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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-21-02 City of Farmington 325 Oak Street Farmington, MN 55024 A Proud Past - A Promising Future Committed to Providing High Quality, Timely and Responsive Service to All Of Our Customers AGENDA ANNUAL HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETING February 21, 2002 7:00 P.M. CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1. Call to Order 2. Approval of Agenda 3. Approval of Minutes of January 10, 2002, Meeting 4. Public Hearings - none 5. Reports - none 6. Project Update - none 7. Unfinished Business - none 8. New Business a. St. Michael's Property, 420 Spruce Street b. Parkwood Presbyterian Church, 104 Elm Street c. April HPC Meeting Date 9. Miscellaneous 10. Adjourn MINUTES HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION JANUARY 10, 2002 1. Call to order - Chairperson Susan Strachan called meeting to order at 7:00pm Present: Susan Strachan, George Flynn, Beverly Preece Absent: Tim Rice, Harbee Tharaldson Also Present: Consultant Vogel, Marlys Guildner, Austa Harmer, Administrative Services Manager Finstuen 2. Approval of Agenda - as presented. 3. Approval of Minutes - MOTION by Flynn, second by Preece to approve the minutes of December 6,2001. APIF, MOTION CARRIED. 4. Public Hearings - None 5. Reports - None 6. Project Updates - None 7. Unfinished Business a. Historic Cemetery Preservation - Marlys Guildner and Austa Harmer were present and reviewed with the Commission information they have gathered regarding the historic cemetery adjacent to the Middle Creek Estates plat. Both agreed to continue researching the habitants and to bring the information back to the HPC. Ms Guildner and her son, Gary, are familiar with the process of using dowsing rods to locate burial places and markers and offered to aid in the locating of these sites at an HPC meeting scheduled for April 25th at the cemetery location. 8. New Business a. Review Major Accomplishments of2001 . Designated four properties as Heritage Landmarks . Restoration of a clock previously displayed on the Dakota County Tribune Building, was finalized and is now displayed on the front of City Hall . The HPC gained a new member - Tim Rice b. Establish Goals and Objectives for 2002 . Establish a plan for Preservation Week May 12-18,2002. A subcommittee was appointed consisting of Susan Strachan, Tim Rice and a new member that will be appointed by City Council on 1/22/02. . Designate the Historic Cemetery as a Heritage Landmark . Continue improving HPC's web site . Designation of three properties currently on the National register, as Farmington Heritage Landmarks . Begin work on designation of five residential properties as Farmington Heritage Landmarks . Continue HPC involvement in development occurring within the City boundaries. c. Election of officers for 2002 1) Motion by Preece, second by Flynn to appoint Susan Strachan as Chair. APIF, motion carried. 2) Motion by Preece, second by Strachan to appoint George Flynn as Vice-Chair. APIF, motion carried. 3) Motion by Strachan, second by Flynn to appoint Beverly Preece as secretary. APIF, motion carried. d. Set 2002 HPC meeting dates - A special meeting was scheduled for April 25th 3 :00 p.m. and will be a walking tour of the Middle Creek Estate Historic Cemetery. Future meetings will be scheduled as needed. 9. Miscellaneous - None 10. Adjourn - Motion made and seconded to adjourn at 8:36 p.m. Respectfully submitted, ~OM- /J:~~ Karen Finstuen Administrative Services Manager MEMORANDUM 18 February 2002 TO: Lee Smick, City Planner Karen Finstuen, Administrative Services Manager FR: Robert Vogel, Preservation Planning Consultant RE: St. Michael's Church Property The Gothic Revival Style St. Michael's Church has been an established and familiar visual feature of the Oak Street residential neighborhood since 1913. Now vacant, it has been acquired by a developer and may be tom down in the near future. City policy places a high priority on the preservation of buildings that possess historical or architectural significance. If the St. Michael's Church is to be preserved or recycled, the city will need to play an active role in resolving the following historic preservation and land use issues before any development project is allowed to proceed: 1. Preservation potential. The city needs to determine if the church property meets the criteria for designation as a Farmington Heritage Landmark and is therefore worthy of preservation. The church is not currently a registered heritage landmark but has been evaluated as worthy of consideration in preservation planning in both the city's historic context study (1995) and the Oak Street neighborhood reconnaissance survey (1998). I believe a case could be made for the significance of the 1913 church on the basis of its distinguishing architectural characteristics. 