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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 2/5/2002 - Landmark Commission THE CITY OF MCHENRY LANDMARK COMMISSION MEETING `.- MINUTES FEBRUARY 5, 2002 THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:22 PM BY CHAIRPERSON GREG LOFGREN AT THE MCHENRY MUNICIPAL CENTER.. MEMBERS PRESENT INCLUDED: JUDY FRANKS, KAREN JAMES, MERLE JANSSEN, SUE KOTOMSKI, GREG LOFGREN, PAT SCHAFER, GRETCHEN THOMAS, SHELLY TROST, ILENE WIEDEMANN, AND LORI WILHELM. MEMBERS ABSENT: DAWN JOHNSON. GUEST PRESENT: SUE HENDRICKSON AND MAYOR ALTHOFF. LORI WILHELM MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE JANUARY 8 , 2001 MEETING. JUDY FRANKS SECONDED THE MOTION. NO DISCUSSIONS WERE NOTED, AND THE MOTION CARRIED. GREG LOFGREN REPORTED NO EXPENSES. THE BALANCE IN THE GENERAL FUND STANDS AT $2,429.20. THE FACADE GRANT BUDGET STANDS AT $12,800.00. KAREN JAMES MOVED TO ACCEPT THE BUDGET REPORT, PAT SCHAFER SECONDED THE MOTION, AND THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. MAYOR ALTHOFF DISCUSSED THE UPCOMING NOMINATION OF THE PROPOSED MAIN STREET HISTORIC DISTRICT. SHE STATED THAT SHE THOUGHT THE COUNCIL WAS SUPPORTIVE OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT. SHE INFORMED THE COMMISSION MEMBERS OF THE IDEA TO HAVE A PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE CONCERNING THE NOMINATION OF THE DISTRICT. THE COMMISSION MEMBERS AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS WOULD BE AT THE OPEN HOUSE. ALL PROPERTY OWNERS AND RESIDENTS OF THE PROPOSED DISTRICT WILL BE INFORMED OF THE OPEN HOUSE, PUBLIC HEARING AND DETAILS BY CERTIFIED LETTER. ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS WILL BE INFORMED BY REGULAR MAIL. PUBLICITY FOR THE EVENT WILL BE DONE THROUGH NEWSPAPERS. CITY STAFF WILL HANDLE THE MAILINGS. THE COMMISSION WILL WORK ON PUBLICITY. PHOTOS OF THE AREA WILL BE ON DISPLAY, MAPS OF THE AREA WILL BE SHOWN, INDIVIDUAL SURVEY SHEETS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE TO VIEW AND DISCUSS. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE AREA WILL BE AVAILABLE. LIGHT REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED. THE HOPE WILL BE TO ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO ASK QUESTIONS AND GET ANSWERS TO ALL POSSIBLE SITUATIONS UNDER THE ORDINANCE BEFORE THE PUBLIC HEARING. (THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2002 AT 7:00 PM WAS SET FOR THE OPEN HOUSE, AND MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2002 AT 6:30 PM WAS SET FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING PRIOR TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING. THE MAYOR CONTINUED WITH A DISCUSSION ON THE PROPOSED RIVERWALK AND TIF DISTRICT. THE MAYOR SHOWED THE COMMISSION MEMBERS A MAP OF THE PROPOSED TIF DISTRICT FOR FINANCING THE RIVERWALK. THE MAYOR ASKED THAT THE COMMISSION AMEND THE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE PROPOSED HISTORIC AREAS TO EXCLUDE SEVERAL STRUCTURES AND ALLOW THESE TO FALL SOLELY UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF `.- THE TIF ORDINANCE. THIS PROPOSAL WOULD MEAN THAT THE PREVIOUSLY PROPOSED HISTORIC DISTRICTS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE NOMINATED UNDER THE PRESERVATION ORDINANCE. THE MAYOR ASKED THE COMMISSION MEMBERS TO REVIEW EACH STRUCTURE WITHIN THE PROPOSED TIF DISTRICT FOR HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE. THE MAYOR STATED THAT SHE WOULD DO HER BEST TO PROTECT HISTORIC STRUCTURES. SHE STATED SHE WOULD CHAIN HERSELF TO EAST CAMPUS TO PROTECT IT FROM DEMOLITION. THE MAYOR ALSO STATED THAT IF THE COMMISSION WANTS TO NOMINATE HISTORIC DISTRICTS WITHIN THE PROPOSED TIF DISTRICT THAT IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN. THE MAYOR STATED THAT SHE DOESN'T WANT POTENTIAL DEVELOPERS IN THE PROPOSED TIF DISTRICT TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH HISTORIC PRESERVATION CRITERIA. THE MAYOR RESPONDED TO THE QUESTION ON HOW THE TIF DISTRICT WORKS. SHE EXPLAINED THE PROPOSAL, QUALIFICATIONS, BOUNDARIES, FINANCING, TAXING, AND TIME FRAME. THE TIF DISTRICT PROPOSAL IS TO GO BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL ON APRIL 1, 