Everett Historical Commission

DRAFT Everett Historical Commission Minutes May 26, 2015 Members Present Members Absent Visitors City Staff Neil Anderson Bobby Olsen Judy Tuohy, City Council Dave Koenig Bill Vincent Laura Cameron-Behee Steve & Julie Berry Jan Meston Jack O’Donnell Michael Whitney Ross Johnson Arnold Morrison Dave Ramstad Mark Soine Bob Jackson Steve Fox Larry Hachtel Jim Staniford Dale Good Allan White Jack O’Donnell: I am the Vice Chair sitting in for Bobby Olsen, Chair, who is absent this evening. Approval of Minutes Jack O’Donnell: The Chair would entertain a motion to approve the minutes of the last meeting. Mark Soine moved to approve the minutes. Neil seconded the motion and noted two corrections. With those corrections, the minutes were unanimously approved. Citizen Comments Bob Jackson: You all got a copy of a draft and a revised draft of the proposed plaque about the Everett Massacre that is going to go on a boulder at the west foot of Hewitt Avenue. This has been in the making for about 10 years. We started by clearing the street end that has been abandoned at the west end of Hewitt. The Port Gardner Neighborhood had a work party down there. It was full of blackberries and other non-natives. We cleaned it up, planted a few trees and let a few trees go. We always talked about that being a place in the future to remember the Everett Massacre. As years went by, Dave Ramstad reminded us that 2016 was coming, the 100th anniversary of the Massacre. We had a more elaborate proposal about 10 years ago. Gene Fosheim’s students in architecture theory at Lake Washington Tech made a couple of models and brought them to the neighborhood association. We talked those over but no further action was ever taken. We have been taking care of that area ever since. The railroad has proposed to fill in that area, remove the bridge and put the tracks on the raised berm. The City has attached some pretty strict requirements to the project; the railroad has appealed those conditions. It is certainly possible that at some time in the future that area will be filled in. We have a boulder picked out. The City has given us one, so we can spend all our money on the plaque. We have $400 from Port Gardner and $400 from Bayside this year. The plaque will eat up most of that money. If we start with a plaque on a boulder this year and if the railroad project on the site has been decided by late summer or early fall, we can place the boulder. It can be moved in the future. One of the conditions is that if the railroad does put a berm there, they need to install an elevated platform that the public can walk up to. If the railroad project is still undecided in late fall, we can just hold the plaque and wait until a decision is issued on the railroad project. At some time in the future, it would be good to expand on that to make the area a little more park-like. I have until June 13th to accept the plaque order or not, but it is pretty much ready to go. Jack wrote the text and many folks have made comments. Most people agreed on the font. One comment on the text was that they liked the phrase “at City Dock.” The boulder we have committed is off 26th and West Marine View Drive in the weeds on the west side of the street. We will drill into the boulder and the plaque company supplies the studs which will go into the boulder. They won’t have any kind of a screw with a head on it. Jack O’Donnell: Thank you being the person who is finally doing this. I also want to thank you for the work you’ve done at Forgotten Creek. Have you seen Steve Fox’s comments on the plaque? Bob Jackson: Yes. A lot of you have made comments, and additional comments are welcome. I have looked seriously at the comments I have received. Jack O’Donnell: Does anyone have any comments? Allan White: I like the font on the revised draft. It’s a little blockier and probably easier to read from a distance. Jim Staniford: I prefer option D but with the font change. I like the title on the top. Jack O’Donnell: Would you like us to take action on this? Bob Jackson: No, you don’t need to take action. I’m going to order it. The letters will be 3/8-inch high. Thank you. Dave Ramstad: A common subject of discussion among many Everettites is that the City doesn’t know how to promote itself. I came across this pamphlet in the Skagit Herald celebrating Sedro Woolley – a “Visitors and Newcomers Guide to a Special Corner of NW Washington.” It includes two pages or more on the Sedro Woolley Museum. I assume the advertisers pay for it. I brought it to share this evening. Thank you for your time. Steve Berry: My wife and I live in south central Everett alongside the Bruskrud Road Park Parcel. I just want to thank those of you who are volunteers for the time you are taking out of your lives to deal with issues in Everett. Thank you. Commission Comments Steve Fox: The National Park website for National Register properties doesn’t seem to have any information of substance on the Hewitt Avenue National Register District, not does the City’s website. Could something be done about that? Jan Meston: I will look into that. 2 Steve Fox: Is there something that could be done about our historic overlay sidewalks so that the patterns in the sidewalk would match the existing ones when they replace sidewalks? They have a grid pattern and the color could match better. Is that something we could put into the overlay guidelines so when the city replaces sidewalks they would match the existing ones? Jan Meston: I will look into that, too. Ross Johnson: I have looked into that before. They do try to match, but when the city puts in sidewalks, they are supposed to put lamp black into the concrete to color the sidewalks to match the older ones. But it is hard to match. Over time the sidewalks change color to blend in. Mark Soine: Maybe that is called for in the code, but I have yet to see them do that in north Everett. They make big panels, not the small grids. The Public Works Department doesn’t seem to care. It used to be that the old guys in Public Works had some pride in making the sidewalks match, but they never match them anymore. On the new curb cuts for the handicapped there was no effort to match. Jack O’Donnell: I think that is a good suggestion as well. Neil Anderson: At last month’s meeting Mark mentioned the big speed indicator sign at 19th and Rucker. It seems like it’s gone. Mark Soine: It is gone. It was good to see it gone. Neil Anderson: Several meetings ago Bobby Olsen talked about Pybus Market in Wenatchee. I went over there two weekends ago to look at it. It is a great facility. They have done a great job. Their tourist information includes information about it. You might want to take a look at it. Additions to the Agenda There were no additions to the agenda. Public Hearing on Proposed Name for Bruskrud Road Park Parcel, “South Everett Forest Preserve” Jan Meston: Paul Kaftanski spoke to the Historical Commission about this proposal at the last meeting. The hearing this evening is not about the park master plan. It is about the proposed name for the 15-acre park. Jack O’Donnell: I will open the public hearing on this proposal. Is there anyone who would like to comment on the proposed name? Dave Koenig: For the record, the Board of Park Commissioners considered this proposal and recommended approval of the name as proposed. Dave Ramstad: As we heard from Paul Kaftanski at the last meeting, this strip of forest will remain undeveloped indefinitely. If that is the case, I think this is a perfectly appropriate name, “South Everett Forest Preserve.” If the time comes when some part of it is developed for public use, then maybe more hearings and more debate would be appropriate for a more specific name. But this sounds just fine to me now. Thank you. 3 Dave Koenig: My understanding is that there will be trails through the site and a portion of it will be a more active recreational area as Paul Kaftanski explained last time, to replace what was lost at Silver Lake. So there is some area that will be developed. If you are interested in the uses, I encourage you to get involved with the Parks Department on their master plan. Jack O’Donnell: Any comments from the Commission? (There were no comments.) I would entertain a motion on the proposed name. Allan White moved to approve the name “South Everett Forest Preserve” as proposed. Mark Soine seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 7:03 p.m. 4