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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 6/3/1997 - Landmark Commission f - THE CITY OF MCHENRY LANDMARK COMMISSION MEETING \.. MINUTES JUNE 3, 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. A MOTION WAS MADE BY BARB BYRON TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES FROM THE JUNE 3, 1997 MEETING. CHRIS NOVAK SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED. GREG LOFGREN REPORTED THAT THE TOTAL BALANCE STANDS AT $18,742.55. NANCY FIKE SUBMITTED THE MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FOR THE MCHENRY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, $20.00. ALL MEMBERS APPROVED THE RENEWAL. GREG LOFGREN REPORTED HE HAD TALKED TO AT LEAST ONE BUSINESS PERSON IN EACH BUSINESS DISTRICT CONCERNING POSTING PICTURES IN THE BUSINESS WINDOWS DURING FIESTA WEEK. CHRIS NOVAK AND MARIA ARZA WILL WORK ON PUBLICITY FOR THE WALKING TOURS. DON DOHERTY WILL ACCOMPANY LORI WILHELM ON HER TOUR. LORI WILHELM REPORTED THAT SHE HAD STOPPED INTO THE OLD VYCITAL'S BUILDING. IT LOOKS NICE SINCE THE REMODELING. THEY HAVE PUT IN A DROP CEILING WHICH HOPEFULLY WILL PRESERVE THE ORIGINAL CEILING. NANCY FIKE HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH SOMEONE FROM THE BUILDING,AND SHE HAS SENT SOME PICTURES. THE OWNERS APPEAR TO BE CONCERNED WITH PRESERVATION AS THEY REMODEL. NANCY FIKE ALSO REPORTED THAT THE OWNERS OF THE WHALE'S TAIL HAVE PICKED UP AN APPLICATION FORM FOR A FACADE IMPROVEMENT GRANT. NANCY FIKE WILL BE DOING A BREAKFAST PRESENTATION TO SOME OF THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. NANCY FIKE BEGAN REVII-WING THE LANDMARK COMMISSION'S PRESENTATION BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION. THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS APPEAR TO HAVE CONCERNS IN THE AREAS OF OWNER APPROVAL, OWNER INPUT AND LANGUAGE. OUR ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN AS MOST OTHERS, AS IT IS USED MORE SPECIFICS WILL BECOME APPARENT. ANOTHER CONCERN WAS THE REVOLVING OF AN APPLICATION BETWEEN THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE LANDMARK COMMISSION WITHOUT A CLEAR END RESULT, THIS NEEDS TO BE REDONE. DON DOHERTY IS WILLING TO COME IN AND SPEAK WITH WHICHEVER GROUP IS NEXT CONCERNING HIS EXPERIENCE WITH THE COUNTY PRESERVATION ORDINANCE. NANCY BAKER, A STAFF PERSON FOR THE CITY OF WOODSTOCK PRESERVATION ORDINANCE, IS ALSO WILLING TO COME AND SPEAK. IT WOULD ALSO BE GOOD TO HAVE A BUSINESS OWNER SPEAK. THE COMMISSION MUST WORK TO POINT OUT THAT THE CITY IS PART OF A GROWING SOCIETY, AND THAT REGULATIONS COME WITH THIS GROWTH, AND THAT HISTORIC PRESERVATION SHOULD BE ONE OF THESE REGULATIONS TO INSURE SURVIVAL OF HISTORIC PLACES. REGULATIONS HAVE INCREASED: LEAF BURNING, AUTO EMISSIONS, AND RECYCLING ARE EXAMPLES. SEVERAL MEMBERS SPOKE ON HOW THE COMMISSION SHOULD PROCEED WITH THE ORDINANCE EVERYONE USES ORDINANCES. NANCY WILL SPEAK TO PAM ALTHOFF IN REGARD TO HAVING THE CITY ATTORNEY LOOK OVER THE ORDINANCE, AND THAT OUR NEXT PRESENTATION SHOULD BE TO THE CITY COUNCIL.. NANCY FIKE MENTIONED THAT SHE TOOK THE NEW CITY PLANNER ON A TOUR OF THE THREE BUSINESS DISTRICTS, HE LISTENED. LORI WILHELM AND HANK NELL SPOKE ABOUT THE PROPERTY AT 4119 W. ELM STREET, GEORGE STOCK HOME. LORI PRESENTED A SET OF DETAILED DRAWINGS OF THE