Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout15.F.2. Establishing a Heritage Preservation Advisory Commission , or IS: F: 2- fI CITY OF SHAKOPEE Memorandum TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Mark McNeill, City Administrator SUBJECT: Historic Preservation Advisory Commission Establishment DATE: February 9, 2005 INTRODUCTION: The Council is asked to consider adoption of a resolution which would establish an Historic Preservation Advisory Commission for the City of Shakopee. BACKGROUND: At its meeting of February IS\the Council heard a report from Jay Whiting, who represented an ad hoc committee which was formed to study historic preservation, and possible Certified Local Government status in Shakopee. After much discussion, Council gave direction to staffto put together information which would establish an HP Commission, and define criteria for membership. Membership on the proposed Commission would be open to residents of Shakopee in the same manner in which other boards and commissions have eligibility (i.e., residents of the community, 18 years of age, and willingness to serve). The research that had been done by the Economic Development Advisory Commission in 2004 also suggested desirable characteristics, which should ideally encourage memberships from individuals who might have skills as an attorney, architect, construction trades person, or local historian. Obviously, the City cannot, nor would it want to, limit applications from individuals with those qualifications. The major focus would be on encouraging applications from people who have a particular interest in historic preservation. DISCUSSION: The bigger issue for the Council is to determine what level of interest it has in establishing an HP Commission. The discussion at the February 1 st meeting indicated mixed levels of support. The question is whether the City is willing to take on philosophical differences of opinion between historic preservation, property owner rights, voluntary preservation efforts, and involvement through a Certified Local Government process? Obviously, an HP Commission could research those different issues, and could make arecommendation to the City Council. Ultimately, however, the Council would ~ ;, have to make a decision as to what level of involvement interest is held by the City of Shakopee. Prom a staffing s~andpoint, I am also concerned about what staff support is to be provided to the HP Commission. I have attached a copy of a survey which was done by the ad hoc committee in 2004. As shown, support from the host city ranges from minimal (primarily in smaller communities) to full time staffing for positions'with the City of Minneapolis. My concern at this time is that even with only one meeting per month, the City employee who would be providing support for this effort would have to devote several hours per month to this, when considering packet preparation, research, formulation of minutes, and actually attending the meeting. Initially, if there is direction from the Council to proceed, staffing could come from the Community Development Department; as the job evolved and as demands were made clearer, it may be something to give to the Assistant City Administrator position. However, again, if the City Council is not in full support of this, my suggestion would be to defer action until such time as either staffing is more available, or the Council is more defined as to its level of support. RECOMMENDATION: At some point in the future, the HP Commission would be in a position to make a recommendation to the Council regarding specifics of an HP ordinance. If the Council is serious and wishes to proceed, with the establishment of an Historic Preservation Advisory Commission, it should adopt the resolution establishing the HP Commission. ACTION REQUIRED: If the Council wishes to establish a Historic Preservation Advisory Commission, it should, by motion, adopt the following resolution: RESOLUTION NO. 6192 A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING AN HISTORIC PRESERVATION ADVISORY COMMISSION FOR THE CITY OP SHAKOPEE W~VV~cJJ~ Mark McNeill City Administrator MM:th RESOLUTION NO. 6192 A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING AN HISTORIC PRESERVATION ADVISORY COMMISSION FOR THE CITY OF SHAKOPEE WHEREAS, it is the desire of the City Council to create an Historic Preservation Advisory Commission for the purpose of advising the City in the identification and preservation of historic structures and features within the City; and . WHEREAS, the preservation of historic structures and features is an important concern to residents of Shakopee; and WHEREAS, the Historic Preservation Advisory Commission shall perform its duties and responsibilities at the same peer level as other City Boards and Commissions. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SHAKOPEE, MINNESOTA, THAT: 1. A Historic Preservation Advisory Commission is hereby established, composed of five (5) members to be appointed by the City Council, to include representatives of the community. 2. Tern1s on the Commission shall be three (3) years in duration to be calculated from March 1,2005. Tem1s of the initial appointments shall be staggered as to provide orderly transition for future appointees. 3. Members of the Commission shall serve without compensation and not directly or personally benefit fonn any recommendations of the Commission. Members shall annually elect a Chairperson, Vice Chair, and Secretary, at the first meeting in March. A majority shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Where not otherwise stated, the business of the Committee shall be govemed by Robelts Rules of Order Newly Revised. 