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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 3/1/2001 - Landmark Commission THE CITY OF MCHENRY LANDMARK COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES MARCH, 2001 THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:19 PM BY CHAIRPERSON GREG LOFGREN AT THE MUNICIPAL CENTER. MEMBERS PRESENT INCLUDED: JUDY FRANKS,MERLE JANSSEN, DAWN JOHNSON, GREG LOFGREN,HANK NELL, PAT SCHAFER,GRETCHEN THOMAS, AND SHELLY TROST. MEMBERS ABSENT: ILENE WIEDEMANN AND LORI WILHELM. GUEST PRESENT WERE FRANK MCCLATCHEY,JANICE JONES, RICH WIMMER, TOM QUAMME, AND JOE NAPOLITANO. HANK NELL MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE JANUARY 9,2001 MEETING. DAWN JOHNSON SECONDED THE MOTION. CORRECTIONS NEED TO BE MADE ON PAGE 3 IN THE SECOND PARAGRAPH UNDER"EDUCATIONAL TAPES" "COUNTY PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION" SHOULD READ "MCHENRY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY HISTORIC SITES COMMITTEE." ON PAGE FOUR, IN THE LAST PARAGRAPH, THE LAST LINE NEEDS TO HAVE THE WORD "SANDBLASTING" REMOVED.NO FURTHER DISCUSSION OR CORRECTIONS WERE NOTED,AND THE MOTION CARRIED. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE COMMISSION'S BUDGET REPORTS WILL NOW BE SHOWN AS TWO SEPARATE REPORTS FOR EASIER ACCOUNTING PURPOSES. THE FACADE GRANT MONIES STAND AT A BALANCE OF $9,300.00 AND THE GENERAL BUDGET STANDS AT $6,847.81. NO EXPENSES WERE NOTED. GRETCHEN THOMAS MOVED THAT THE TREASURER'S REPORT BE ACCEPTED. SHELLY TROST SECONDED THE MOTION. THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION, AND THE MOTIONED CARRIED. GREG LOFGREN MOVED TO THE CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS UNDER THE NEW BUSINESS SECTION OF THE AGENDA. HE INTRODUCED THE TWO CANDIDATES FOR CITY CLERK: FRANK MCCLATCHEY AND JANICE JONES AND TWO OF THE THREE CANDIDATES FOR RUNNING FOR THE COUNCIL FROM WARD 5:RICH WIMMER AND TOM QUAMME. THE THIRD CANDIDATE JAMES DORAN WAS NOT PRESENT. THE COMMISSION PRESENTED QUESTIONS TO THE CANDIDATES FOR CONSIDERATION AND COMMENT. DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT,JOE NAPOLITANO,WAS INTRODUCED. THE DIRECTOR'S FIRST PRESENTATION CONCERNED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ROOF ON THE MAIN STREET DEPOT. HE STATED THAT COST OF A SLATE ROOF( SLATE ROOF WAS THE COMMISSION'S FIRST CHOICE)WAS PROHIBITIVE AT$120,000.00. HE REVIEWED SEVERAL ALTERNATIVES AND SHOWED BROCHURES OF POSSIBLE CHOICES. DISCUSSION AND QUESTIONS FOLLOWED. DIRECTOR NAPOLITANO NOTED THE COMMISSION HAD ALREADY ACCEPTED,VIA PHONE VOTE,THE OTHER PROPOSED REPAIRS AND RESTORATIONS. THE COMMISSION DID ASK IF THE INTERIOR HEATING AND A/C SYSTEM COULD BE INSTALLED SO THAT IT WAS NOT EXPOSED AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY EXPLAINED. DIRECTOR NAPOLITANO ALSO BROUGHT A DEMOLITION NOTICE BEFORE THE COMMISSION. THE PROPOSED DEMOLITION IS FOR THE CONCRETE BLOCK STRUCTURE AT 3909 W. JOHN STREET. IT IS PART OF THE ALEXANDER LUMBER COMPLEX AND LOCATED IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE LUMBERYARD. DISCUSSION FOLLOWED. DIRECTOR NAPOLITANO BRIEFLY INFORMED THE COMMISSION ABOUT THE POSSIBLE ADDITION TO THE OWEN'S HOUSE AT THE CORNER OF GREEN AND JOHN STREETS. THE ADDITION WOULD BE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE STRUCTURE AND THE OWNERS ARE LOOKING FOR DIRECTION FROM THE COMMISSION. THIS HOUSE HAS BEEN DISCUSSED AT PAST MEETINGS WITH A POSSIBLE SUGGESTION FROM HANK NELL THAT THE HOUSE BE MOVED TO A CITY OWNED PARCEL TO BE PRESERVED. MUCH DISCUSSION FOLLOWED. SHELLY TROST RECOMMENDED THAT ANY ADDITION BE DISTINCTLY RECOGNIZABLE AS AN ADDITION WITH THE USE OF SET BACKS, ROOFLINES,OR OTHER DISTINGUISHING FEATURES. JOE WILL CONTACT