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Grand Forks Historic Preservation Commission
P. O. Box 13876
1405 First Avenue North
Grand Forks, ND 58208-3876
701-772-8756
Meeting Minutes
May 22, 2007
7:00 p.m.
City Hall

Present: Marsha Gunderson, Chair, Chuck Flemmer, Ted Jelliff, Melinda Leach, Cory Lien, Gerad Paul, Sandy Slater, David Vorland
Others: Kevin Severson, Red River Valley Community Action

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m.; a quorum was present.
Motion: to approve the minutes of the May 8, 2007 meeting. (Jelliff, Paul)
Motion carries.

Red River Valley Community Action – Kevin Severson
807 S. 22nd St., built 1964 – The owner proposes to use a federally subsidized loan to replace a damaged concrete driveway and service walk.
Motion: to concur with a determination of no historic properties affected by the work proposed at 807 S. 22nd St.
Motion carries.
1906 10th Ave. N., built 1953 – The owner proposes to use a federally subsidized loan to remove and replace the concrete service walk, install new metal handrails on the front steps, replace the existing “slate type” siding with vinyl, replace current windows with vinyl units and add egress widows where mandated by city building code. All egress windows will be on the east side of the house, which is not the front. Basement egress windows will be crankout style. Other window sizes will remain the same, but current awning style windows might be replaced with sliders. Consensus: this structure is in an area of mixed building types that has very little chance of ever becoming a historic district, and that the house itself does not have specific defining characteristics that would make it individually eligible.
Motion: to concur with a determination of no historic properties affected from the work proposed for the house at 1906 10th Avenue North. (Paul, Slater)
Motion carries.

UND 125th Anniversary
Slater and Vorland attended a meeting at UND with President Kupchella, Vice-President Boyd, Pete Haga and others regarding the possibility of honoring George Walsh in connection with the establishment of UND in Grand Forks. Haga has been researching ways to show the city’s role in bringing UND to Grand Forks in a way that could be celebrated during the anniversary year. Vorland reported that such recognition was positively received by those at the meeting, particularly after Slater provided substantial documentation supporting a Walsh connection. The current thinking provides for an outdoor statue of Walsh in a prominent location on campus with some ceremony commemorating Walsh this year. At this point the city is looking for funding options and UND is looking at location options. Slater was thanked for providing the supporting documentation that went a long way toward justifying such an honor.

Chair Report – Marsha Gunderson
State Historical Society of North Dakota Letter – Gunderson read into the minutes a letter expressing the Commission’s gratitude for the support provided by the SHSND and the State Historic Preservation Office following the flood and fires of 1997. (See attached.)

Coordinator Report – Marsha Gunderson
Regrant Status
- The Hook and Ladder Company contract work is completed. The tuck-pointing has been done and Sickels said it looks great. Gunderson requested that payment be authorized.
Motion: to authorize payment of $7,500 to the contractor, James Thompson, for work completed at 215 S. 4th Street. (Jelliff, Slater)
Motion carries.
- The Dinnie Apartment Contract is completed and awaiting signatures.
Riverside Nomination Revisions – Martens and O’Leary plan to have the revisions ready to submit to the state by May 31, 2007.
Lustron House – The reconstruction is going slowly and Vorland is taking some great photos.
Reappointments – A letter has been sent to the Mayor’s office regarding the appointment and reappointment of commission members. Jelliff, Lien, Sickels, Paul and Gunderson are seeking reappointment and Caprice Benoit has expressed interest in serving on the Commission. The Mayor will make the appointments subject to Council approval.
Franklin Club – O’Leary supplied HPC brochures for table favors for the Franklin Club 100th Anniversary banquet.
Federal Building Tour – HPC will tour the GF Federal Building at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 12 (prior to our regular meeting). Cameras are not allowed. We’ll meet at the 4th Street entrance.
Alexander Griggs Award – Gunderson read the press release regarding the posthumous awarding of the Griggs Award to Curt Siewert. (See attached.)
City Maps – Several members requested large maps of the city with sub-divisions defined. These were provided at a cost to the members of $8 each.

Motion: to adjourn. (Lien, Slater)
Motion carries. Meeting adjourned. 8:00 p.m.
The next regular meeting will be at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, June 12, 2007, room A101, City Hall.

Respectfully submitted,


Peg O’Leary
Coordinator