HomeMy WebLinkAboutHPC Minutes 10-15-2019 HASTINGS HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION Minutes of the Meeting of October 15, 2019
Held at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall I. Quorum: Martin, Goderstad, Toppin, Smith, Ragan-Scully, and Simacek Absent: Sovik-Siemens
Staff: Dan Wietecha, City Administrator and Justin Fortney, City Planner
Chair Martin called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. II. Minutes: September 17, 2019
Motion by Sovik-Siemens for approval, seconded by Toppin; motion approved 3-0-2 (Smith and Simacek abstained, Ragan-Scully arrived at 7:07). III. Information and Reports
A. 623 Tyler Street – New siding, windows, door, and porch rebuilding
Fortney presented the staff report. Chair Martin expressed excitement regarding the rehab of this home.
Marci Sadler, CEO of Primo Property Solutions, applicant, explained the rear door location and its slight relocation. Commissioners discussed the proposed materials and their use on past projects and
found that the appearance will not be adversely affected.
Goderstad asked when would the work begin. Sadler said the interior work has begun along with exterior work approved by staff.
Commissioner Toppin asked is the plastic shutters would be removed. Sadler said
yes. Motion by Smith for approval to reside the home with the following conditions, seconded by Goderstad; motion approved 6-0.
- Reside the wood sided home with LP SmartSide manufactured wooden siding with smooth finish and the same reveal as the existing wood siding. Trim to be saved or replicated as necessary. Trim and siding within the porch will be kept and receive proper maintenance.
Motion by Simacek for approval to replace the homes windows with the following conditions, seconded by Toppin; motion approved 6-0. - Replace all 9 double-hung windows with Simonton vinyl inserts as proposed, which have the same profile as the existing one over one windows.
Motion by Ragan-Scully for approval to rehabilitate the front porch with the following conditions, seconded by Smith; motion approved 6-0. - Rebuild portions of the porch. This includes new footings, framing, and tongue and groove flooring (green treated). There will be an internal trough for drainage
which will not be visible. The following items will be reused in the porch rehab: Decorative ceiling, columns, house, entry door, siding, and trim other than what is replacement is necessary for maintenance. The porch will be releveled and will remain open as designed.
Motion by Martin for approval to relocate the rear door based on the following findings and conditions, seconded by Simacek; motion approved 6-0. - Relocate the rear door from the right side of the alcove to the opening of the alcove as the door is not visible from the street in the east alcove. The existing door and jam will be reused if possible.
B. 623 Tyler Street – New roof (Staff Approved) Fortney commented briefly on approval C. 216 4th Street E – New rubber roof membrane (Staff Approved) Fortney
commented briefly on approval
IV. Business A. Discuss and comment on the OHDS District Design Guidelines
Fortney summarized the topic stating the district was directed for creation in the
2020 Comprehensive Plan in 2000 and in the subsequent Heart of Hastings Plan. He added that it was finally adopted after an infill home was built highlighting the need with a high amount of neighborhood interest. A recent survey showed half of area respondents supported the district and half were opposed. Fortney added that
despite the review, there has been a recent infill project that residents have
commented was incompatible with the neighborhood. Fortney contributed some of the laps in aligning this infill with the neighborhood to the current OHDS guidelines. He said they are confusing, difficult to interpret, and are not clear enough concerning bulk and density and are overly concerned with details. He said
over the years, the OHDS regulations have been amended a couple of times
because they had been requiring much more review than anticipated for minor improvements. Fortney said he has looked to similar communities with conservation districts and
found that Stillwater has a set of guidelines more focused on infill and are very
easy to interpret. He added they also have an application checklist that is based on the guidelines which would guide an applicant during their design and submittal. Fortney said he believes the proposed guidelines would better protect the OHDS area from incompatible infill, yet allow more freedom to homeowners that propose
improvements to their existing homes. Forney added that Some City
Councilmembers have commented that the HPC is more accustom to review infill proposals due to their review experience. Fortney said the city attorney has stated that the HPC’s review authority constructed under the National Historic Preservation Act and State Statute only apply to properties designated pursuant to
State and local laws and procedures. He added that the OHDS area is a zoning
designation and must be reviewed by the Planning Commission and City Council. He said the HPC could be added as an additional recommending body. Commissioner Toppin commented that the proposed guidelines are much easier to
read, understand, interpret, and relate to a proposal.
Chair Martin asked how many OHDS applications there are each year. Fortney said between one and three. Martin said that wouldn’t create a large impact to their review capacity.
Motion by Toppin to recommend that a Council Committee consider adding the HPC as a reviewing and recommending commission for OHDS applications along with considering replacing the existing guidelines with those presented by staff based on those from Stillwater, seconded by Goderstad; motion approved 6-0.
B. Statewide Preservation Conference recap by Commissioner Toppin Commissioner Toppin updated the Commission on the recent Statewide Preservation Conference she attended in St. Cloud along with Commissioner Sovik Siemens. She
said she recommends other Commissioners attend future conferences as it was a very
informative experience and was covered by a state grant. She commented that the sessions are recorded and made available online and that staff should consider linking the website to them as a resource. She highlighted activities that the St. Cloud HPC has started doing after performing a type of public relations study with a consultant.
These activities were to highlight the HPC as a protector of history, improve
communication, and to be a resource for homeowners. She listed some specific activities including a quarterly HPC newsletter, realtor seminar/ tour, century plaques, preservation awards, scavenger hunt, workshops on topics like window repair and woodworking, preservation history tour, and a regular trolley tour by the mayor.
Chair Martin said the HPC should also try to reach out to new historic homeowners and welcome them to the neighborhood and educate them on the districts and review process. She added that she recently did this with a new neighbor and they were very thankful.
Commissioners asked for the November agenda to include discussion on what the Hastings HPC has done similarly in the past five years along with beginning to discuss their 2020 goals.
V. Adjourn. Motion by Smith, second by Goderstad to adjourn the meeting at 8:01 pm; motion approved 6-0.
Respectfully Submitted Justin Fortney