2. Design review. Assuming that the church will be determined eligible for landmark status, we need to carefully consider what land use controls and preservation regulations will apply to the new development. No HPC "certificate of appropriateness" is required unless the property is designated a heritage landmark by the City Council. However, by ordinance the HPC must be allowed a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on development projects that may impact "a significant historic property" - which I interpret to mean any building with preservation value (regardless of its landmark status) within the visual area of potential effects. In addition to the church itself, two residential properties adjacent to it (409 and 500 Spruce Street) have been identified as possessing "pivotal" significance in the context of the Oak Street neighborhood, and their presence should trigger design review for any rezoning, plat, or conditional use permit. 3. Approach to religious properties. City policy is clear: if a religious property derives its primary significance from architectural distinction or historical importance, it may be considered for heritage landmark designation within the local historic context "Churches and Cemeteries, 1860s to 1950s." However, preservation planning for churches and other religious properties can be problematic and the comprehensive plan does not provide much guidance for dealing with church reuse and development issues. The city needs to develop a consensus for the preservation, protection, and reuse of historic religious properties with strategies for dealing with all of Farmington's historic churches. 4. Reuse. In my opinion, the church building has significant potential for adaptive reuse that would allow an efficient modem use while preserving its historic character. I requested formation of a reuse study team for the St. Michael's Church two years ago and the HPC sought authorization for the study in July, 2000. The decision not to undertake a reuse study was made administratively. The city could complete a "quick & dirty" reuse study in-house for about $2,000, provided there was a clear directive from the City Council and support from both the church owner and the developer. 5. Mitigation. The HPC and its staff should develop a contingency plan for avoiding complete loss if the church must be demolished to make way for redevelopment of the site. The HPC has already approved a demolition permit policy for buildings more than 50 years old that provides for a 10-day waiting period to allow recordation by city staff. This would apply to both the church itself and the vacant residence (convent) on the property. It is standard practice in historic preservation that whenever historic buildings must be removed appropriate strategies should be implemented to mitigate the effects. In some cases, historic buildings are relocated to new sites with compatible surroundings where they can be preserved and rehabilitated. If demolition must occur, buildings should be recorded so that a body of information (plans, drawings, photographs, written data) can be preserved. Sometimes important architectural elements can be salvaged for museum displays or for recycling in new development. Mitigation measures should be an essential part of the design review and development approval process. 6. New construction. In the event the church is demolished and the site is redeveloped, the city needs to take steps to insure that the new construction will not destroy the distinguishing historic character of the surrounding neighborhood. New buildings should be compatible with nearby historic buildings, respecting their size, scale, mass, setbacks, color, and materials. Landscape features such as walkways and trees that have historically linked the church site to the streetscape should also be provided in the new development. Any design standards included as conditions for site plan approval would have to be "reasonable" and explicitly related to stated public policy. At the Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) meeting on Thursday, February 21, 2002, the commission will consider preservation issues pertaining to St. Michael's Church. I am recommending that the HPC take the following actions: . Issue a finding that the St. Michael's church building appears to meet the criteria for designation as a heritage landmark . Invite all of the parties with an interest in the property to participate in an informal meeting to discuss the preservation value of the church property . Request City Council action to place a 6-month moratorium on demolition permits for all buildings more than 50 years old . Request City Council authorization for a study of the preservation value and reuse potential of religious buildings In addition to the city's preservation ordinance and comprehensive plan, our approach to the church preservation problem will be guided by the Secretary of the Interior's standards for archeology and historic preservation and the Secretary of the Interior's standards for the preservation of historic properties. It will be critical to reference all decisions to the code, plan, and standards. You may want to keep some copies of the city's preservation handbook handy, as it could be an important tool for organizing the public's participation in the process. Please keep me up to date on the status of development plans and zoning changes in relation to the St. Michael's church property.