HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 1/7/1997 - Landmark Commission THE CITY OF MCHENRY LANDMARK COMMISSION MEETING
MINUTES
JANUARY 7, 1997
THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:12PM BY CHAIRMAN NANCY FIKE.
GUESTS INCLUDED: JIM BECKER AND NORA MCCARTHY(SITTING IN AS A
POSSIBLE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE ON THE COMMISSION). MEMBERS
PRESENT WERE: MARIA ARZA, BARB BYRON, NANCY FIKE, DONNABELLE
GLOSSON, GREG LOFGREN, BOB NOVAK, CHRIS NOVAK AND CAROL JEAN SMITH.
MEMBERS ABSENT INCLUDED: TOM BOLGER AND LORI WILHELM.
A MOTION WAS MADE BY MARIA ARZA TO APPROVE THE DECEMBER 3, 1996
MINUTES. THE MOTION WAS SECONDED BY BARB BYRON. THE MOTION
CARRIED.
GREG LOFGREN REPORTED THAT TWO BILLS HAD BEEN PAID,ACE HARDWARE-
$21.14 FOR SIGN REPAIR AND CAROL JEAN SMITH- $7.76 FOR SLIDES. THERE IS A
TOTAL BALANCE OF $17,999.59 IN THE COMMISSION BUDGET. BARB BYRON
MOVED TO ACCEPT THE TREASURER'S REPORT. IT WAS SECONDED BY BOB
NOVAK. THE MOTION CARRIED.
NANCY FIKE INTRODUCED THE FACADE IMPROVEMENT GRANT FROM MCHENRY
DRUG ON RIVERSIDE DRIVE AND ITS OWNER JIM BECKER. HE DISCUSSED THE
WORK TO BE DONE ON THE FRONT OF HIS BUILDING(CLEANING, TUCKPOINTING,
AND BROKEN BRICK REPLACEMENT). GREEN WINDOW VINYL IS REPLACING THE
PRESENT RED. ALSO THE ADDITION OF A NEW SIGN. THE COMMISSION MEMBERS
RAISED MANY QUESTIONS CONCERNING PRESERVATION TECHNIQUES. THE
COMMISSION MEMBERS ALSO QUESTIONED THE IDEA OF GRANTING ANY MONEY
FOR SIGNS. THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION RAISED MANY QUESTIONS
ABOUT OUR PRESENT CRITERIA FOR FACADE IMPROVEMENT GRANTS. GREG
LOFGREN MOVED THAT AS OF JANUARY 8, 1997 THERE WILL BE A MORATORIUM
ON ACCEPTANCE OF FACADE IMPROVEMENT GRANT APPLICATIONS. CHRIS
NOVAK SECONDED THE MOTION. BARB BYRON MOVED THAT HE MOTION BE
AMENDED TO A FORTY-FIVE DAY MORATORIUM. (APPLICATIONS WILL BE
ACCEPTED AGAIN AFTER FEBRUARY 21, 1997.) THE MOTION CARRIED
UNANIMOUSLY. CHRIS NOVAK AND MARIA ARZA WILL WORK AS A COMMITTEE
TO BRING A PROPOSED REVISION OF THE FACADE IMPROVEMENT GRANT
PROGRAM AND PROCEDURE TO THE FULL COMMISSION MEETING IN FEBRUARY.
CAROL JEAN SMITH TALKED ABOUT THE RECOGNITION AWARD TO THE SOBERG'S
ON JOHN STREET. SHE WILL SET UP A TIME FOR PRESENTATION.
BOB NOVAK TALKED ABOUT THE NEW SIGN ON THE LITTLE CHEF RESTAURANT.
BOB NOVAK ALSO MENTIONED THE SIGN ON THE LOT AT THE SOUTHWEST
CORNER OF RIVERSIDE DRIVE AND ELM STREET WHICH STATES THE SITE IS
APPROVED FOR A THREE STORY BUILDING. MUCH DISCUSSION ENSUED
CONCERNING THE COMMISSION'S ROLE IN CITY PLANNING.
NANCY FIKE STATED THAT DEBBIE HARE OF THE MCHENRY CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE HAS NOT RETURNED HER PHONE CALLS CONCERNING THE SLIDE
PRESENTATION.
NANCY FIKE BEGAN DISCUSSION ON THE CITY WALKS DURING FIESTA DAYS.