4. The Committee shall have the following Charges: a. Investigate and recommend actions intended to safeguard the helitage of the City of Shakopee by preserving propelties which reflect elements of the City's cultural, social, economic, political, visual, or architectural history; b. Protect and enhance the City of Shako pee's appeal and attraction to residents, visitors, and tourists; c. Enhance the visual and aesthetic character, diversity, and interest of the City of Shakopee; d. Foster civic pride in the beauty and notable accomplishments of the past; e. Promote the preservation and continued use of historic properties for the education and general welfare of the residents of the City of Shakopee;and f. Establish eligibility criteria and annually survey properties that may be eligible for inclusion in the State and National Registry of Historic Places. Adopted in regular session of the City of Shakopee, Minnesota, held this day of ,2005. Mayor of the City of Shako pee ATTEST: City Clerk , . Historic Preservation Questionnaire Feedback The Shakopee Historic Preservation (HP) Task Force began its study of investigating an HP ordinance in Shakopee by developing a questionnaire that might answer some of the questions the City Council would have regarding this subject. TheHP task force decided it would only solicit the cities that had an HP ordinance that met the requirements of "Certified Local Government" (CLG) status of which there are 34 currently in the State of Minnesota. We also requested copies of the cities ordinance. We were very happy to receive 10 responses. The cities that responded are as follows; 1. Taylor's Falls, Minnesota 2. Kenyon, Minnesota 3. Newport, Minnesota 4. Eden Prairie, Minnesota 5. Edina, Minnesota 6. Henderson, Minnesota 7. Pipestone, Minnesota 8. Hastings, Minnesota 9. Faribault, Minnesota 10. Minneapolis, Minnesota The questions and answers are as follows; . How much time is spent by city staff on HP? (full time, part time or average hours) 1. We have no paid staff member. .. Aside from taking minutes at public hearings,. issuing official notices for publication and providing procedural advice. City staff is only peripherally involved. 2. Depending on current activities 2-10 hours per week. 3. The Newport Heritage Preservation Commission has part-time staff 4. I am a full time Historic Preservation Specialist working in the City's Planning Department. My primary duties involve historic preservation planning, but I also extend my time to other areas within 1 the department and to a lesser extent other departments, e.g. Parks and Recreation. 5. The Associate Planner (full-time position) is the staffliason to the HPB. Heritage preservation activities take up about ~ of my work schedule. 6. The City assists with very little time- which to date has only been sending letters to residents within 300 feet of a property we are locally designating. 7. City staff does not spend an over abundance of time on the HPC. The clerical staff sends out meeting notices, types minutes, etc. once a month and the Building and Zoning Administrator works with the Commission on an as needed basis. 8. Staff time ranges from 350 to 400 hours a year - up to 8 hours a week - but with peaks and valleys. The responsibility for HP is assigned to a full time staff person (HRA Director). I have done it for 20 years but have part-time assistance 9. No response provided 10. Staff- We have 2 full-time preservation planners staffing the HPC and working on preservation issues in the City. We have one administrative person assigned to our work and we have a part-time student intern. . What benefits does HP have to your cities economic development? 1. As one of the States oldest cities, TaXlor's Falls is well endowed with a rich collection of 19th and early 20 century buildings. Its dramatic setting on the. St. Croix River together with the unique architectural inheritance form the principal source of the towns economy- tourism. 2. It opens up new funding sourcing available only to CLG's to renovate and restore historic commercial buildings for reuse. The CLG funds also assist in repairing historic homes which improves tourism in the City. 3. No direct response. , 4. We don't have a typical downtown to preserve and so we can't really measure the economic benefit in terms of revitalization of old buildings, added tourism, business development, etc... Eden Prairie's historic resources are spread out, however as stand alone projects go, our recent rehabilitation of the historic Smith house as a Dunn Brothers Coffee Shop has been extremely successfuL.. 5. The overall benefit of heritage preservation to the City includes the economic development, but is no means limited to that. Edina's City Council considers heritage preservation to be one of the many public services afforded those who live and work in the city. 6. Henderson is a unique place because of the size of the city and its Main Street. Population is under 1000 so we have not experienced the growth or business expansion but we do have a viable Main Street. 7. The HPC does not benefit the economic development of our city. 8. Hastings had a Main Street Program in the mid 80's. Consequently the revitalization of the downtown historic district, based on rehabilitation sensitive to historic design, resulted in a very attractive and authentic business district which attracts substantial numbers of visitors. Between 40 & 60% of many downtown business customers come from out of town. Historic rehabilitation also contributes to the local economy through employment and the purchase of materials and equipment. This applies to the 120 or so residential properties as well as 40 or so commercial properties. Once people become used to preservation guidelines it becomes one of their tools for neighborhood stability. 9. No response provided 10. Minneapolis does not have economic benefits directly related to designated properties. There are some benefits to being designated in the City. You may receive historic use variances for your property; these variances are usually variances that are not granted through the Minneapolis Zoning Code. The Building Code ADA requirements are often varied for historic properties. For example, and ADA ramp may be shortened or placed on a secondary elevation. Sometimes these variances save project costs. . Has your city had a positive experience with HP? 1. We have subsequently prepared our first nominations deliberately selecting sites believeq to be less controversial so that we might test our procedures and revise if necessary. These nominations have successfully completed the prescribed public hearing stage and have been forwarded to the Council for approval. 2. Yes, it is a much more formalized process than our ad hoc historical society and provides the opportunity for more public input and City control. 3. Historic preservation in Newport enjoys broad public support. 4. We have had a good experience with HP. Those that make use of the buildings by attending programs and events have expressed very positive things about what the City has done... Eden Prairie overall has had a very positive experience and over the last couple years has been recognized for our efforts by the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota and Minneapolis Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. 5. Yes! The HPB was organized in 1976. The Board is advisory to the City Council. 