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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12192019 Historic Preservation Minutes City of Seward,Alaska Historic Preservation Commission Minutes December 19, 2019 Volume 3,Page 195 CALL TO ORDER The December 19,2019 regular meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission was called to order at 7:40 p.m.by Chair Cheryl Seese. OPENING CEREMONY Sue Ward led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. ROLL CALL There were present: Cheryl Seese presiding Sue Ward his-Doffing Wolfgang Kurtz John French Tanguy Libbrecht comprising a quorum of the Commission; and Jessica Stallard, Deputy City Clerk Excused—Darling Absent—None Vacancy—One CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING Mary Ann Benoit said Ward did a great job on her Historic Overlay District presentation for the Rotary Club. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA Motion (Ward/Libbrecht) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda Motion Passed Unanimous These items were approved on the consent agenda: Approval of the November 14, 2019 Regular Meeting Minutes • City of Seward,Alaska Historic Preservation Commission Minutes December 19, 2019 Volume 3,Page 196 1 SPECIAL ORDERS,PRESENTATIONS,AND REPORTS City Administration Report. Deputy City Clerk Jessica Stallard said Library Museum Director Valarie Kingsland and City Manager Scott Meszaros were unable to attend the meeting due to prior engagements.Community Development Director&City Planner Jackie Wilde was planning to attend the meeting to give a report on the Jesse Lee Home,but she was unable to attend due to illness. Stallard said she had been working on the missing meeting minutes,and the September 19, 2018 through June 14,2019 minutes would be coming to the commission for approval at the January 9,2020 meeting. Chair Report. Cheryl Seese said a brief memo from the city manager on the Jesse Lee Home was in the packet. She was happy to see a member!of the public in attendance that was enthusiastic about history. Jesse Lee Home—None Fort Raymond Subdivision. John French said he would meet with the city manager to discuss the Fort Raymond Subdivision.In response to Ward,trench said everything past Safeway on the left side of the road was considered Fort Raymond Subdivision. Fort Raymond was decommissioned in 1945 before World War II ended and the Japanese surrendered. He wanted to share the Army Corp of Engineers'Historical Report on Developments in the Alaska Theatre during World War II with the city manager and community development director. Other Reports, Announcements and Presentations. Report on Rotary Presentation on Historic District. Sue Ward said she gave a presentation on the Historic Overlay District to the Rotary Club and it was very well received. PUBLIC HEARINGS—None UNFINISHED BUSINESS—None NEW BUSINESS Resolutions—None Other New Business Review and approve 2019 report to Council. The commission reviewed and revised the 2019 report to council. The commission suspended the rules to speak to Citizen Megan Coppock. City of Seward,Alaska Historic Preservation Commission Minutes December 19,2019 Volume 3,Page 197 In response to Citizen Megan Coppock, Seese said work sessions and citizen comments during meetings were the appropriate times for the public to ask questions and address the commission. Stallard clarified Coppock's question and informed her that the commissioners' contact information was on the city website and the public could contact commissioners outside of their work session and meeting times. In response to Coppock, Libbrecht said he owned the 1905 Cable House and he did not receive any guidance on the historical value of his home or tips on how to preserve it when he bought it. The commission wanted to increase awareness of the importance of historic homes and buildings in Seward by providing guidelines on how to preserve their history. Seese said the commission was initially focusing on the Downtown Historic District but in the future,they hope to extend into residential areas of Seward. French suggested Coppock speak to the State Historic Preservation Office(SHPO). The commission resumed the rules. The commission suspended the rules to speak to Citizen Mary Ann Benoit. Seese said she was working on an inventory of historic homes, which currently included homes through 1942, and she would email the list to Benoit and Coppock. In response to Citizen Mary Ann Benoit,French said the inventory of historic homes was a requirement of their state certification and it was available on the State of Alaska website. Kurtz said the criteria for a home to be considered historic was that it must be fifty years or older. The commission resumed the rules. Motion (Ward/Libbrecht) Direct the deputy city clerk to make corrections to the 2019 Report to Council and submit to Chair Seese for final approval. Motion Passed Unanimous Discuss November 19, 2019 Joint \\'ork Session with P & Z regarding Seward Historic Overlay. Ward said Planning&Zoning directed the commission to do more research on the Seward Historic District Overlay. A joint work session with Planning&Zoning was scheduled for March 2020. French said the community development director was supportive of the Seward Historic Overlay District and offered to help the commission research code before the joint work session. City of Seward, Alaska Historic Preservation Commission Minutes December 19, 2019 Volume 3, Page 198 Discuss the CLG Grant. Libbrecht said the intended use of the Certified Local Government(CLG)Grant submitted in 2018 was to put signage on about twenty properties,have street signs made that indicated where the historic district was located, create a walking map of the historic district, and work on the Historic Preservation Commission website.The State of Alaska said the goals were too ambitious for a year's time and they recommended the commission simplify their grant application.The commission would be resubmitting a simplified application for the CLG Grant on January 30,2020 that would focus on the property signage and a walking map of the historic district. Discuss Lee Poleske's written History Award. Motion (French/Ward) Direct the deputy city clerk to edit the last Whereas of the Lee Poleske proclamation working with Chair Seese and submit it to Council to be presented in January 2020. The commission asked Stallard to contact Lee Poleske to find out if he would be available to attend the January 13, 2020 or January 27, 2020 council meeting. Motion Passed Unanimous Discuss the Brown & Hawkins History Award. Motion (French/) Postpone Brown & Hawkins History Award, HP priorities list and meeting schedule, and Jesse Lee Home to the January 9, 2020 meeting. Motion died due to lack of second. Motion (Libbrecht/Ward) Postpone the discussion of the Brown & Hawkins History Award to the March 12, 2020 meeting and present the proclamation at the May 14, 2020 meeting. Ward and Seese said they were working on a proclamation for Brown&Hawkins that would be brought before the commission for approval at the March 2020 meeting. Motion Passed Unanimous Review the updated HP priorities list and meeting schedule. The commission postponed the discussion of the HP priorities to the January 9, 2020 meeting. City of Seward,Alaska Historic Preservation Commission Minutes December 19, 2019 Volume 3,Page 199 Motion (Kurtz/Ward) Direct Library Museum Director Valarie Kingsland to attend the May and November 2020 meetings. Motion Passed Unanimous Discuss the Jesse Lee Home. French said he did not have anything to discuss at this time. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS—None COMMISSIONERS COMMENTS French said he took a job with the Alaska Census and his availability would be limited from January to April 2020. He apologized for any inconvenience. Libbrecht thanked Stallard for her work on the commission's behalf.He thanked Seese for her leadership. He thanked the public for attending the meeting and encouraged them to join the commission. Ward said the commission was doing a great job. Kurtz thanked Seese for her time. He said he was looking forward to the upcoming year. Doug Capra was on the radio on December 20, 2019 talking about Rockwell Kent. Seese thanked French for his service to the government. She was grateful for Kurtz's guidance and patience.She thanked the public for attending the meeting.She thanked Stallard for her work on the commission's behalf and keeping the commission on task. CITIZENS COMMENTS Mary Ann Benoit said she was inspired by Ward's Historic Overlay District presentation. She was interested in a walking map of the historic district. She said she did not know Seward's history but she was really excited to learn about it. COMMISSION AND ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS Libbrecht said he would be happy to give Benoit and Coppock a tour of the Cable House. Seese encouraged Benoit and Coppock to join the commission. Kurtz thanked Benoit and Coppock for attending the meeting. City of Seward,Alaska Historic Preservation Commission Minutes December 19, 2019 Volume 3,Page 200 ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:20 p.m. ei,,t7(a. 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