Historic Preservation Commission

IDAHO FALLS HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION Regular Meeting Thursday, December 7, 2023 12:00 p.m., Annex Conference Room Minutes Members Present: Christopher White (Chair), Julie Anglesey (Vice-Chair), Kim Smith, Tasha Taylor, Katie Sivil Also Present: Caitlin Long (Planner), David Peterson (Planner) Meeting Called to Order: Christopher White called the meeting to order at 12:02 p.m. Minutes: Tasha made a motion to approve the minutes from October 5, 2023. Julie seconded the motion and the motion passed unanimously. Historic Preservation Plan - Bid Review: Long provided the Commission with a timeline for the Plan and said we are to the point of reviewing Bids and selecting a consultant. She said that she reached out to four consultants, and we received one bid from Kirk Huffaker who did the St. Johns nomination. Taylor thought the BID looked great and it matched what the grant is. The Commission asked Long what she thought of the BID and Long stated that she thought it looked good and that Huffaker has been very responsive. She told the Commission that SHPO has reviewed the BID and they were impressed with his outreach. White said that there are other sources but figured Huffaker would track them down. White said Huffaker is obviously quite qualified. Katie made a motion to approve the proposal for the Idaho Falls Historic Preservation Plan to be done by Kirk Huffaker and his company Preservation Strategies. Tasha seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 2024 Meeting Schedule: Long explained that there would need to be extra meetings in 2024 with two dates focused on just the Plan. She proposed meeting dates for 2024 as February 1st, April 4th, June 6th, August 1st, October 3rd, and December 5th, with May 2nd and July 11th as special meeting dates. These dates work better for staff as the city is rolling out new software in March. Public outreach is also another reason to push the special meeting dates to May and July. She said the heavy lifting for the Commission will be the public outreach. Huffaker did the Historic Preservation Plan for Teton County and their Commission went above and beyond and took it to farmers markets and their other Boards and Commissions. Knowing this, the further into the summer for the special meeting dates the better. The Commission decided that the dates Long suggested were good for them. South Downtown Form Based Code Presentation: Because there are new Commission members Long wanted to give a quick explanation of Form Based Codes. She told the Commission that in the Planning world they have traditional zoning, also called Euclidian Zoning and Form Based Zoning. Long said that Euclidian Zoning is a separation of uses, where a Form Based Code is based on form. It’s a way to worry less of what’s in the building than what the building looks like. How do people interact with the space. In 2018 the city approved the Downtown Form Based Code. In October 2023 the City Council adopted the South Downtown Form Based Code. This is all one code, with the South Downtown Form Based code being an addition to the Downtown Form Based Code. Long gave a brief presentation explaining the new South Downtown Form Based Code. She said the purpose of the code is to promote public health, safety, and general welfare of the community, reflecting the goals established within the City. It includes but is not limited to the specific purposes below: To achieve mixed use development that is appropriate in scale and intensity for neighborhoods and sites in adopted Place Types. To establish a relationship between buildings, streets, and open spaces that is pedestrian, bicycle, and transit oriented. To preserve and enhance the City’s natural resources, energy, water, and open spaces and to promote innovative development that sustainably manages these resources, including stormwater runoff and mitigation of the urban heat island effect. To ensure that a variety of housing types and sizes can be developed to meet the needs of the community. To promote a variety of transportation options for residents and visitors. Sivil asked if the city only utilizes the Form Based Code in Downtown Idaho Falls. Long said that it is currently only in Downtown but may spread to other areas in the future. Roundtable Discussion: White informed the HPC that there was a documentary on PBS regarding the Idaho Nuclear Navy. Long collected timesheets for SHPO grants with St. Johns Church. No further discussion Meeting Adjourned at 12:31 p.m. Respectfully Submitted Ann Peterson, Recording Secretary