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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 3/12/2002 - Landmark Commission THE CITY OF MCHENRY LANDMARK COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES MARCH 12,2002 THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:15 PM BY CHAIRPERSON GREG LOFGREN AT THE MCHENRY MUNICIPAL CENTER.. MEMBERS PRESENT INCLUDED: JUDY FRANKS, KAREN JAMES, MERLE JANSSEN, DAWN JOHNSON, SUZANNE KOTOMSKI, GREG LOFGREN, PAT SCHAFER, SHELLY TROST, AND LORI WILHELM. MEMBERS ABSENT: GRETCHEN THOMAS AND ILENE WIEDEMANN. GUEST PRESENT: SUE HENDRICKSON, MARYA DIXON, AND DAVE BACKHAUS. CHAIRPERSON LOFGREN INTRODUCED DAVE BACKHAUS. THE COMMISSION INFORMED MR. BACKHAUS THAT MEMBERS HAD VOTED TO SEEK SALVAGEABLE ITEMS FROM THE RESIDENCE ON THE BACKHAUS PROPERTY RATHER THAN TRY TO FIND AN INTERESTED PARTY TO MOVE THE STRUCTURE. SHELLY TROST REPORTED ON INFORMATION SHE HAD GATHERED FROM SALVAGERS. ONE STATED THAT THEY WOULD TAKE IT AWAY AND RESELL THE ITEMS AND THE COMMISSION MAY HAVE TO PAY THE SALVAGER. ANOTHER REPORTED THAT HE MAY GIVE SOME ITEMS TO THE COMMISSION OR SELL THEM BACK TO THE COMMISSION. SHELLY MENTIONED THAT THE COMMISSION MEMBERS COULD POSSIBLY SALVAGE THE ITEMS THEMSELVES AND SELL THE ITEMS TO CRAFTERS. SHELLY DID MENTION THAT BRICK MATERIAL SHOULD BE RECYCLED FOR AGGREGATE. DAVE REPORTED ON TIMELINES FOR THE RENTERS TO BE OUT OF THE BUILDING. SHELLY ASKED ABOUT THE STONE FOUNDATION UNDER THE FRONT PART OF THE STRUCTURE. GREG MENTIONED THAT HE HAS THE NAMES OF TWO ARCHEOLOGISTS WHO WOULD POSSIBLY LOOK AT THIS FOUNDATION TO DETERMINE AGE. THE COMMISSION'S INTEREST IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT GEORGE GAGE HAD OWNED AND LIVED ON THIS PROPERTY. THE COMMISSION INFORMED MR. BACKHAUS THAT THE CITY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR INSURANCE. MR. BACKHAUS INFORMED THE COMMISSION HE WOULD RATHER NOT HAVE THE PUBLIC ON THE PROPERTY. HE ALSO STATED THAT AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE HOUSE IS OKAY AFTER THE HOUSE COMES DOWN. THE COMMISSION THANKED MR. BACKHAUS FOR COMING,AND HE LEFT AT 7:30 PM. SHELLY PASSED OUT THE MAYOR DALEY ARTICLE FROM THE PRESERVATION MAGAZINE AND MENTIONED THE PROPOSED LANDMARK STATUS FOR THE MICHIGAN AVE. STREETWALL AND THE PICKETING GOING ON THERE. DEVELOPERS AND SOME ARCHITECTS ARE NOT SUPPORTIVE OF LANDMARK STATUS. GREG STATED THAT HE HAD CALLED LPCI AND THE CHICAGO CITY COUNCIL HAD VOTED ON WEDNESDAY OF LAST WEEK TO GRANT THE AREA LANDMARK STATUS. GREG PASSED OUT THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 5 AND FEBRUARY 17 MEETINGS. JUDY FRANKS MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY 5,2002 MEETING. SUE KOTOMSKI SECONDED THE MOTION. DAWN JOHNSON MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY 17 , 2002 MEETING. LORI WILHELM SECONDED THE MOTION. THERE WERE SEVERAL CHANGES TO BE MADE IN BOTH SETS OF MINUTES. GREG NOTED THE CHANGES AND STATED HE WOULD HAVE NEW COPIES WITH CHANGES FOR THE APRIL MEETING. BOTH MOTIONS PASSED. GREG LOFGREN REPORTED THE EXPENSES OF $1,364.90 FOR THE DIGITAL CAMERA FROM WOLF CAMERA IN MCHENRY AND $50.00 FOR DUES TO LPCI. . THE BALANCE IN THE GENERAL FUND STANDS AT$1,014.30. THE FACADE GRANT BUDGET STANDS AT $12,800.00. DAWN JOHNSON ASKED ABOUT THE BLANK VIDEO TAPES,AND GREG REPORTED THESE WERE FOR COPIES OF THE SURVEY PROCEDURE. LORI WILHELM MOVED TO ACCEPT THE BUDGET REPORT, DAWN JOHNSON SECONDED THE MOTION, AND THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. DAWN JOHNSON MOVED THAT THE COMMISSION PAY PAT SCHAFER$9.20 FOR COPIES FROM MINUTEMAN PRESS. SHELLY TROST SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED. THE COMMISSION CONSIDERED THE MATTER OF SALVAGEABLE ITEMS FROM THE BACKHAUS STRUCTURE. MEMBERS LIKED THE IDEA OF SALVAGING THE ITEMS THEMSELVES AND TRYING TO SELL THEM TO CRAFTERS AT FIESTA DAYS. SHELLY MENTIONED THAT PUBLICITY ABOUT WHERE THE ITEMS CAME FROM SHOULD BE AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE SALE. GREG STATED THE CITY SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE COMMISSION MAKING A PROFIT ON THE ITEMS SALVAGED, STORING THE ITEMS, AND PROVIDING INSURANCE FOR COMMISSION MEMBERS. HE STATED THAT THERE WOULD PROBABLY BE A PROBLEM WITH INSURING THE PUBLIC ON THE PROPERTY AS STAFF MENTIONED CONCERNS WHEN THE COMMISSION WAS THINKING ABOUT THE MAIN STREET GARAGE SALVAGE. SEVERAL ITEMS WERE MENTIONED FOR SALVAGE. GREG MENTIONED THAT THE COMMISSION CAN'T OVERSTORE. THE COMMISSION WILL GET DATES FOR VIEWING AND MARKING WANTED ITEMS. THE IDEA BEING THE COMMISSION BE SELECTIVE WITH PICKING ITEMS OF INTEREST TO CRAFTERS. THE COMMISSION WILL THEN PICK A DATE TO GO TO THE STRUCTURE AND REMOVE THE ITEMS FOR STORAGE. IT WAS STATED AGAIN THAT THE CITY NEEDS A POLICY CONCERNING STRUCTURES DONATED TO THE CITY. GREG STATED THAT THE SECOND HOUSE WEST OF VALLEY VIEW SCHOOL HAS BEEN DONATED TO THE CITY BUT AT THIS TIME IS STILL BEING USED BY MEYER MATERIAL. GREG CALLED UPON DAWN JOHNSON TO SPEAK ABOUT THE PACKET CONCERNING THE PROPOSED TIF DISTRICT TO BE PRESENTED TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. THESE PACKETS WERE PUT TOGETHER TO EXPLAIN THE COMMISSION'S POSITION ON TAKING PROPERTIES OUT OF THE PROPOSED HISTORIC DISTRICTS. THE PACKETS CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING: COVER LETTER WITH LORI WILHELM DRAWINGS,THE MOTION, THE COMMISSIONS INTENTION, RESEARCH AND COMMUNICATIONS REGARDING TIF'S COMPATIBILITY WITH ORDINANCE-PROTECTED LANDMARK DISTRICTS,MAPS OF THE PROPOSED TIF AND PROPOSED HISTORIC DISTRICTS. THE COMMISSION THANKED THE MEMBERS WHO WORKED HARD TO PUT THIS TOGETHER. GREG WILL GIVE COPIES TO THE MAYOR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. GREG STATED HE WILL INFORM THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE TO SEND OUT COPIES OF THE PRESERVATION ORDINACE TO THOSE WHO NEED THEM AND GET BINDERS FOR THOSE WHO ARE WITHOUT. GREG WILL ALSO TALK TO THE MAYOR CONCERNING THE APPOINTMENT OF SUE HENDRICKSON. SHE HAS BEEN WAITING FOR A RESPONSE. THE COMMISSION THEN BEGAN THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING STRUCTURES WITH HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE WHICH ARE WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE PROPOSED TIF DISTRICT. THE MAYOR HAD ASKED THE COMMISSION TO LOOK AT THESE PROPERTIES BEFORE APRIL 1, 2002. ALL MEMBERS HAD A MAP AND WENT TO THE AREA TO VIEW THE STRUCTURES. GREG HAD TAKEN PICTURES WITH THE DIGITAL CAMERA.EACH STRUCTURE'S PHOTO WAS SHOWN TO THE MEMBERS. MEMBERS INDICATED WHETHER THEY WERE FOR OR AGAINST SAVING THE STRUCTURE. DAWN WILL MAKE A SPREADSHEET RECORDING THE COMMISSION'S EVALUATION OF EACH STRUCTURE. THE PROCESS WAS QUITE LENGTHY. GREG PASSED OUT A PACKET CONCERNING THE DEMOLITION POLICY WHICH JOE NAPOLITANO, CITY PLANNER, HAD DEVELOPED. THE DEMOLITION PROCESS OUTLINED IN THE PACKET DEALS WITH THE PROCESS FROM APPLICATION TO RETURN BY THE COMMISSION. SEVERAL STEPS, A TIMELINE,AND A SAMPLE FORM WERE IN THE PACKET. THE COMMISSION APPROVED OF THE PACKET. JOE NAPOLITANO CAN NOW TAKE IT TO THE CITY COUNCIL. GREG MENTIONED THE MARCH 20, 2002 MEETING OF THE MCHENRY COUNTY JOINT PRESERVATION GROUPS. THE MEETING IS TO BE HELD AT 7:30 PM IN THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT'S BUILDING SOUTH OF RT. 176 ON BEHAN ROAD. NANCY FIKE IS ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO COME AS THESE MEETINGS ARE HELD TWICE A YEAR TO KEEP PEOPLE INFORMED AS TO WHAT IS GOING ON WITHIN THE COUNTY. DAWN JOHNSON MOVED THAT TWO COMMISSION MEMBERS WORK WITH THE MAYOR ON THE TIF DISTRICT PLANNING. SUZANNE KOTOMSKI SECONDED THE MOTION. THIS GROUP WILL WORK TO ESTABLISH AN ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER OR THEME TO BE USED IN NEW DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT THE PROPOSED TIF DISTRICT. SHELLY TROST AND PAT SCHAFER WILL DO THIS. LORI WILHELM AND DAWN JOHNSON WILL BE ALTERNATES. THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. LORI WILHELM MOVED FOR ADJOURNMENT AT 10:22 PM, SUZANNE KOTOMSKI SECONDED THE MOTION, AND THE MOTION CARRIED.