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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 11/4/1997 - Landmark Commission THE CITY OF MCHENRY LANDMARK COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES NOVEMBER 4, 1997 THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:25 PM. BY CHAIRMAN NANCY FIKE. MEMBERS PRESENT INCLUDED: MARIA ARZA, NANCY FIKE, GREG LOFGREN, CAROL JEAN SMITH, AND LORI WILHELM. THOSE ABSENT WERE BARB BYRON, DONNABELLE GLOSSON, HANK NELL,BOB NOVAK, AND CHRIS NOVAK. LORI WILHELM MOVED THAT THE MINUTES FOR THE OCTOBER MEETING BE ACCEPTED. MARIA ARZA SECONDED. ALL APPROVED. THERE WERE NO TRANSACTIONS IN THE ACCOUNT. THE COMMISSION HAS $18,892.44 IN THE ACCOUNT. MARIA ARZA MOVED THAT THE TREASURER'S REPORT BE ACCEPTED, CAROL JEAN SMITH SECONDED, ALL APPROVED. CAROL JEAN SMITH MOVED THAT THE COMMISSION SET A DEADLINE OF NOV. 21 FOR NOTICEABLE WORK, WHICH SHOULD INCLUDE, PERMIT APPROVAL, SIGN REMOVAL, AND MASONRY WASHING, TO BE STARTED AT 1310 N. RIVERSIDE DRIVE OR THE GRANT MONEY WILL BE REVOKED BY THE COMMISSION. MARIA ARZA SECONDED THE MOTION. IT WAS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY. THE CITY DID APPROVE THE GRANGER PLAQUE. CAROL JEAN SMITH INVESTIGATED WHAT THE FORMER PLAQUES LOOKED LIKE. SHE ALSO SPOKE WITH THE SIGN MAKER WHO WILL BE LOOKING UP RECORDS OF THE SIGNS THAT WERE MADE BEFORE. THE COMMISSION WILL SELECT THE WORDING FOR THE SIGNS. CAROL JEAN SMITH SENT OUT SEVERAL LETTERS OF COMMENDATION ON PROPERTY IMPROVEMENTS. NANCY FIKE INTRODUCED THE TOPIC OF THE SLIDE SHOW. LORI WILHELM WILL CONTACT PEOPLE TO GET THE SLIDES FINISHED. NANCY FIKE INFORMED THE COMMITTEE THAT COPIES OF THE ANNUAL REPORT WERE SENT TO THE CITY COUNCIL. NANCY FIKE INFORMED THE COMMISSION OF THE ALGONQUIN COMMISSION'S RECOGNITION PLAQUES. THE PEOPLE DID THE RESEARCH AND THE PLAQUES ARE ALL UNIFORM. THE COMMISSION SHOULD CONTINUE TO LOOK AROUND TOWN FOR BUILDINGS AND HOMES WHICH ARE BEING IMPROVED. POSSIBLY WE SHOULD KEEP TRACK OF THESE STRUCTURES AND HONOR THEM AT A CITY COUNCIL MEETING DURING PRESERVATION WEEK. NANCY FIKE WILL TRY TO WRITE A POLICY ON COLLECTION OF ARTIFACTS. NANCY FIKE INFORMED THE COMMISSION MEMBERS OF HER MEETING WITH JOHN LOBAITO. THE COMMISSION'S LETTERS ON DEMOLITION ARE BEING SENT TO THE ALDERMEN. MR. LOBAITO STATED THAT THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ZBA PROBABLY DOESN'T KNOW HE IS ACTING THE WAY HE DOES. THEY TALKED ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THEY TALKED ABOUT DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION. NANCY EMPHASIZED THAT IF MORE POPULATION IS WANTED NEAR DOWNTOWN AREAS THERE NEEDS TO BE PROTECTION OF STRUCTURES--THE LAND USE PLAN. POSSIBLY MAPS AND A TOWN HISTORY SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. MR. LOBAITO DID MENTION THAT THEY WANT TO KEEP THE PROCESS MOVING ON THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE. THE COMMISSION NEEDS TO GET THE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE DOWN TO 3 PARTS THAT THE ORDINANCE WILL DO FOR THE CITY OF MCHENRY. THE ZBA SHOULD HAVE BEEN ASKING THE COMMISSION THE PHILOSOPHY AND THE OVERALL INTENT OF THE ORDINANCE, AND WHAT CAN WE GET PASSED TO ACHIEVE