GREG LOFGREN WILL SUBMIT A WRITE UP CONCERNING THE WALKS TO THE
CHAMBER OFFICE BY FEBRUARY 5, 1997. THIS WILL THEN BE LOOKED OVER BY A
CHAMBER COMMITTEE TO SEE IF OUR INFORMATION CAN BE INCLUDED IN THE
FIESTA WEEK BOOK.
NANCY FIKE CALLED JOHN LOBAITO TO FIND OUT THE STATUS OF THE
PRESERVATION ORDINANCE. JOHN LOBAITO WILL TRY TO GET THE ORDINANCE
ON THE AGENDA FOR FEBRUARY. ACCORDING TO THE LANDMARK COMMISSION
BY-LAWS THE COMMISSION IS SUPPOSED TO BE ADVISING THE COUNCIL, NOT
THE OTHER COMMISSIONS MAKING THE DECISIONS.
NANCY FIKE DISCUSSED THE LETTER CONCERNING DECORATING VETERAN'S
MEMORIAL PARK DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON. THE CITY DID ANSWER THE
LETTER, THE COUNCIL WILL INCLUDE DECORATING THE PARK IN THE 1997
BUDGET.
NANCY FIKE UPDATED THE COMMISSION MEMBERS ON THE SKIDMORE BARN
DEMOLITION SITUATION. NOTHING IS HAPPENING THERE YET.
NANCY FIKE REMINDED THE COMMISSION MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY WIDE
PRESERVATION NETWORK MEETING JANUARY 15, 1997 AT 7:30PM. AMY SLOCUM
IS GOING TO SPEAK ON: "PRESERVATION ORDINANCES: WHAT THEY CAN AND
CAN'T DO FOR YOU." MANY TOWNS AND VILLAGES ARE PLANNING TO SEND A
REPRESENTATIVE.
CHAIRMAN FIKE ASKED THE COMMISSION TO TURN THEIR ATTENTION TO THE
DEMOLITION PERMIT FOR THE PROPERTY AT 313-317 NORTH FRONT STREET
CONTAINING THREE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES CURRENTLY OWNED BY LEROY
OLSON. THE STRUCTURES DATE TO THE LATE 1940'S AND EARLY 1950'S. THE
LITTLE COTTAGE NEAREST THE MAIN RESIDENCE WAS BUILT IN 1948 AS A
GARAGE THEN CONVERTED TO A RESIDENCE. THE COTTAGE FARTHEST TO THE
NORTH WAS BUILT IN 1951 FOR LEROY OLSON'S MOTHER'S FRIEND FROM
MILWAUKEE. THE WOOD FRAME RANCH HOUSE WAS BUILT IN 1952. BARB
BYRON MOVED THAT THE LANDMARK COMMISSION FINDS NO HISTORICAL
SIGNIFICANCE IN THE PROPERTY. DONNABELLE GLOSSON SECONDED THE
MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
NANCY FIKE MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A NICE PRESENTATION OF THE
MILLER BUILDING FACADE GRANT BY THE MAYOR ON DECEMBER 16, 1996 AT THE
CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
NANCY FIKE ASKED THE COMMISSION IF WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING TO HONOR
PRESERVATION WEEK IN MAY. A SLIDE PRESENTATION OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
WAS SUGGESTED. BOB NOVAK STATED THAT RIVERSIDE DRIVE MERCHANTS
ARE THINKING ABOUT SOME TYPE OF ACTIVITY ON THEIR STREET THIS SPRING.
POSSIBLY THE COMMISSION WOULD HAVE SOMETHING GOING ON AT THAT TIME.
CAROL JEAN SMITH BROUGHT UP THE IDEA OF ASKING THE CANDIDATES TO
COME IN AND SPEAK AT OUR MEETING. WE WILL INVITE THEM TO THE MARCH
MEETING.
NANCY FIKE HAD SOME HISTORY ON THE WHITING FARM ON CRYSTAL LAKE
BLACKTOP. A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE DATING FROM MARCH 1927 MENTIONED THE
ORIGINAL HOUSE ON THE PROPERTY WAS BEING MOVED BACK TO MAKE ROOM
FOR A NEW HOUSE. THE OLDER HOME WAS BUILT BY GEORGE GAGE ON A
SECTION OF GOVERNMENT LAND AFTER HE CAME FROM LAKE COUNTY. THE
ARTICLE DETAILS SOME OF THE "MODERN" INNOVATIONS INCLUDED IN THE
"NEW" HOUSE WHICH IS STILL STANDING TODAY.
BARB BYRON MOTIONED FOR ADJOURNMENT AT 8:34PM, MARIA ARZA
SECONDED, THE MOTION CARRIED.
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