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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2020-08-11 minutesCity of Jefferson Historic Preservation Commission Minutes Regular Meeting – Tuesday, August 11, 2020 Council Chambers – John G. Christy Municipal Building 320 E. McCarty Street Commission Members Present Attendance Record Mary Schantz, Chairperson 6 of 7 Gregory Bemboom 6 of 7 Alan Wheat 6 of 7 Michael Berendzen 4 of 7 Tiffany Patterson 3 of 4 Brad Schaefer 6 of 7 Steven Hoffman 6 of 7 Commission Members Absent Attendance Record Donna Deetz, Vice Chairperson 6 of 7 Gail Jones 5 of 7 Council Liaison Present Laura Ward, Via Telephone Staff Present Rachel Senzee, Neighborhood Services Supervisor Anne Stratman, Neighborhood Services Specialist Bryan Wolford, Associate City Attorney Guests Present John Dinkins Alan Strope Bryan Wolford Fr. Richard Frank Gary & Doris Schmutzler Jeff Futhey Pete Oetting Herbert Turner Stephen Meyer Wayne Elliott Call to Order Ms. Schantz called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Adoption of Agenda Ms. Patterson moved and Mr. Wheat seconded to adopt the agenda as printed. The motion passed unanimously. Approval of Minutes Mr. Wheat moved and Mr. Berendzen seconded to approve the minutes from the July 14, 2020 Regular Meeting as written. The motion passed unanimously. Communication Received Ms. Senzee explained that correspondence was received from EBI Consulting pertaining to an invitation to comment on a proposed telecommunications facility installation at 909 Louisiana Avenue. Since it is associated with the FCC they are required to go through the Section 106 Review process. The proposed tower does not lie within any of the National Register Districts or local landmark areas. The Commission has the ability to choose whether to comment or not. Staff recommendation would be to send a notice saying that we decline comment at this time. After additional discussion, the Commission chose to reserve comment on the proposed telecommunications facility. Demolition Review-Under 100 Years Old A. 1560 Bald Hill Road Ms. Senzee explained that 1560 Bald Hill Road is under consideration for demolition review. This property is owned by Christopher Billings. The current structure is being demolished to rebuild on the lot. This property does not hold stand-alone historical significance in terms of heritage, cultural or architecturally. Staff recommendation for this property is demolition. The Commission discussed contacting the Historic City of Jefferson each time a property comes before them for demolition. This will allow the Historic City of Jefferson to determine whether there are any architectural items that are salvageable from that home. Ms. Senzee stated that she will contact the Historic City of Jefferson each time so that they can make that determination whether or not to salvage items. Mr. Bemboom moved and Mr. Berendzen seconded to approve the demolition review application for 1560 Bald Hill Road owned by Christopher Billings. The motion passed unanimously. New Business A. 622 E. McCarty Street Ms. Senzee explained that this property is located within the School Street Local Historic District. The property owner had some issues before the tornado and the tornado came through and made it worse. The property owner was putting on a metal roof which is not within the established guidelines of the School Street Local Historic District. However, the Building Official stopped work because they did not have a permit. The Building Official did not communicate with Historic Preservation Staff about its need to go through the Historic Preservation Commission. The Building Official l eft and when his staff was going through his office, they found a building permit from last November. The house has been sitting out in the elements with a tarp on it since November. The City does not have a mechanism in City Code as a Historic Preservation Commission to approve or issue a certificate of appropriateness or any other type of mechanism within the design guidelines of the School Street Local Historic District. It was staff recommendation that the Commission allow the property owner to put on t he roof so that the house does not deteriorate further. City staff wanted to be transparent and expose the procedural issue. There is no action that can occur tonight. Ms. Ward suggested amending or revising the building permit application to reflect that a property is located in a known local historic district or conservation district. She suggested listing the Capitol Avenue Conservation Overlay District, School Street Local Historic District and Lower Jefferson Historic District on the application so that the property owner can mark which district their property is located in. This way the Building Inspector can verify that. Ms. Schantz asked if staff can report to the Commission each month on the progress of the code changes. Ms. Senzee agreed to include this as a monthly agenda item. This is going to be an arduous task that we are not always going to agree on how to proceed, at times, but will end up with the best possible product in the end. Ms. Schantz stated that this is really a continuation of one our goals set out in the Historic Preservation Plan. Other Business A. National Alliance of Preservation Commissions – FORUM 2020 at Home Ms. Senzee explained that City staff and Ms. Deetz participated in the 2020 FORUM at Home. NAPC will be making all of the sessions available. As soon as that happens staff will send that link to the Commission. B. Gregory Stockard Award Ms. Senzee stated that Jayme Abbott has been selected to receive the award this year. She has been notified that she will be receiving the award. Ms. Abbott will be presented that award at the August 17, 2020 City Council Meeting. C. Juneteenth Trail / Sterling Price Marker Ms. Schantz stated that Mr. Wolford distributed a memo to Commission members regarding the ownership of the Sterling Price Marker. The gist of the Conclusion is that the City owns the marker and they can move it, remove it, conceal it and also transfer the ownership of it to someone else. The following individuals spoke regarding this agenda item: Mr. Bryan Wolford stated that he is in opposition to removing