HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994-05-17 ACHP Minutes ' ADVISORY CONIIvITITEE ON HISTORIC PRESERVATION
City of Cottage Grove, Minnesota
MINUT�S OF MEETII�IG
17 MAY 1994
(` L.L. TO ORDER
Pursuant to due call and norice thereof, a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Historic
Preservarion (ACHP) was held at the Cottage Grove City Hall, 7516 80th Street South, on
the 17th day of May 1994.
Chairperson Golusky called the meeting to order at 7:10 P.M. �
ROi_i . (`A1 i .
The following members were present: Gary Golusky, Sharon Sawyer, Keith Kleinsasser,
Kip Sundgaard, Jerry Filson (ex-officio), Robert Vogel (staff).
ApPROVAL OF N��
The minutes of the 7 April 1994 ACHP meeting were approved as mailed.
HISTORIC STTE SLIDE PRFSENTATION
CHPO Vogel gave a slide presentation summarizing the properties listed or found eligible
for listing in the City Register of Historic Sites & Landmarks. Of the more than 230
historical and archeological sites which have been identified within the City limits, thirteen
have been officially registered as historic sites, and more than thirty others have been
evaluated as potentially eligible for listing in the C�ty Register.
� HISTORIC PRESERVA'I70N WEEK
Committee members reviewed the past week's acrivities relating to the observance of
National Historic Preservation Week. Chairperson Golusky announced that ACHP
member Keith Kleinsasser had received the 1994 Preservationist of the Year Award, in
recognition of his contributions to historic preservarion in Cottage Grove as an educator
and volunteer. CHPO Vogel reported that approximately ten city employees and officials
took advantage of his 45-minute "mini-tours" and more than fifty Park High students and
faculty participated in the "Field Day" activides.
HISTORIC FARMSTEAD R .(tiSTR.ATION PROJECT
CHPO Vogel updated the Committee on the progress of the Federal grant projec� Seven
historic farmsteads have been selected for the study, which involves preparation of City
Register registration documents.
FINDINGS OF SIGNIFICANCE
CHPO Vogel presented the results of his evaluation of three historic properties and
recommended that the Committee issue findings of significance (FOS), declaring the
historic properties eligible for lisring in the City Register of Historic Sites & Landmarks.
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Motion by Ms. Sawyer, seconded by Mr. Kleinsasser, that the ACHP issue
Findings of Significance for the following properties: (1) Grey Cloud
Bridge ("Iron Bridge") over Grey Cloud Slough, (2) the Zelch-Goebel
Farmstead Historic District at 10174 70th Street, and (3) the St. Matthew's
Cemetery in Old Cottage Grove. Motioned passed unanimously.
Rationale for the FOS was that the Grey Cloud Bridge (ca. 1910/1940) is a significant
architectural/engineering structure associated with local transportation. The Zelch-Gcebel
Farmstead (ca. 1870s/1890s) is significant for its association with John Zelch (1860-1935)
and the development of agriculture. The St. Matthew's Cemetery is significant as an
example of vernacular landscape architecture associated with the St Matthew's Evangelical
and Reformed Church (1876-1955).
Chairperson Golusky and CHPO Vogel were directed to sign the FOS documents and place
copies in the appropriate Historic Site Inventory files. (Note: this action dces not constitute
historic site registration.)
RFUS OF HISTORIC ST. MAITHEW S CHURCH BUILDING
The Committee reviewed various reports and memoranda and discussed the possible
implications of the proposed East Cottage Grove fire starion. It was noted that the
Committee has already gone on record in favor of preserving the historic St. Matthew's
Evangelical and Reformed Church (which is a locally registered historic site) and relocating
the historic building to another site in Old Cottage Grove. Based on the assumption that the
historic building will be preserved, moved, and "mothballed," the Committee felt that a
long-range adaptive reuse plan would be needed. The Committee recommends the concept
of a reuse consulting team based on the successful model of the Preservation Advisory
Services Team (PAS'1� employed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The
PAST concept has been successfully employed in several Minnesota communiries to
identify potential new uses for threatened historic buildings and would seem to be
applicable to Cottage Grove.
� RFVIEW AND COMPLIACE POL,ICY
CHPO Vogel explained to the Committee his concerns about staff review of "minor"
building and demolition permits in relarion to historic properties. Recently, staff reviewed
and approved a building pemut application for repair and reconstruction of a small porch at
the Cordenio Severance House (Cedarhurst). By ordinance, pernut applications for work
on designated historic sites are reviewed by the ACHP; however, the City has adopted a
policy which allows for administrarive review of pernuts for minor work. The question is:
what constitutes "minor" and "major" work?
Following discussion, there was a consensus among the members of the Committee that
the policy of the Ciry should be:
(1) CHPO should review all permit applicarions for work on historic properties in
the city.
(2) ACHP should formally review only those permit applicarions for projects which
could result in significant alteration of a property listed in the City Register.
(3) "Minor work" is defined as any project that does not propose to materially
change a significant historic site, that is reversible, or that does not pose a threat to
the physical or historical integriry of a registered historic site.
CHPO Vogel was also directed to continue to review and comment on all development
projects which he has reason to believe might result in an adverse impact to a significant
cultural resource in the C�ry.
['OMMI'ITEE WORKSHOP AND HISTORIC SITES TOtTi?
CHPO Vogel was directed to plan and organize a workshop session and tour of local
historic properties as part of the ACHP's next regular meering.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 8:55 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Robert C. Vogel
City Historic Preservation Officer