HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 5/5/1998 - Landmark Commission THE CITY OF MCHENRY LANDMARK COMMISSION MEETING
MINUTES MAY 5, 1998
THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:19 PM BY CHAIRPERSON NANCY FIKE.
MEMBERS PRESENT INCLUDED: MARIA ARZA, BARB BYRON, NANCY FIKE, GREG
LOFGREN, HANK NELL, BOB NOVAK, CAROL JEAN SMITH, ANN WEST, LORI WILHELM,
AND SARA WILHELM. PAM ALTHOFF AND JOE NAPOLITANO WERE PRESENT AS
GUESTS.
THE APRIL 7, 1998 MINUTES WERE READ. A MOTION WAS MADE BY HANK NELL TO
ACCEPT THE MINUTES. MARIA ARZA SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED.
GREG LOFGREN REPORTED THE BALANCE IN THE LANDMARK COMMISSION BUDGET IS
$18,114.97. NO TRANSACTIONS WERE REPORTED. THERE WILL BE SOME BILLS COMING
DUE LATER IN MAY. MARIA ARZA MOVED THE TREASURER'S REPORT BE ACCEPTED.
BARB BYRON SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED.
NANCY FIKE INTRODUCED THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE DISCUSSION.
SEVERAL CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE BY THE CITY STAFF. JOE NAPOLITANO,
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, MENTIONED THAT THE ORDINANCE WAS
BASICALLY CLEANED UP IN THE AREA OF LANGUAGE, AND CONSISTENCY WAS
INCORPORATED THROUGHOUT THE DOCUMENT. THE INTENT OF THE LANGUAGE WAS
NOT CHANGED. THERE WAS MUCH DISCUSSION OF SEVERAL SECTIONS. JOE
NAPOLITANO WILL CHECK ON THE LEGALITY OF THE VOTING RIGHTS FOR THE
STUDENT MEMBER. THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE THE IDEA OF A CERTAIN AMOUNT
OF ABSENCES FOR REMOVAL TO BE INCLUDED IN THE ORDINANCE. JOE NAPOLITANO
WILL CHECK ON THE FEE STRUCTURE FOR NOMINATION. JOE WILL MAKE CHANGES
AND GET THE ORDINANCE TO THE ATTORNEY AND THE COUNCIL. JOE WILL WORK
WITH NANCY ON CHANGES BEFORE THE COUNCIL MEETING.
NANCY FIKE CONTINUED WITH OLD BUSINESS CONCERNING THE PETERSEN PROPERTY.
GREG LOFGREN MOVED THE COMMISSION VOTE ON THE ENTIRE FARMSTEAD,
BUILDING AND GROUNDS, AS A SINGLE SITE. MARIA ARZA SECONDED THE MOTION.
THE MOTION CARRIED. DISCUSSION CONCERNED THE AGE SECTION OF THE PLAQUE
SCORESHEET. THE COMMISSION DECIDED TO AWARD 16 POINTS ON EACH MEMBER'S
SHEET FOR THIS SECTION. THE PROPERTY WAS APPROVED WITH AN 85.5%AVERAGE.
CAROL JEAN SMITH WILL WRITE A LETTER INFORMING THE CITY OF THE FAVORABLE
VOTE.
UNDER NEW BUSINESS, PAM ALTHOFF INFORMED THE COMMISSION THAT NO NEW
MONEY WAS AWARDED TO THE COMMISSION FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR. THE CITY'S
FISCAL YEAR RUNS FROM MAY 1 TO APRIL 30. SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE EXPRESSED
INTEREST IN THE FACADE IMPROVEMENT GRANTS. THE CITY IS ENCOURAGING THIS.