6. In our case I believe it protects the sense of place and helps educate the community by instilling pride in the place where we live. 7. We have a very positive relationship with our Commission. 8. I'd say the residents of Hastings are proud of their heritage. Hastings has been aware of its historic assets for a long time and officially involved in preserving them for 25 years. The original drive came from a group of interested persons who kept at the Council and became the preservation conscience of the community. You hear about historic Hastings all the time. It comes up in policy discussions. Its become a part of the local culture. New developments identify themselves with local history. This has got to be positive. 9. No response provided 10. The HPC is a design review board. All designated properties must go through the review process when proposing alterations. The HPC also recommends properties for heritage designation. These two items are often contentious. Because of this the HPe has tried to institute positive educational components. They sponsor free summer walking tours of districts and historic properties. They also sponsor the annual preservation week events which include an award luncheon which is heavily attended and is seen as a positive event by elected officials. . Has your city used Federal grants for HP projects? 1. To date we have not sought federal grants. 2. Not yet but we have only had a HPC for a short while. We will be trying to get federal funds in the near future. 3. Since 1994, the HPC has received six CLG grants-in-aid, totaling approximately $30,000.00 in federal funds, which have been used for historic property survey, registration and public education projects. 4. We have made use offederal grants. Mostly we have applied for CLG grants from the Minnesota Historical Society (MHS). We have also received Capital Grants from MRS.' All these funds were used for either preservation planning, education projects or restoration projects. 5. Yes. Edina is a CLG and in 1999 utilized a CLG matching grant for our Historic Context Study. In the 1970's and 1980's matching grants were also used for a survey of the Country Club District (now on the National Register of Historic Places and locally designated an Edina Heritage Landmark District), as well as archaeological research of the Edina Mill Site. 6. The City used State grant funds to restore the Henderson Community building but the HPC has not been able to take advantage of Federal Grants at this time. 7. The City applied for a Small Cities Block Grant which we were awarded to rehabilitate our downtown district (this is also our Historic District). Some of the business owners in the historic district did utilize these low interest loans to rehabilitate their historical properties. 8. Yes. We have used six Federal grants between 1985 and now. Although the City had to match them, they provided incentive to increase knowledge of our historic resource base, to organize and publicize our preservation programs, to set up useful guidelines for property owners. 9. No response provided 10. Minneapolis is a CLG and has received CLG grants through the MRS SHPO for the past 15 years. We often use the funds to hire , ' ' consultants to research neighborhoods, write context studies and write designation studies. . Do you have any comments that would help us in our project? 1. No direct response. 2. It's not a hard process and it opens up an almost guaranteed funding source ofCLG' $'s. I see no down side to doing it (except that you give Kenyon more competition for CLG grants). 3. The program provides a wide range of services, including overlay zoning of locally designated heritage landmarks (6 designated to date with 10 nominations pending) and HPC review of development projects. 4. You may widen your area of interest to beyond the city core and include the historic resources that are sure to be out there. Knowing now what you have, where it is and whether it's worth protecting isa planning tool to be used as your city develops. Your city should'have an open discussion on the merits of protecting an historic downtown district to preserve the early character of Shakopee' s streetscape and scale, or if you need to protect and old church and cemetery, school house, etc. 5. No direct response. 6. It sounds like to me you can set up and perform HPC without the paperwork of becoming a CLG as long as you have the support of your city and City Council. 7. No direct response. 8. Accomplish what you can and keep working. It really helps to get official City participation through an ordinance and commission, even if only advisory. If you don't have design review authority right away, at least you have a seat at the table... Sometimes it seems like preservation is the only party at the table talking about values like stability, sense of place, appropriate scale and design and keeping up appearances. You can't win all the battles, but in the long term, preservation will make a difference in your community. Raising standards or expectations has to be a gradual process. 9. No response provided ~ It. 10. All US cities the size of Minneapolis have a preservation commission. We have 150 individually designated landmarks and 12 historic districts covering over 2000 properties. Each of our historic districts has a set of design guidelines. . We would also like to ask for a copy of your cities HP ordinance, 1. Ordinance provided 2. Ordinance provided 3. Ordinance provided 4. Ordinance provided 5. Ordinance provided 6. No ordinance provided 7. Ordinance provided 8. Ordinance provided 9. Ordinance provided 10. Ordinance provided . and a copy of your overall HP annual budget. 1. For fiscal year 2004/2005 we have requested a modest $75.00 for postage. 2. We do not have a formal budget for 2004. We will for 2005 3. Annual general budget of $2,400.00 (consultant retainer fee). This appropriation is supplemented by grants and small city appropriations. 4. The current annual budget I work with is $16,000.00. of that amount $10,000.00 is for needed maintenance and repair to a City owned historic house, the rest is for an event and program budget. . . . . 5. The Board does not have a budget, but does operate within the organization of the Planning Department. 6. No Budget information provided 7. The HPC does not have an annual budget; although the city does pay for two Commission members to attend the annual conference. 8. Budget provided 2004 budget $ 40,249.00 9. Budgetprovided 2004 budget $ 17,813.00 10. No Budget information provided