THE OWNERS. HANK NELL MOVED THAT THE ROOF OF THE MCHENRY TRAIN STATION BE REPLACED USING THE 40 YEAR PRESIDENTIAL SHINGLE AS SEEN IN THE CATALOG. THE MOTION WAS SECONDED BY MERLE JANSSEN. THE MOTION CARRIED 7 YEA TO I NAY. DAWN JOHNSON MOVED THAT THE COMMISSION NOT DENY THE DEMOLITION OF THE CONCRETE STRUCTURE LOCATED AT 3909 JOHN STREET(LOCATED IN THE YARD AREA OF ALEXANDER LUMBER). GRETCHEN THOMAS SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. CONTINUING WITH THE AGENDA CHAIRPERSON LOFGREN BROUGHT UP A RUMOR THAT HE HEARD CONCERNING THE DEMISE OF THE PROPOSED RIVERWALK. MERLE JANSSEN INFORMED THE COMMISSION THAT HE HAD HEARD NOTHING TO THAT END, AND THAT HE HAD ATTENDED A MEETING AT BIMBO'S AND THAT MEMBERS OF THE RIVERWALK COMMITTEE WERE SEEKING FUNDING. GREG MENTIONED THAT MEMBERS WERE INVITED TO ATTEND A MEETING OF THE MCHENRY COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION CONCERNING THE COUNTY LONG RANGE PLANNING PROCESS. MEETINGS ARE TO BE HELD IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS AROUND THE COUNTY. SUE LOW, CANDIDATE FOR ALDERMAN, SENT A THANK YOU LETTER TO THE COMMISSION FOR HER CHANCE TO APPEAR BEFORE THE COMMISSION. THE MCHENRY CITY CLERK'S OFFICE WILL BE SENDING COMMISSION MEMBER'S NAMES TO THE COUNTY TO UPDATE LISTS OF MEMBERS FROM COMMISSIONS AROUND THE COUNTY. CHAIRPERSON LOFGREN REVIEWED THE BUSS DEMOLITION AND THE PROPOSED WALGREENS PLAN. THE COMMISSION'S MAJOR OBJECTION TO THE PLAN IS THE DEMOLITION OF THE FACADE ON MAIN STREET AND THE REAR LOADING AREA OF THE WALGREENS FACING MAIN STREET. CHAIRPERSON LOFGREN HAD APPEARED BEFORE THE ZBA AND THE CITY COUNCIL TO EXPRESS THE COMMISSIONS CONCERNS. HOWEVER, THE COMMISSION NEVER RESPONDED FORMALLY TO THE DEMOLITION REQUEST. GRETCHEN THOMAS MOVED TO DENY THE DEMOLITION PERMIT FOR THE `-- BUSS FORD BUILDINGS WITH THE COMMON ADDRESS OF 1109 W. FRONT STREET AND • 3925 W. RTE. 120(ONE OF THE BUILDINGS FACES MAIN STREET). THE MOTION WAS SECONDED BY DAWN JOHNSON. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. A HISTORY OF THE BUILDING WILL BE ATTACHED. THE WALGREENS'DISCUSSION THEN CONTINUED CONCERNING THE POSSIBLE ERECTION OF A REPLICA OF THE MAIN STREET SPRING HOUSE IN THE PROPOSED POCKET PARK. THIS IDEA HAD BEEN BROUGHT UP TO THE WALGREENS'DEVELOPERS, BUT FOLLOW THROUGH WAS INCOMPLETE. DISCUSSION FOLLOWED. HANK NELL MOVED THAT THE CITY OF MCHENRY ASK WALGREENS TO DONATE$10,000 FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A REPLICA OF THE MAIN STREET SPRING HOUSE TO BE LOCATED IN THE PROPOSED MAIN STREET POCKET PARK AT THE REAR OF THE STORE. THE MOTION WAS SECONDED BY SHELLY TROST. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. THE CITY INSURANCE IS IN PLACE FOR COMMISSION MEMBERS AND CITY EMPLOYEES FOR THE KLONTZ GARAGE DEMOLITION. THE PUBLIC WILL NEED TO SIGN WAIVERS, THE COMMISSION WILL DISCUSS THIS WITH THE CITY STAFF. SHELLY TROST IS FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROCESS. THE ROOF HAS BEEN COMPLETED ON THE PETERSEN HOME ON MCCULLOM LAKE ROAD. CHAIRPERSON LOFGREN WILL PREPARE A ROUGH DRAFT OF THE PRESENTATION FOR THE MAIN STREET HISTORIC DISTRICT NOMINATION. THE COMMISSION WILL EMPHASIZE THE HISTORIC NATURE OF THE AREA, THE VARIETY OF ARCHITECTURAL STYLES,THE NEED FOR THE DESIGNATION,AND THE NEED FOR STAFF HELP. THIS WILL BE THE CONTINUING PROCESS AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL. COMMISSION COMMENTS WILL BE WELCOME. HANK NELL AND SHELLY TROST PASSED OUT MAPS FROM THE MCHENRY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. THESE MAPS HIGHLIGHT THE PRESERVED ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY IN MCHENRY COUNTY. DAWN JOHNSON MOVED FOR ADJOURNMENT AT 9:05PM, MERLE JANSSEN SECONDED THE MOTION,AND THE MOTION CARRIED.