2002. SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION ASKED QUESTIONS AND GAVE OPINIONS. THE COMMISSION ASKED THE MAYOR ABOUT THE BACKHAUS PROPERTY. SHE STATED THAT THE BUILDINGS WERE TAKEN DOWN WITHOUT A DEMOLITION PERMIT AND THAT THE MAYOR HAD TALKED TO MR. DAVID BACKHAUS ABOUT THE SITUATION. THE MAYOR STATED THAT A TICKET WAS ISSUED AND THE FINE WAS PAID. THE DISCUSSION CONTINUED ON THE RESIDENCE. SEVERAL WERE INTERESTED IN CONTINUING TO PURSUE THE RELOCATION OF THE STRUCTURE. THE MAYOR STATED THAT A POLICY FOR PROPERTIES DONATED TO THE CITY NEEDS TO BE DEVELOPED. THERE NEEDS TO BE A FURTHER POLICY OR PROCEDURE CONCERNING DEMOLITION PERMITS AND THE REVIEW PROCESS SO THAT EVERYONE IS CLEAR ON HOW THE PROCEDURE WORKS. THE MAYOR WILL DIRECT STAFF TO WORK THIS OUT. THE MAYOR ALSO INFORMED THE COMMISSION OF THE EXPANSION OF THE MEYER MATERIAL GRAVEL PIT TO THE NORTH SIDE OF ROUTE 120 AND THE PROPOSED ANNEXATION AGREEMENT. THE COMMISSION INDICATED ITS CONCERN FOR THE AGRICULTURAL STRUCTURES ON THE PARCEL. THESE STRUCTURES SEEMED TO BE IN GOOD SHAPE AND THEIR HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE NEEDS TO BE EVALUATED. GREG WILL WRITE A STATEMENT TO THE MAYOR TO SEE IF THERE IS SOME LANGUAGE THAT CAN BE ADDED TO THE ANNEXATION AGREEMENT TO PROTECT THESE STRUCTURES. THE MAYOR LEFT THE MEETING. THE COMMISSION TOOK UP THE ISSUE OF THE BACKHAUS STRUCTURE. GRETCHEN THOMAS MOVED THAT THE COMMISSION ATTEMPT TO FIND A BUYER, WITH A BONAFIDE OFFER, FOR THE RESIDENCE ON THE BACHAUS PROPERTY BY MARCH 1, 2002. LORI WILHELM SECONDED THE MOTION. DISCUSSION CONCERNED PUBLICITY FOR INTERESTED PARTIES, CITY AND COMMISSION RESPONSIBILITIES, THE FACT THAT CERTAIN PARTS OF THE STRUCTURE WOULD BE UNMOVABLE WITH THE MAIN STRUCTURE, \-- ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE FRONT CELLAR, IF NO INTEREST THE POSSIBILITY OF SALVAGE, AND STORING SALVAGED ITEMS. LORI WILHELM WILL BE LISTED IN THE PUBLICITY AS THE CONTACT PERSON. THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. THE COMMISSION MEMBERS CONTINUED THE DISCUSSION OF THE PROPOSED TIF DISTRICT. MEMBERS WERE QUITE CONFUSED AND UNHAPPY. QUESTIONS CONCERNED HOW THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT BEING INFORMED, WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS, THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION'S HISTORIC DISTRICTS. NEW MULTI-FAMILY STRUCTURES REPLACING HISTORIC STRUCTURES WITHIN THE PROPOSED TIF DISTRICT , AND THE IMPETUS FOR TEARDOWNS AND REPLACEMENT WITH NEW MULTI-FAMILY STRUCTURES IN AREAS ADJACENT TO THE PROPOSED TIF DISTRICT. GREG, SHELLY, AND LORI REPORTED ON THE GATHERING AT THE OLD CITY HALL. NED NEUMAN, OWNER OF THE BUILDING, EXPLAINED HIS PROPOSAL, WHICH WOULD ALSO INCLUDE MCHENRY ELEMENTARY DISTRICT 15, FOR GRANTING AN EASEMENT TO THE CITY FOR THE RIVERWALK. MR. NEIUMAN WOULD GIVE UP LAND BEHIND LANDMARK SCHOOL IN EXCHANGE FOR SOME LAND BETWEEN LANDMARK AND THE OLD CITY HALL. THIS WOULD ALLOW AN ENTRANCE FROM THE MAIN STREET HISTORIC DISTRICT TO THE RIVERWALK. A TERRACED AREA WITH RAMPS WOULD HOPEFULLY BE BUILT BEHIND THE SCHOOL TO ALLOW HANDICAP ACCESS TO THE RIVERWALK. A DECORATIVE GATE WAS SHOWN WHICH WOULD INDICATE THE ENTRANCE TO THE RIVERWALK AND THE MAIN STREET HISTORIC DISTRICT. SEVERAL OTHER CONCEPTS WERE SHOWN THROUGH DRAWINGS. MR. NEUMAN MENTIONED HIS INTENTIONS TO TEARDOWN THE OLD CITY HALL AND REPLACE IT WITH A NEW RETAIL/MULTI-FAMILY STRUCTURE. GREG ASKED THE COMMISSION FOR A MOTION TO PAY DUES TO IHAPC/LPCI. PAT SCHAFER MOVED THAT DUES BE PAID TO IHAPC/IPCI. SHELLY TROST SECONDED THE MOTION. GREG INDICATED THAT HE IS CHECKING WITH THE CITY FOR ALL DUES AND PREVIOUS PAYMENTS. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. THE COMMISSION SET FEBRUARY 12, 2002 AT 3:00 PM FOR MEMBERS TO MEET AT VETERANS PARK TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING STRUCTURES WITHIN THE PROPOSED TIF DISTRICT THAT SHOULD BE SAVED DUE TO HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE. GREG WILL GET THE NEWSLETTER ARTICLE TO THE CITY WHEN ALL THE DATES FOR THE OPEN HOUSE AND PUBLIC HEARING CONCERNING THE MAIN STREET NOMINATION ARE FINALIZED. MERLE JANSSEN MOVED FOR ADJOURNMENT AT 9:53 PM, GRETCHEN THOMAS SECONDED THE MOTION, AND THE MOTION CARRIED.