Community Development Department 222 Lewis Street River Falls, WI 54022 715.425.0900 www.rfcity.org CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL APPROVAL OF MINUTES May 10, 2017 PUBLIC COMMENTS Non-Agenda Related Topic AGENDA HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION Wednesday June 21, 2017 5:30 p.m. City Hall Training Room OLD BUSINESS ITEMS 1. Select Picture(s) for 2017 HPC Postcard 2. Discussion on Recorded History Project 3. Update Landmark Status Discussion for Power Plant 4. Continue Review of Chapter 2 of Historic Preservation Plan 5. Review of Draft Photo Release Form 6. HPC Vacancy Update NEW BUSINESS Agenda Items for July 12, 2017 Meeting ADJOURNMENT Council members may be in attendance for informational purposes only. No official Council action will be taken. Notification: River Falls Journal, 06/16/17 Post: City Hall Bulletin Board and Library 06/16/17 Amy Peterson, AICP, Development Services Director David Hovel, Building Inspector Tony Steiner, City Planner Cindi Danke, Recreation Manager Buddy Lucero, Community Development Director Angie Bond, Community Development Assistant Brandy Howe, AICP, Senior Planner Brenda Rundle, Recreation Assistant
Community Development Department 222 Lewis Street River Falls, WI 54022 715.425.0900 www.rfcity.org MINUTES HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION Wednesday, May 10, 2017 5:30 pm City Hall - Training Room CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Meeting convened at 5:30 pm Members Present: Heidi Heinze, Shawn Downing, Mark Anderson, Jayne Hoffman Members Absent: Pam Friede, Excused Staff Present: Tony Steiner City Planner, Tyler Galde, GIS Intern Others Present: Pat Mory, Pierce County Historical Association APPROVAL OF AGENDA/MINUTES MSC Hoffman/Anderson to approve the minutes of the April 12, 2017 meeting - unanimous PUBLIC COMMENT Tyler Galde informed the Commission that he has taken a job elsewhere and will be leaving the City. The Commission thanked him for his work and wished him the best of luck in his new job. OLD BUSINESS Review Chapter 2 of Historic Preservation Plan - The HPC reviewed Chapter two and suggested changes. Staff noted changes and will bring back to HPC for final review in June. Release form for Pictures- Mark will continue to work on a draft form for Commission review and discussion. Landmark Status for Power Plant HPC discussed efforts to date in preparing a landmark status application. Shawn will follow up with Scot and report back. Status for HPC Vacancies HPC discussed several possible candidates. Mark will contact Denton Anderson who has indicated an interest in becoming a member. Jayne will follow up with Gary Horvath who has also indicated an interest to be on the Commission. Historic Preservation Month May is Historic Preservation Month. The HPC reviewed a memo and proclamation that was read at the Council. The letter to the Editor that Jayne put together is scheduled for publication in the River Falls Journal. Amy Peterson, AICP, Development Services Director David Hovel, Building Inspector Tony Steiner, City Planner Cindi Danke, Recreation Manager Buddy Lucero, Community Development Director Angie Bond, Community Development Assistant Brandy Howe, AICP, Senior Planner Brenda Rundle, Recreation Assistant
NEW BUSINESS Agenda Items for June 21, 2017 Meeting Choose Post Cards for River Falls Days Discuss Recorded History Project Ideas Review Character and Development Section of Historic Preservation Plan Release Form for Pictures Landmark Status for Power Plant Update on Vacancies for HPC ADJOURNMENT- MSC Hoffman/Anderson to adjourn at 6:30 p.m. - unanimous Respectfully submitted, Tony Steiner, City Planner Page 2
Community Development Department 222 Lewis Street River Falls, WI 54022 715.425.0900 www.rfcity.org MEMORANDUM TO: Historic Preservation Commission FROM: Tony Steiner, City Planner RE: Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Agenda Items DATE: June 21, 2017 Item 1: Item 2: Item 3: Item 4: Item 5: RE: Select Picture(s) for 2017 HPC Postcard At our next meeting we will select a photograph or two for our 2017 HPC postcard. Staff will bring several pictures for your review. Jayne will also bring several pictures and other members are also encouraged to bring pictures for review. RE: Discussion on Recorded History Project At our last meeting the topic of doing a recorded history project arose. At our meeting we will discuss, ideas, process and other logistics for developing this project. RE: Update Landmark Status Discussion for Power Plant At our last meeting the subject of designating the power plant for landmark status was raised and we discussed the logistics and issues involved in moving this forward. Shawn will report on his discussion with Scot on the status of the building. We discussed taking a tour of the building and Mike Stifter is ok with this. We just need to set up a time that works in advance. RE: Continue Review of Chapter 2 of Historic Preservation Plan At our last meeting we discussed changes to Chapter 2 of the Historic Preservation Plan. It was decided to bring the changes noted at the May meeting back for further discussion. Attached at the end of this report are those changes listed in order. RE: Review of Draft Photo Release Form In April Mark raised the idea of providing a photo release form for citizens who would like to donate pictures. This was further discussed at our May meeting. Mark is working with Jayne to put together format and will have a draft to discuss. Also Mark discussed digitizing old historic pictures and keeping them in a centralized file. The City has number photographs on the walls at City Hall and we can start with those. Mark has Amy Peterson, AICP, Development Services Director David Hovel, Building Inspector Tony Steiner, City Planner Cindi Danke, Recreation Manager Buddy Lucero, Community Development Director Angie Bond, Community Development Assistant Brandy Howe, AICP, Senior Planner Brenda Rundle, Recreation Assistant