STRUCTURE CONTAINING A FRONT ELEVATION, FLOOR PLANS, AND INTERIOR DETAILS. HANK NELL STATED THAT THE STRUCTURE IS PROBABLY NOT SAVABLE AT A REASONABLE COST DUE TO DETERIORATION. JACOB STOCK DID SOME STENCILING IN THE HOME. HE WAS SOMEWHAT OF A WELL KNOWN LOCAL ARTIST. THE PAINTING OF MONSIG.. NIX IN MONTINI IS POSSIBLY HIS. THE BACKDROP FOR THE EAST CAMPUS STAGE AND SOME RELIGIOUS WORKS AT ST. JOHNS ARE HIS. NANCY FIKE MENTIONED THE IDEA THAT MAYBE THE COMMISSION SHOULD BE IN THE BUSINESS OF GATHERING FACTS AND ONLY IN SPECIAL CASES PUSHING FOR RESTORATION. HANK NELL MENTIONED THE POSSIBILITY OF THE CITY HAVING PROPERTY ON WHICH TO MOVE OLD STRUCTURES FOR PRESERVATION AND THEN OPENING THEM AS A MONEY MAKING ENTERPRISE. THIS IDEA MAY BE LOOKED AT IN THE FUTURE. MUCH DISCUSSION ENSUED CONCERNING THE CITY'S ROLE IN ENFORCING ORDINANCES SO THAT STRUCTURES DO NOT REACH SUCH A STATE OF DETERIORATION. MARIA ARZA MOVED THAT A LETTER BE SENT TO THE CITY STATING THE FACTS THE COMMISSION FOUND ABOUT THE PROPERTY AT 4119 W. ELM STREET. INCLUDED WITH THIS LETTER WILL BE THE DETAILED DRAWINGS BY LORI WILHELM. THE LETTER WILL FURTHER STATE THAT THE COMMISSION MAKES NO RECOMMENDATION CONCERNING DEMOLITION. LORI WILHELM SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED, 9 IN FAVOR AND 1 OPPOSED. NANCY FIKE WILL ALSO DRAFT A LETTER CONCERNING THE NEED FOR A PRESERVATION ORDINANCE AND COMMENTS ON ENFORCING ORDINANCES SO PROPERTIES DO NOT FALL INTO A STATE OF DISREPAIR. DISCUSSION NOW FOCUSED ON THE DUNLOP PROPERTY ON MAIN STREET AND THE FACT THAT THIS PLAQUED PROPERTY SEEMS TO NEED SOME MORE INTENSIVE CARE. CAROL JEAN SMITH MADE A MOTION TO SEND A LETTER TO THE OWNERS OF THE DUNLOP HOUSE STATING THE COMMISSION MEMBERS WOULD BE GLAD TO MEET WITH THEM AND DISCUSS POSSIBLE WAYS TO HELP. DONNABELLE GLOSSON SECONDED THE MOTION. THERE IS NOTHING IN ANY ORDINANCE ADDRESSING WHAT CONDITION A HOUSE HAS TO BE KEPT IN TO RETAIN ITS PLAQUE. THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE SOLE REVIEWER ON CHANGES WITH NO PRESERVATION ORDINANCE IN PLACE. THE MOTION PASSED. CAROL JEAN SMITH PRESENTED THE LETTER TO BE SENT TO TOM BOLGER IN APPRECIATION FOR HIS YEARS AS A LANDMARK COMMISSION MEMBER. CAROL JEAN ALSO PRESENTED A LETTER TO BE SENT TO THE OWNER OF THE RIVERSIDE HOTEL THANKING HIM FOR BUILDING THE PLANTER AROUND THE LANDMARK SIGN ON RIVERSIDE DRIVE. NANCY FIKE AGAIN ASKED FOR NAMES TO BE SUBMITTED FOR MEMBERSHIP ON THE COMMISSION TO FILL VACANCIES. NANCY FIKE'EXPRESSED HER FAVORABLE IMPRESSION OF JOHN LOBAITO, AND HIS WILLINGNESS TO WORK WITH THE LANDMARK COMMISSION. NANCY FIKE BROUGHT UP THE TOPIC OF PICTURES TO BE TAKEN AND DISPLAYED IN CITY HALL OR THE LIBRARY. BARB BYRON WILL MAKE UP A LIST OF CRI FERIA FOR PICTURES. MOVING ON TO OTHER SUBCOMMITTEES,NANCY ASKED EACH MEMBER TO WRITE A MISSION STATEMENT FOR THEIR AREA AND BRING IT TO THE JULY MEETING. THE AREAS ARE AS FOLLOWS: DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION-LORI WILHELM; PROGRAMS AND PUBLICITY-GREG LOFGREN; SURVEY-HANK NELL; LIFE ON THE STREET-GREG LOFGREN; EDUCATION-MAURA MCCARTHY; TECHNICAL-CHRIS NOVAK. THE PRESENTATION OF THE RECOGNITION CERTIFICATE TO THE SOBERGS ON JOHN STREET WILL BE AT 7:15PM ON JUNE 19, 1997. MARIA ARZA MOTIONED FOR ADJOURNMENT AT 8:43PM. BARB BYRON SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED.