HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 11/2/1987 - Landmark Commission MINUTES OF THE CITY OF MCHENRY LANDMARK COMMISSION
2 November 1987
The regular monthly meeting of the City of McHenry Landmark Commission
was called to order at 7 : 00 P.M. at the McHenry High School East Campus
Teaching Theater (change of time and place due to election day) .
Commission members present were: Nancy Fike (Chairman) , Dick Rabbitt,
Marya Weber, Frank Gans , Mary Lou Schaeffer, Mary Vycital , Tom Hopkins ,
Don Howard, Adele Froelich, Dorothy Uttich, Elizabeth Serritella.
The resignations by Nancy Fike and Dorothy Uttich had been withdrawn.
Minutes of the previous meeting were unanimously approved.
Financial Report: no new expenditures since previous meeting. Rent
was charged for use of the theater for this meeting at the rate of
$9 . 00 per hour.
The plaque for the Schaeffer house was approved by the City Council
and the plaque is being prepared by Mike Cjathaml .
Cavanaugh house plaque application, voting was re-scheduled for the
next meeting as 7 members of the Commission have not yet visited the
structure. Members are to make arrangements to visit the site on
their own prior to the next meeting. Nancy mentioned that the owners
had provided good documentation with the application.
Nancy reported on the seminar attended in Oak Park about forming
local landmark commissions . The seminar was also attended by Mary Lou
Schaeffer and Mary Vycital. Of the approximately 52 local landmark
commissions in Illinois 38 have ordinaces in place to protect historic
structures , McHenry not being one of them. All felt that the seminar
was well organized and inspirational .
Recommendations for our Commission resulting from the seminar include:
looking into existing ordinances to see if some level of protection is
already in place, obtaining minutes of the City Council and Zoning
Board meetings to monitor action concerning landmarks and potential
landmarks , creating more public awareness .
Mr. Cavanaugh mentioned that the plaque application procedure is time
consuming and therfore many owners of potential landmark sites will not
choose to go through the process . Nancy reminded the Commission of an
earlier suggestion to send letters to owners of potential sites out-
lining the procedure and inviting them to apply.
The role of the Commission as an advisory body was discussed. The
limitations of the Commission being volunteer with meetings once a
month was cited as a problem. The Commission needs to concentrate on
changing public attitudes and priorities concerning preservation. To
be effective the Commission needs to be informed on public issues
concerning potential landmark sites , this can be accomplished by
obtaining the minutes of the City Council and Zoning Board meetings as
was mentioned above. Nancy has taken steps to implement this .
Mayor Busse was in attendance and suggested that the Landmark Commission
submit a statement to the City Council concerning the proposed
relocation of City Hall and its effect on local preservation.
City of McHenry Landmark Commission, 2 November 1987 page 2
The priorities of the Commission were again reviewed. An earlier
suggestion of producing a slide program was again discussed. A
sub-committee of Nancy Fike, Mary Lou Schaeffer, and Dorothy Uttich
was created to organize this.
The meeting was adjourned at 7 : 35 P.M.
A slide program by Gary Nickels of Woodstock on McHenry area postcards
followed the meeting. The program was attended by about a dozen local
citizens and the members of the Commission.
Respectfully submitted,
471(f4/
Tom Hopkins
Secretary