digitized the blue prints for the Swinging Bridge and will have a copy available for us to look at. Item 6: RE: HPC Vacancy Update At our last meeting we discussed several possible candidates for two open positions. Denton Anderson has volunteered to become a member and will be at our June meeting. Gary Horvath has indicated interest and was going to submit a letter to the Mayor. Jayne has also been in contact with Gary and will follow up before the June meeting and report back to the Commission. Page 2
Changes to Chapter Two for Review and Discussion Character and Development Page 2-1, Paragraph 2 line, 5 Replace the word rapid with steady Evolution of the Land Use Pattern Page 2-2 Paragraph 7 line, 4 Replace the phrase 13, 000 in 2003 to 15, 000 in 2017 Residential Architecture Page 2-4, Paragraph 4 lines 1, 2, 3, and 4 Replace the sentence The 1991 Intensive Survey of the City of River Falls identified approximately 500 residential buildings constructed before 1940. With the following paragraphs In 2015 the 1991 Intensive Survey was updated. The two primary goals of the resurvey effort were to identify and inventory properties built between 1940 and 1975. The second goal was to reevaluate previously surveyed properties (not already listed in the National Register) and to determine whether or not they were, at this time, potentially eligible for the National Register. As a result of this survey, a total of 54 new properties (36 in Pierce County and 18 in St. Croix County) offered enough visual and/or historical interest to warrant a photograph and information entry into the Wisconsin Historic Preservation Database (WHPD; known and accessible to the public as WAHI). Of the total 587 properties (in both counties) that were surveyed prior to this effort, 224 continue to meet survey standards and were resurveyed for this project. Building Conditions Page 2-9 Paragraph 1 lines 4, 5 and 6, Replace the phrase Generally the commercial buildings are in fair or poor condition to Since the early 2000 s commercial building conditions have improved. Building Conditions Page 2-9 Paragraph 3 Replace entire paragraph with the following: In 1989 the Main Street Project formed with help of the State of Wisconsin Main Street Program. The Main Street Project organized events like Music in the Park, River Dazzle, Art on the Kinni and other signature events. It emphasized physical improvements and restoration to downtown buildings and administered matching grants for facade restoration and signage.
The Main Street Project was eventually ended when funding from the state was discontinued. The work has since been picked up by the City Design Review Committee, (DRC) the Business Improvement District (BID) and the Chamber of Commerce. Designated Historic Buildings and Sites Page 2-10 Paragraph 3 Replace entire paragraph with the following: Four Buildings are currently on the National Register: The Freeman House, 220 North 3 rd Street was built in 1903 for R.B. and Lydia Freeman and son R.W. It is was built by Arthur Symes at a time transition between architectural styles. It is a blend of the Queen Anne and the Shingle Style with Colonial Revival features. The Freeman House was put on the National Register in 2002. Glen Park Municipal Swimming Pool began in 1933 as a Civil Works Administration (CWA) project and completed in 1937 as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project and opened on August 12, 1937 and is still in use today. North and South Halls, located on the University of Wisconsin River Falls campus. South Hall was the original Normal School building constructed in 1898 on the site of an earlier building that was destroyed by fire. South Hall is recognized for its Romanesque Revival architecture and was put on the National Register in 1976. North Hall was constructed in 1914 with an addition in 1927. North Hall is recognized for the important role the University has played in the development of the City of River Falls. North Hall Was put on the National Register in 1986. Currently Under Review Glen Park Suspension Footbridge The Glen Park Suspension Footbridge was built in 1925 in order to connect pedestrian traffic north of Cascade Avenue to Glen Park, which was established as a city park in 1898. The bridge was designed and built by the Minneapolis Bridge Company who had just completed the Junction Falls Bridge (no longer extant). Financing for the construction of the bridge, which cost a reported $4,800, was raised by the Women s Improvement League, who had a long history with improvements made to Glen Park. Work on the bridge began in July 1925 and was completed in October of 1925. In 1986, the bridge was rehabilitated and it continues to serve as a pedestrian access to Glen Park. In 2017 the City completed a National Register Nomination for the Swinging Bridge. The nomination is currently under review by the National Park Service.