WHAT THE COMMISSION WANTS IN REGARDS TO PROTECTION, ETC. THE COMMISSION MEMBERS ALSO VOICED SEVERAL CONCERNS OF THE COMMISSION ON THE TREATMENT OF THE COMMISSION AT THE ZBA HEARING. WE COMMISSION MEMBERS NEED TO COMMIT OURSELVES TO TALKING TO ALDERMEN BEFORE WE GO TO THE BUILDING AND ZONING COMMISSION,AND SECONDLY, WE NEED TO FORMULATE A STATEMENT OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION PURPOSE FOR THE PROPOSED NEW UPDATE ON THE LAND USE PLAN. MR. LOBAITO SAID THERE IS NO WRITTEN PROCEDURE TO FOLLOW IN PROPOSING AN ORDINANCE TO THE CITY COUNCIL. HE SAID ORDINANCES USUALLY COME FROM THE CITY COUNCIL AND THEN STAFF IS DIRECTED TO FOLLOW THROUGH. THE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE WAS THE FIRST. MR. LOBAITO STATED THE COMMISSION WAS NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE CITY ATTORNEY DUE TO THE FACT CONSULTATION COSTS MONEY. OTHER GOVERNMENT GROUPS DO NOT TURN IN ANNUAL REPORTS. NANCY FIKE ASKED THE COMMISSION TO TURN THEIR ATTENTION TO THE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE. WHAT CAN WE DO WITH A PRESERVATION ORDINANCE?. MCHENRY WAS THE FIRST COUNTY SEAT. THERE NEEDS TO BE PROTECTION FOR THE FIRST COUNTY COURTHOUSE I.E.. THE TOWN CLUB. MARIA ARZA WILL TAKE THE OCT. 31, 1995 LETTER WHICH HAS BEEN SENT TO THE CITY AND REWORK IT TO FIT INTO MR. LOBAITO'S SUGGESTIONS. NANCY FIKE WILL PROVIDE AN HISTORIC OVERVIEW. HISTORIC PRESERVATION IS RECOGNIZED AS A LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT PURPOSE WILL ALSO BE INCLUDED. THIS DOCUMENT SHOULD THEN DEFINE OUR REASONS FOR AN HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE AND WHAT THE ORDINANCE CAN DO TO PRESERVE MCHENRY'S UNIQUENESS. THERE ARE STILL COMPROMISES THE COMMISSION CAN MAKE WITHIN THE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE. THE COMMISSION NEEDS TO WORK ON DEFINITIONS AND A PROPOSAL FOR "NOMINATION VS. DESIGNATION" IN THE PRESENT ORDINANCE. ALL MEMBERS SHOULD WRITE DOWN SOME IDEAS TO BE INCLUDED IN A LAND USE PLAN. A LAND USE PLAN IS THE OUTER SHELL THAT THE ZONING ORDINANCE THEN MAKES SPECIFIC, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. AT THE NEXT MEETING THE COMMISSION WILL DISCUSS THESE IDEAS. THE CITY OF MCHENRY RECOGNIZES THAT ITS FUNCTION IS MANY FOLD: STREETS, HEALTH, SAFETY, ETC. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT A STATEMENT MAY LOOK LIKE. THE ORDINANCE WILL ATTEMPT TO IDENTIFY AND DEFINE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT. NANCY WILL TRY TO GET COPIES OF THE COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO US. THE DEMOLITION REQUEST FOR THE PROPERTY AT 231 N. FRONT STREET WAS DISCUSSED. CAROL JEAN SMITH MOVED THAT BASED ON HISTORICAL RESEARCH, THERE IS NOT ENOUGH HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE TO WARRANT DENIAL OF A DEMOLITION PERMIT. MARIA SECONDED THE MOTION. ALL `-- APPROVED. NANCY FIKE WILL LOOK AT APPLICATIONS FOR POSSIBLE NEW MEMBERS TO BRING TO THE COMMISSION TO FULL MEMBERSHIP. THERE IS A GOOD POSSIBILITY A STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE WILL BE JOINING THE COMMISSION. CAROL JEAN MOVED THAT THE MEETING BE ADJOURNED. MARIA SECONDED AND ALL APPROVED FOR ADJOURNMENT AT 8:45 PM.