

Minutes
March 9, 2010
6:30 p.m.
City Hall

Present: Marsha Gunderson, Chair, Sharon Bures, Chuck Flemmer, Gordon Iseminger, Ted Jelliff, Sylvia Kloster, Melinda Leach, Cory Lien, Dale Sickels, Sandy Slater, Judy Swisher
Others: Susan Mickelson (Board President), Wendy Wendt (Director), GF Library; Lon Kvasager, Masonic Center; Peg O’Leary

Motion: to approve the minutes of the February 23, 2010, as presented. (Leach, Swisher)
Motion carries.

Grand Forks City Library – Susan Mickelson, Wendy Wendt
Mickelson and Wendt presented a brief history of the library and described the current process for evaluating the existing library and planning for the future needs. A meeting, in the library on Thursday, March 11, at 7 p.m., will reveal the consultants’ site ranking of possible locations for a new library building. The public is welcome. Commissioners expressed concern that the library would be moved too far south, out of the reach of the historic neighborhoods. Mickelson said her personal opinion is that the library should not be any farther south than it currently is. Commissioners also advocated for a downtown branch that would serve remote uses such as pick-up and return of books, periodical reading, and computer access. Mickelson said the budget barely provides for one facility at this time. Wendt said that they are reviewing remote services such as book return locations and library kiosks, which are very popular in other cities. Slater said she is a frequent visitor at the library and has noticed recent improvements in open spaces and organization; she commended the staff for these changes. Iseminger mentioned studies that have shown that a library in a neighborhood leads to a lessening of illegal and undesirable activities in that neighborhood more than any other improvement. Wendt said that the rankings established by the consultants will not be automatically adopted; they will serve as a basis for evaluating the choices.

Chair Report – Marsha Gunderson
UND Founders Day – Merl Paaverud, Lorna Meidinger and Gunderson presented the framed NRHP certificate to President Kelley at the Founders Day banquet. She said the presentation was well received and Kelley was interested to hear the details of the nomination. Gunderson noted that the video presentation that focused on UND history at the beginning of the program was weighty with pictures of the older buildings, with an emphasis on Merrifield.
Downtown Design and Review Board – The City Council agenda contains a couple DDRB items: one would change the Urban Development member from voting to non-voting, the second would change the review and fees for permitting annual sidewalk café setups.



Coordinator Report – Peg O’Leary
Central High School Windows – Perry Marto, Facilities Director for GF Schools, has reported that they will begin the window replacement project as soon as the current semester is over. The new windows are as approved previously by the GFHPC. (See attached memo.)
WPA Cemetery Stonework Nomination – The Public Hearing will be held at the GFHPC March 23 meeting and the nomination will be submitted for review by the State Review Board at its April meeting. O’Leary distributed copies of the nomination for review and reminded members that this is still considered a draft until approved at the National Park Service.
B’Nai Israel Synagogue and Montefiori Cemetery Nomination – O’Leary met with the contractor to discuss needed revisions. A second draft will be available the first week of April.
Civic Auditorium Standard Mitigation Measures Agreement (SMMA) – O’Leary distributed copies of the SMMA containing wording that has been approved by the State Historic Preservation Office, the ND Department of Commerce, the Grand Forks Office of Urban Development and which meets the requirements stipulated by the HPC. We are waiting for approval from the City Attorney’s office. Wording does not specifically include the mosaic tile work or the bronze plaque but OUD has committed to attempting to preserve the plaque and portions of the tiling if possible.
Motion: to approve the Civic Auditorium SMMA as presented. (Flemmer, Swisher)
Motion carries.
GF County Historical Society – The County Historical Society has asked for a letter of support for a grant request for funding to run a sidewalk to the front door of the Lustron house. An email motion and vote occurred on Thursday, March 4 and is here entered into the minutes.
Motion: The GFHPC supports the GFCHS in its request for grant funding to run a sidewalk to the front door of the Lustron house. (Bures, Sickels)
Motion carries. Roll call. Ayes: Sickels, Bures, Flemmer, Slater, Lien, Leach, Kloster, Jelliff, Swisher. Nays: none.
GF Masonic Temple – The Masonic Center has also requested a letter of support for a preservation and conservation planning grant to address the needs of the stage scenery and rigging in their theatre. They are also requesting a grant for archival materials.
Motion: to support the Masonic Center in its request for grant funding as described above.
(Slater, Leach)
Motion carries. (Lien abstains.)
Lien introduced Lon Kvasager, who is the chair of the newly formed Masonic Theatre Committee. Kvasager described recent activities with regard to the theatre and thanked the Commission for its support.
Donated Time Forms – Commissioners signed donor time forms.

Motion: to adjourn. (Bures, Sickels)
Motion carries. Meeting adjourned. 8:45 p.m.

The next regular meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Mar. 23, 2010, in A101 City Hall.
A PUBLIC HEARING on the WPA STONE WORK at Memorial Park and Calvary Cemetery will be held at that time.

Respectfully submitted,



Peg O’Leary
Coordinator