Historic Preservation Commission

Edwardsville Historic Preservation Commission November Meeting Minutes Date: Wednesday, November 14, 2018 Time: 7pm Place: Council Chambers, City of Edwardsville City Hall, 118 Hillsboro Avenue, Edwardsville, IL 62025 I. CALL TO ORDER Commission Chairman Jennifer Plocher Wilkins called the meeting to order at 7pm. II. ROLL CALL Present: Kurt Ackerman, Ryan Downey, Joe Hutton, Tom May, Kerry Smith, Casey Weeks and Jennifer Plocher Wilkins (excused absences: Jeanne Coyle, Bob Nickrent, Andrew Payne) III. CITIZENS WISHING TO ADDRESS HPC 1. Karen Zimmerman, property owner at 1301 N. Main Street, presented the commission with a PowerPoint and asked the city to take a proactive approach developing the site known as Rusty’s. She also presented historical information. IV. COA DESIGN REVIEW a. COA #1: 1231 Lindenwood Avenue, property owners are Jim and Christy Ferguson. Replacement of second-story windows only. The property is in the Leclaire Historic District. Existing windows are wooden windows…addition is estimated to have been added in 1960s (it doesn’t match the ground-floor windows). Twin, single-hung windows that appear as double-hung windows. They’re proposing putting one window in each of the bedrooms. Existing window space is 63 inches wide. Replacement window would be 36 inches wide. Kurt Ackerman says width of windows (placement) on second floor should match width (not height) of ground-floor windows so the windows line up on both floors. Kerry Smith moved, Casey Weeks seconded to split the COA into 2 parts (Part I: Replacing windows, Part II: Replacing front porch pillars) for discussion/action. Motion unanimously approved. Part I: Replace with two 32-inch window units separated by 5 inches (to give the appearance of a weight box) in family room (front side of home, facing Lindenwood Ave) and 36-inch windows on back side (bedrooms). Joe Hutton moved, Ryan Downey seconded. Roll call vote: Unanimously approved. Part II: Keep the front porch pillars that are there, replace the trim, add a new center column and add square blocks. Joe Hutton and Kurt Ackerman say tapered box columns would be more historically accurate (than square box columns). The columns already there could remain and a tapered façade could be added around them (wrap them with tapered material). Kurt Ackerman made a motion that porch posts be tapered, Tom May seconded it. Roll call vote: 4-3 in favor of requiring tapered columns (Yes votes in favor: Kurt Ackerman, Joe Hutton, Tom May and Casey Weeks; no votes: Ryan Downey, Kerry Smith, Jennifer Plocher Wilkins).  b. COA #2: 837 Holyoake, property owner is Robert Hohn. He is requesting to install side dormer windows. Tom May made a motion, Kurt Ackerman seconded it, to also divide this COA into 2 parts for discussion and action; unanimous approval to make the split. Part I: Chimney – Joe Hutton moved that brick chimney be restored with a liner made of stainless steel pipe for exhaust if necessary. Roll call vote: unanimous yes to approve (Kurt Ackerman, Ryan Downey, Joe Hutton, Tom May, Kerry Smith, Casey Weeks, Jennifer Plocher Wilkins) Part II: Dormer windows: Casey Weeks made the motion, Tom May seconded it. Dormer windows: Joe Hutton made a motion and Casey Weeks seconded to deny allowing the owner to change the side dormer windows. Roll call vote: unanimous in denying part II of this COA. c. COA #3: 1201 N. Main Street, Owner is Keller Excavating LLC; Request is to approve demolition permit for the site formerly known as Rusty’s (restaurant). Casey Weeks cited a section in the HPC code that “no COA will be issued until a replacement structure is approved.” Kurt Ackerman said a citizen suggested that the city hire a licensed structural engineer for a professional opinion as to whether the historic Pogue Store walls (circa 1820) would stand. Joe Hutton says there’s no reason why these walls can’t be shored, protected and left intact during demolition. Casey Weeks made a motion to discuss the COA, Tom May seconded. Discussion ensued. Casey Weeks also made a motion to table any HPC vote on this COA (re: demolition) until plans are approved for the new structure (Kurt Ackerman seconded). Roll call vote on motion to table the COA: unanimously in favor or tabling. Walter Williams reported that the ACS Committee will discuss this at its Nov. 29 meeting, and that the developer has a deadline of Dec. 15. Williams also said he polled each city council member and each was in favor of going ahead with dem d. COA #4: 722 Holyoake, Edwardsville Children’s Museum. Tom May made the motion, Kurt Ackerman seconded for discussion. Proposal: New greenhouse. SIUE student Mike Cierney spoke and identified this project as part of his education. The wood frame greenhouse will not be a permanent structure. Casey Weeks motioned to approve greenhouse, Ryan Downey seconded. Roll call vote: unanimous in favor of approval. V. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF HPC MEETING in October 2018: Tom May motioned, Casey Weeks seconded a motion to approve the minutes (with minor additions). Unanimous vote to approve. VI. FINANCIAL REPORT VII. CORRESPONDENCE a. Casey Weeks recommends that the HPC purchase a new book entitled Why Old Places Matter by author Thompson Mayes (an attorney for the National Trust for Historic Preservation) to be added to the HPC’s library. VIII. COMMITTEE REPORTS a. Atta-boy letters – none at this time b. Historic districts and Landmarks updates  1. Leclaire Park Fest: Casey Weeks reported that the fest celebrated its most successful year yet in terms of number of vendors. successful park fest. IX. OLD BUSINESS a. Mural – Joe Hutton presented a full report and update on attempts to move/remove the mural from the former public safety headquarters on North Main Street. Joe says there was additional time spent studying how the 1-by-1 tiles might be removed. Sadly, these mosaic tiles were set in a mortar bed with a very hard makeup…they were not set over any substrate that would allow for recovery. (Rather, they’d been set directly on concrete block.) Also, the grout is equally rigid. Hutton said it would require free- handing the grout material out from the tiles – and since there’s no differentiation in the textures, one wouldn’t be able to tell if one were cutting the grout or the mortar bed. As a result, the mosaic tiles would likely appear wavy looking and not straight. Hutton’s opinion: This is not the way to remove the tiles. (In other words, there isn’t a means of removing tiles without cutting down the entire wall.) Edwardsville Public Works Director Eric Williams said a 3D image scan of the mosaic was performed, but that the result wasn’t of the quality to be reproduceable at full scale. Williams said he is waiting on a quote to effectively capture the imaging. b. Manny Jackson Center Reception – Casey Weeks is still awaiting an answer from Dale Chapman, PhD, on his availability to be recognized by the city and the HPC for an award that he received two months ago in Chicago. Jennifer Plocher Wilkins will contact Mayor Hal Patton and request that this recognition be added to the city council’s Dec. 4th meeting agenda. Casey Weeks will then invite Dr. Chapman to the meeting, where a proclamation can be read honoring him. c. Casey Weeks hasn’t yet checked on any available state historic preservation grants since the Nov. election, but she agreed to check the IHPA website (to see if any new info is posted yet). X. NEW BUSINESS a. Holiday Party Location – after HPC’s regular meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 12th, Tom May will host the HPC holiday party at his house (and as such, he gets to miss the Dec. meeting). b. Casey Weeks is working on a paper documenting the preservation efforts of Lewis and Clark Community College to present at 2019 state conference on historic preservation. c. The work that continues to take place on David Kilby’s house (St. Louis St.) is excellent – blond brick…future atta-boy letter. Two years of work done so far. d. Regarding the recent City of Edwardsville open house for potential zoning changes, Jennifer Plocher Wilkins read the zoning consultant’s report and let him know that there are indeed design guidelines downtown (contrary to what he said in his report). She has more questions and plans to meet with Emily Fultz (the city’s director of planning). e. Ryan Downey: The Childrens Museum has asked about adding a free reading library. Ryan has offered to build it, and asked if HPC would like to stock it with books and sponsor it. All HPC members present agreed in favor of doing so. XI. ADJOURNMENT: Our next regular HPC meeting is Wednesday, December 12, 2018. With a motion by Kurt Ackerman and a second from Tom May, the Nov. 14th meeting adjourned at 8:36 p.m. Minutes respectfully recorded and submitted by Kerry Smith