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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 5/5/1997 - Landmark Commission • THE CITY OF MCHENRY LANDMARK COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES MAY 5, 1997 THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:15 PM BY CHAIRMAN NANCY FIKE. NO GUESTS WERE PRESENT. MEMBERS PRESENT INCLUDED: MARIA ARZA,BARB BYRON, NANCY FIKE,DONNABELLE GLOSSON, GREG LOFGREN, HANK NELL,BOB NOVAK, CHRIS NOVAK, CAROL JEAN SMITH, LORI WILHELM, AND MAURA McCARTHY. THOSE ABSENT INCLUDED: TOM BOLGER. A MOTION WAS MADE BY LORI WILHELM TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES FROM THE APRIL 1, 1997 MEETING. CHRIS NOVAK A SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED. GREG LOFGREN REPORTED THAT TWO TRANSACTIONS HAD OCCURRED IN THE COMMISSION BUDGET. GREG LOFGREN WAS REIMBURSED FOR COPIES FOR THE SIGNS AT $26.05, AND $40.00 WAS PAID TO IAHPC. THE TOTAL BALANCE STANDS AT $15,739.94. CHRIS NOVAK MOVED THAT THE TREASURER'S REPORT BE ACCEPTED. BOB NOVAK SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED. GREG LOFGREN REPORTED ON THE WALKING TOURS COMMITTEE MEETING. THE COMMITTEE MET ON APRIL 7, 1997 WITH MARIA ARZA, GREG LOFGREN, CHRIS NOVAK, AND LORI WILHELM PRESENT. THE ACCESSIBILITY OF WALKING TOURS WAS DISCUSSED. THE FEELING OF THE COMMITTEE WAS THAT THE COMMISSION IS NOT PREPARED TO MAKE SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS DUE TO EXPENSE, SPACE, AND TIME. EVERYONE IS WELCOME, AND WE WILL TRY TO ACCOMMODATE ALL. LORI SUGGESTED WE TRY TO FIND WAYS TO "JAZZ UP" THE TOURS. TOUR LEADERS COULD WEAR COSTUMES. WE WILL TRY TO HAVE SOME LOCAL PEOPLE STATIONED AT VARIOUS POINTS TO TALK ABOUT THE AREA. POSSIBLY RECREATE AN EVENT IN ONE OF THE BUSINESS DISTRICTS OF TOWN. OTHER SUGGESTIONS INCLUDE HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS FROM AREA BUSINESSES, AN ANTIQUE CAR, OR A BUGGY. MARIA ARZA AND CHRIS NOVAK WILL HANDLE PUBLICITY. GREG WILL LEAD THE WEST MCHENRY TOUR AND LORI WILL LEAD THE RIVERSIDE DRIVE GREEN STREET TOUR. CEMETERY TOURS WILL BE PUT ON HOLD UNTIL WE CAN COME UP WITH AN INTERESTING IDEA. WE DISCUSSED THE IDEA OF TRYING TO GET SOME TYPE OF OPEN BUILDING TOUR FOR THE FALL. WE WILL DISCUSS THIS MORE WITH THE ENTIRE COMMISSION. GREG LOFGREN ALSO BROUGHT UP THE IDEA OF USING THREE FORMATS TO POINT OUT MCHENRY'S HISTORY AND SHOWCASE THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVING OUR EXISTING STRUCTURES: A. WALKING TOURS B. OPEN BUILDINGS C. ORAL PROGRAMS AS HAVE BEEN DONE IN THE PAST LORI WILHELM TALKED ABOUT DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION. GARY ADAMS WILL BE TAKING OVER THE OLD WEST MCHENRY BANK BUILDING TO HOUSE HIS NEW GOLF EQUIPMENT BUSINESS. BOB NOVAK REPORTED THAT THE HOTEL BUILT A PLANTER AROUND THE RIVERSIDE DRIVE SIGN, AND BOB WILL BE PUTTING SOME PLANTS IN THE PLANTER. THERE ALSO WILL BE 8 OR 9 NEW PLANTERS AROUND RIVERSIDE DRIVE. DOBYNS HOUSE IS FOR SALE. NANCY FIKE INFORMED THE COMMISSION THAT THE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE IS ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S AGENDA. THE MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR MAY 15, 1997 AT 7:30PM. COMMISSION MEMBERS SHOULD ATTEND. CHAIRMAN FIKE CALLED THE NEW CITY PLANNER, PHIL MAGGIO, AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH HIM TO TAKE HIM ON A TOUR OF MCHENRY,MONDAY, MAY 12, 1997 AT 1:30PM. NANCY FIKE ALSO ASKED THAT THE CITY CLERK PROVIDE ALL NEW ALDERMAN WITH A COPY OF THE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE. THE CHAIRMAN HAD NO REPORT ON THE PROGRESS OF THE GRANGER HOME PLAQUING. CAROL JEAN SMITH WILL MAKE CONTACT WITH THE SOBERGS ON MAIN STREET IN REGARD TO PRESENTING THE RECOGNITION AWARD. NANCY FIKE REPORTED THAT ONE OF THE IDEAS FROM THE JOLIET CONFERENCE WAS TO DISPLAY PICTURES OF PLAQUED HOMES IN CITY HALL, AS AURORA HAS DONE. ALSO, THE MAYOR GIVES SPECIAL AWARDS DURING PRESERVATION WEEK IN CATAGORIES SUCH AS,NEW CONSTRUCTION, PROPERTY IMPROVEMENT, AND PRESERVATION. WE SHOULD PROBABLY LOOK INTO THIS. POSSIBLY DURING THE YEAR THE COMMISSION SHOULD TAKE PICTURES AND HANG THEM IN CITY HALL AND GIVE AWARDS OUT OF THIS GROUP. NANCY WILL TALK TO SOMEONE AT CITY HALL, AND WE WILL DISCUSS THIS MORE AT THE JUNE MEETING. NANCY FIKE, LORI WILHELM, AND HANK NELL REPORTED ON THE MAY 3, 1997 JOLIET CONFERENCE ON LOCAL PRESERVATION. THE COMMISSION SHOULD MAKE ALL GROUPS AWARE OF IT'S WORK. WE SHOULD EMPHASIZE WORKING TOGETHER WITH ALL GROUPS. AURORA HAS A CITY OFFICIAL ON THEIR COMMISSION. ONE WAY OF MAKING PEOPLE AWARE OF THE ISSUES IS TO DO A CLIP AND SEND. AN ARTICLE IS WRITTEN IN THE LOCAL PAPER WITH A SECTION TO BE CUT OUT AND SENT TO CITY HALL TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT OR CONCERN. THE JOB OF THE PRESERVATION COMMISSION IS FIVEFOLD: MOTIVATION, EDUCATION, REGULATE, ADVOCATE, AND ROLE TO SPEAK OUT. THE COMMISSION MUST GET THE CITY COUNCIL TO VIEW HISTORIC PRESERVATION AS A PART OF LONG RANGE PLANNING. JOLIET HAS AN IN-GROUND MAP OF THE 4- 4 HISTORIC AREA. THIS MAY BE AN IDEA FOR THE PARK AT GREEN AND ELM STREETS. NANCY FIKE MOVED TO NEW BUSINESS ON THE AGENDA. SHARON NYE CALLED NANCY TO SEE IF THEY COULD PUT A SIGN ALONG RIVERSIDE DRIVE CALLING RIVERSIDE DRIVE AN HISTORIC DISTRICT. NANCY'S POINT WAS THAT THIS GROUP KNEW NOTHING OF THE LANDMARK COMMISSION OR THE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE. WHEN NANCY EXPLAINED SOME OF THE IDEAS OF THE ORDINANCE, SOME IN THE GROUP SEEMED TO HAVE SOME RESERVATIONS. CHAIRMAN FIKE BEGAN DISCUSSION ON THE DEMOLITION PERMIT FOR THE PROPERTY AT 4119 W. ELM STREET. DONNABELLE GLOSSON REPORTED THAT ROBERT STOCK'S GRANDFATHER BOUGHT THE HOUSE IN 1916. IT WAS ENLARGED IN THE TEENS, THE BACK ADDITION IN THE 1930'S. THERE WERE PAINTED ROCKS AROUND THE FOUNDATION. IN 1908, IT DID NOT APPEAR THERE WAS A STRUCTURE AT THIS SITE. THE LAND WAS PART OF THE OWEN'S AND LATER HANLEY PROPERTY. BARB BYRON MOVED THAT THE COMMISSION TRY TO GET HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE DOCUMENTED THROUGH TOUR AND WRITTEN PROCESS ON THE PROPERTY AT 4119 W. ELM STREET. MARIA ARZA SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. NANCY FIKE MENTIONED THAT THERE IS A MAY 16, 1997 SEMINAR IN LAKE FOREST TITLED "WHAT'S UP WITH TEAR DOWNS." NO ONE SEEMED ABLE TO GO. NANCY FIKE ASKED EVERYONE TO THINK ABOUT A SUBCOMMITTEE ON WHICH TO SERVE AND BE PREPARED TO VOLUNTEER AT THE TUNE MEETING: DOWNTOWN LIAISON,PROGRAMS AND PUBLICITY, SURVEY, LIFE ON THE STREETS (INTERVIEWS), AND EDUCATION(SCHOOLS). NANCY FIKE READ A RESIGNATION LETTER FROM TOM BOLGER. THE COMMISSION WILL SEND HIM A LETTER OF APPRECIATION. NANCY FIKE WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT AN ARCHITECT TO NOMINATE FOR THE COMMISSION. IT WAS ALSO SUGGESTED A CITY OFFICIAL BE ON THE COMMISSION. CHRIS NOVAK MOVED THAT MEETING BE ADJOURNED, MARIA ARZA SECONDED, THE MOTION CARRIED, AND THE METING WAS ADJOURNED AT 8:35PM.