THE COMMISSION EXPRESSED CONCERN WITH COMPLETION OF WORK ON BUILDING-5
WHICH HAVE RECEIVED GRANTS. PAM ALTHOFF ALSO BROUGHT UP THE
ORGANIZATION OF THE COMMISSION'S FILES. THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS IN
PROGRESS. PHIL MAGGIO SUGGESTED THAT ONE HISTORIC SITE BE INCLUDED IN THE
PLAN. BILL BOLGER HAS SUGGESTED A CITY OF MCHENRY DOCUMENT FOR THE NEW
MILLENNIUM. THE COMMISSION COULD BE A PART OF THIS PROCESS. THE CITY CAN
GET VOLUNTEERS TO DO SOME SPECIAL PROJECTS, BUT THESE PEOPLE DO NOT WANT
TO BE INVOLVED ON A MONTHLY BASIS. PAM ALTHOFF AND FRANK MCCLATCHEY ARE
WORKING ON A CITY WEB PAGE. MARIA ARZA WILL WORK WITH PAM ON AN HISTORIC
WEB PAGE. THE CITY HAS A DIGITAL CAMERA WHICH IS AVAILABLE FOR USE. THIS
WILL ALLOW INFORMATION TO BE STORED ON A COMPUTER AND PRINTED OUT LATER.
GREG LOFGREN WILL BE COMING IN TO HELP ORGANIZE THE COMMISSIONS FILES.
NANCY FIKE PASSED AROUND SEVERAL ITEMS FOR INSPECTION.
BOB NOVAK INFORMED THE COMMISSION THAT MCHENRY DRUG FACADE WORK HAS
BEEN COMPLETED. JIM BECKER IS TO BE REMINDED ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHS AND THE
COMMISSION'S INSPECTION. THE DELI AT THE CORNER OF RIVERSIDE AND PEARL HAS
SOME RESTORATION STARTED. DISCUSSION CONTINUED ON OTHER AREAS OF
RIVERSIDE DRIVE.
DISCUSSION MOVED TO THE PROGRESS ON THE LANDMARK PHOTO DISPLAY. HANK
NELL HAS THE FRAMEWORK FOR THE DISPLAY BUILT AND IS WAITING FOR THE
MATERIAL TO COVER IT. THE INFORMATION IS BEING TYPED AND WILL BE GIVEN TO
THE CITY FOR FINAL LETTERING. THE TARGET DATE FOR COMPLETION IS MAY 18th.
GREG LOFGREN INFORMED THE COMMISSION THAT THE INFORMATION FOR THE
WALKING TOURS HAS BEEN TURNED INTO THE CHAMBER FOR INCLUSION IN THE
FIESTA WEEK BOOKLET. NANCY FIKE WILL LEAD THE SATURDAY AND WEDNESDAY
RIVERSIDE DRIVE TOURS, GREG LOFGREN WILL LEAD THE SATURDAY MAIN STREET
TOUR, AND BARB BYRON WILL LEAD THE WEDNESDAY EVENING MAIN STREET TOUR.
THERE MAY BE DETAILED HISTORIC TAX RECORDS OF THE AREAS AVAILABLE FOR THE
COMMISSION BEFORE THE TOURS.
AN INVITATION FROM THE WOODSTOCK COMMISSION WILL BE FORTHCOMING. THE
PROGRAM WILL BE ON MASONRY AND TUCKPOINTING. COUNTY PRESERVATION
AWARDS WILL BE PRESENTED ON MAY 31st AT 2:00 PM AT THE DOLE MANSION IN
CRYSTAL LAKE.
AT THE JUNE MEETING THE COMMISSION WILL DISCUSS OFFICERS. THE COMMISSION
WILL START TO MEET IN SOME OF THE HISTORIC STRUCTURES OF THE CITY. IF A
MEMBER PICKS A BUILDING THEY SHOULD RESEARCH THE HISTORY OF THE BUILDING
FOR PRESENTATION AT THE MEETING.
CAROL JEAN SMITH INTRODUCED DISCUSSION ON THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION
ESPECIALLY IN THE AREA OF DEMOLITIONS AND ALTERATIONS OF STRUCTURES.
DISCUSSION CONCERNED THE POSSIBILITY OF BRINGING ALTERED BUILDINGS BACK TO
THEIR ORIGINAL ARCHITECTURAL STYLE. THERE IS NOT MUCH POWER TO ENFORCE
CHANGE WITHOUT AN ORDINANCE. THERE SHOULD BE SOME STEPS BEING TAKEN TO
PROMOTE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC ON WAYS TO RESTORE STRUCTURES, AND WHAT
FINANCIAL HELP IS OUT THERE.
LORI WILHELM MOVED FOR ADJOURNMENT AT 8:34 PM. BARB BYRON SECONDED THE
MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED.