HomeMy WebLinkAbout10082020 Historic Preservation Minutes City of Seward,Alaska Historic Preservation Commission Minutes
October 8, 2020
II ,
CALL TO ORDER Volume 3,Page 243
The October 8,2020 regular meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission was called to
order at 6:00 p.m.by Chair Cheryl Seese.
OPENING CEREMONY
Fred Woelkers led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.
ROLL CALL
There were present:
Cheryl Seese presiding, and
Sued Fred Woelkers
Wolfgang Kurtz (telephonically) Mary Ann Benoit (telephonically)
Tanguy Libbrecht Sherry Furlong(telephonically)
comprising a quorum of the Commission; and
Jackie Wilde, Community Development Director
Valarie Kingsland, Library Museum Director(telephonically)
Jessica Stallard, Deputy City Clerk
Excused—Ward
Absent—None
CITIZEN COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR
PUBLIC HEARING—None
APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA
Motion (Kurtz/Woelkers) Approval of Agenda and Consent Agenda
With the commission's permission,the clerk said she would correct the September 10,2020 regular
meeting minutes and the September 21, 2020 special meeting minutes to show who had attended
these meetings telephonically before the chair signed these minutes.
Motion Passed Unanimous
The clerk read the following consent agenda items:
Approval of the September 10,2020 Regular Meeting Minutes.
Approval of the September 21,2020 Special Meeting Minutes.
City of Seward,Alaska Historic Preservation Commission Minutes
October 8,2020 Volume 3,Page 244
SPECIAL ORDERS, PRESENTATIONS, AND REPORTS
Proclamations and Awards—None
City Administration Report—None
Chair Report.Seese said Eric Ward passed away last Thursday night. She thanked Benoit
and Libbrecht for their hard work.
Certified Local Government(CLG)Grant—None
Historic Overlay District — Benoit said she edited the 2017 historic preservation plan
guidelines,and her and Ward would work with Planning&Zoning on the Historic Overlay District.
Historic Preservation Facebook Page. Benoit said there were 73 post engagements and
over 100 people had been reached through this Facebook Page in September, 2020. She wanted to
create posts with before and after pictures of historic properties, and she wanted to encourage the
public to volunteer. Seese suggested asking for the public's input on places to be included in the
historic walking tour for the Certified Local Government(CLG) grant.
Other Reports,Announcements and Presentations—None
UNFINISHED BUSINESS—None
NEW BUSINESS
Other New Business
Discuss walkable crosswalk murals in the historic district.
Community Development Director Jackie Wilde said the city council had asked the
Planning&Zoning Commission(P&Z)to create an application and process for walkable murals,
and a draft application had been created. It would not be requested that any city organization
purchase a space for a walkable mural.She asked that the commission give their input on the process
and application for walkable murals in the historic district and provide Planning & Zoning with
guidelines for walkable murals in the historic district. Seese requested that crosswalks on
Washington Street and Adams Street be reserved for historic use only.
In response to Seese, Wilde said there was a non-refundable $500 application fee with a
$1,500 deposit.It was not cohesive to use the commission budget to purchase a walkable mural.This
project was for commercial or other non-city organizations to purchase walkable murals.
In response to Libbrecht,Wilde said the downtown historic district could be excluded from
the walkable murals application to start out with. Extra crosswalk locations could be added to the
'-�City of Seward,Alaska Historic Preservation Commission Minutes
j ctober 8, 2020 Volume 3,Page 245
application at a later date. P & Z was asking for the historic preservation commission's input on
whether or not to include walkable mural crosswalks in the historic district. Wilde wanted any
walkable mural applications for the historic district to be submitted to both the Historic Preservation
Commission and the Planning & Zoning Commission. Kurtz, Seese, and Libbrecht wanted the
historic district excluded from the walkable murals application for the time being.
In response to Libbrecht,Wilde said the historic preservation commission could purchase a
walkable mural crosswalk in the historic district with a Certified Local Government(CLG)grant,if
one was awarded to them for this project.
In response to Benoit and Seese, Wilde said Adams Street and Jefferson Street had been
brought up in previous discussions with council and Planning&Zoning, and this is why they were
included in the draft application for walkable murals.Benoit suggested the commission ask the State
Historic Preservation Office for guidance on including walkable murals in the historic district.
In response to Kurtz,Wilde said Juneau had a rainbow crosswalk but they did not develop
any guidelines or an application for their walkable murals. She found in her research that most cities
had accepted walkable murals with no guidelines or restrictions for their historic districts. A five-
year study had been completed by Stanford University in Minnesota and Alaska on what type of
paint and materials should be used for walkable murals.
In response to Furlong, Wilde said there would be no logos,text,or advertising allowed in
the walkable murals.
In response to Seese,Wilde said she would be bringing forward a resolution and application
on walkable crosswalk murals for approval at the November 3,2020 Planning&Zoning meeting.
Then once it was approved, this resolution would go before city council and administration.
Discuss the CLG grant.
Library Museum Director Valarie Kingsland asked the commission to be diligent on
documenting their work, and reporting their expenses and volunteer time spent on the CLG grant.
She would be putting together packets for the commissioners,so they could store their receipts and
track their in-kind volunteer hours. In response to Benoit, Kingsland said commissioners were
considered volunteers and a minimum of 300 volunteer hours was required from the city for the CLG
grant.
Seese and Libbrecht thanked Kingsland for her work on the CLG grant. Libbrecht said this
grant ends on June 30, 2021 with no extensions. The commission needed to get approval from the
owners of the 25 historic properties that they wanted to include in the historic walking tour.
Libbrecht said he would contact Corvus Design for sign designs.The Historic Preservation Planning
&Advocacy committee could begin contacting the owners of the 25 historic properties.
The commissioners volunteered for the CLG grant committees. Kurtz volunteered for
Marketing and Communications;Seese volunteered for Volunteer Recruitment and Engagement;and
City of Seward,Alaska Historic Preservation Commission Minutes
October 8, 2020 Volume 3, Page 246
Woelkers volunteered for Volunteer Recruitment and Engagement and Historic Preservation
Planning and Advocacy. Libbrecht suggested that the CLG grant committees be added to the
standing reports at each meeting. The clerk reminded the commissioners that written reports neededIEJ
to be submitted for standing reports by the packet deadline.
Motion (Furlong/Woelkers) Schedule a walking tour of the initial 25
sites for the CLG grant historic walking
tour on October 15, 2020 at 4:00 p.m.
starting at city hall.
Motion Passed Unanimous
In response to Benoit, Libbrecht said some properties would have signs, some would have
plaques, and there would be flexibility on sign options.
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS AND REPORTS
Letter on Status of Kenai Mountains— Turnagain Arm National Heritage Grant
CITIZEN COMMENTS—None
COMMISSION AND ADMINISTRATION COMMENTS & RESPONSE TO CITIZEN
COMMENTS
Furlong thanked Wilde.
Libbrecht appreciated everyone's assistance.
Seese said Ward planned to attend the next meeting. She thanked the commissioners, the
clerk, Kingsland, and Wilde.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 7:48 p.m.
Jessica Stallard, CMC Cheryl See
Deputy City Clerk Chair
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