or altering the Civil War marker located at Moreau Drive and Fairmount Boulevard. He is the current secretary and treasurer for Camp Lillie of Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. He is also a member at large of Parsons Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Mr. Wolford gave an in depth history of the battle and how some of Missouri’s prominent Governors took place in that battle. His recommendation is to utilize that space, put some more information specifically about the Union’s role in the battle and essentially protecting the City from the attack. Doris Opel Schmutzler stated that she believes the historical rock marker should stand. She talked about how her the rock marker has personal significance to me, my family and members of my extended family as the descendants of two German immigrants, Ehrhardt “Erhard” Johann K autsch and Friedrich Carl Strobel. Ms. Schmutzler is the great-great-granddaughter of Erhard Kautsch. These two men were just farmers. They were in a field in a intersection of Route C and Route D just west of Jefferson City and they were murdered. She continued to explain the remainder her family’s story. Pete Oetting, distributed the Battlefield Flag and Monument Policy as approved during the 136 th National Encampment in Lansing Michigan in 2017. Mr. Oetting is connected with Sons of Union Veterans. He is the Commander of Camp Lillie. The national encampment policy letter from Lansing, Michigan in 2017 states, among other things, the Sons of Union Veterans is against the removal of any war monument or marker. Mr. Oetting identifies the marker on Moreau Drive as a Civil War Marker. Mr. Oetting has known people in Jefferson City that did research based on that marker. He stated it would be a shame if this community went down the road of changing names and changing monuments. Mr. Oettng indicated the Camp Lillie chapter would be interested in putting a marker alongside the Sterling Price Marker which would commemorate the Battle of 1864 for the Union side. Fr. Richard Frank is the Chaplin of Camp Lillie, Sons of Union Veterans. Fr. Frank was against doing anything to the monument because it does not glorify the Confederacy, it does not glorify slavery, it simply states a historical fact that the Confederate Army was stopped. Fr. Frank believed the monument should stay but also add some additional interpretation. The State has put up many beautiful interpretive signs at various places relating to the Civil War. He just saw a whole bunch of them at the Battle of Athens in far northeastern Missouri. A beautiful wayside or interpretive display about the size of this podium would be good to put at that spot as well. Ms. Schantz asked Commission members whether we want to take the lead from the Human Relations Commission and come up with a specific r ecommendation or to send a memo to the City Council that summarizes the testimony that has been presented and/or other ideas the HPC might have. Ms. Ward stated that the first step would be to take this issue to a City Committee such as the Administration Committee or the Public Works and Planning Committee. She explained that she serves on the Administration Committee and would be able to put this issue on the next agenda. After additional discussion, Commission members agreed that summarizing the testimony from the July 14, 2020 meeting and from tonight’s meeting and providing to City Council would be an appropriate action. After additional discussion, Mr. Berendzen moved and Mr. Hoffman seconded to not remove the marker and additional information specifically about the event can be added as money and time allows. Mr. Berendzen amended the original motion to include a summary of testimony received from the July 14, 2020 meeting and tonight’s meeting and provide to the City Council. After no additional discussion, the Commission’s vote on the amended motion was unanimous. D. HPF Grant Proposals Ms. Senzee explained that staff would like to redo the Historic Eastside Survey and continue the survey along W. Main Street where the previous survey ended. Discussion centered around the survey boundaries for the continuation of the W. Main Street Survey. Mr. Berendzen suggested surveying W. Main Street on both sides of the street to the Water Tower. E. Jefferson City Exterior Structural Survey – Missouri State Capitol District & Munichburg Commercial Districts Ms. Senzee reported on the structural survey for the downtown area and Old Munichburg area. A public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 18, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. A structural survey was completed to determine the viability of over 100 the structures in these areas. The consultant gave each building a condition of green, yellow or red. F. CDBG-DR Action Plan Ms. Senzee reported that the State of Missouri published the State’s CDBG-DR Recovery Plan for flooding and the May 22, 2019 tornado. Cole County is eligible for approximately $7 million. The plan proposes funding for voluntary buyout in the flood plain. It also proposes acquisition of property and new construction of 5+ unit multi-family housing development. Restoration activities are not eligible as well. Staff will be making comments that the proposed plan does not address the needs in that area. Ms. Patterson stated that she would like to see the City’s recommendations and make comments on those. Ms. Schantz stated that the Commission’s consensus is to review the City’s recommendations and make comments on those. G. National Register Nomination-2113 W. Main Street Ms. Senzee explained that a National Register nomination is being prepared for 2113 W. Main Street, also known as the Sugarbaker property. The Colonial Revival home was built in 1939 and was purchased by Dr. Everett and Geneva Sugarbaker in 1950. A 500 square foot laboratory was built in 1953. Dates to Remember A. Next Regular Meeting Date, September 8, 2020 Since this meeting date falls the day after the Labor Day Holiday, the City Council will meet on this date. Ms. Stratman will look at moving the meeting date to September 15 and notify the Commission. Adjournment Ms. Patterson moved and Mr. Berendzen seconded to adjourn the meeting at 7:37 p.m. The motion passed unanimously.