Historic District Commission

MANISTEE CITY HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION Special Meeting of Wednesday, August 4th, 2021 This meeting will be held in the City Council Chambers. AGENDA I Call to Order II Roll Call III Approval of Agenda At this time, the Historic District Commission can take action to approve the August 4, 2021, Agenda. IV Approval of Minutes V Public Comment on Agenda Related items At this time, the Chair will ask if there are any public comments. VI New Business • Guideline changes for Murals VII Old Business Permit Review VIII Public Comments and Communications concerning items not on the agenda. At this time, the Chair will ask if there are any public comments. IX Correspondence X Reports DDA Executive & Economic Development Director Museum Curator Museum Director Planning & Zoning Administrator XI Members Discussion At this time, the Chair will ask members of the Historic District Commission if they have any items they want to discuss. XII Adjournment 1 Historic District Commission Zachary Sompels 07/28/2021 Manistee County Planner 395 3rd St. Historic District Commission Manistee, MI 49660 70 Maple Street 231.723.6041 planning@manisteecountymi.gov Manistee, MI 49660 www.manisteemi.gov Dear Historic District Commission, At previous meetings, there has been discussion about the potential for Murals being allowed within the City of Manistee Historic District. As the language currently sits, murals are only allowed in areas that have previously had a mural and that have photographic evidence of such. After working with the DDA and the Museum Director, I have compiled an update to the Mural guidelines that allows Murals to be more accepted within the district. The red strike through portion in the provided guidelines represents language that is to be omitted while nearly all the rest of the language has been added and curated from other Historic Districts throughout the country to suit the needs of Manistee. My hope is for the Historic District Commission to discuss the language as presented and adjust as they feel necessary to allow for a broader use of Murals. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Zachary Sompels Manistee County Planner  Historic District Commission Planning & Zoning Department 70 Maple Street Manistee, MI 49660 231.398.2805 www.manisteemi.gov Guideline #11 - Murals These Guidelines have been developed by the Historic District Commission to assist applicants. Each request will be reviewed individually by the Commission based on its own merit. Exceptions to these guidelines may be made by the Commission on a case by case basis. The examples used in the guidelines reflect buildings in the district which are Victorian, but alterations to a building should reflect the era in which the building was constructed. The Historic District Commission uses the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation as interpreted by the Preservation Briefs. Copies are available at the Manistee County Historical Museum and the Planning & Zoning Department at City Hall. The Historic District Commission is sensitive to the desire for property owners to enhance their Buildings in the Manistee Commercial Historic District. The Historic District Commission has developed this policy to assist in the request for murals in the district. The Historic District Commission recognizes that murals were used in the Historic District. Typically, murals were signs that were painted onto an exterior wall of the building that related to a business or product that was sold in the building. Definition Mural: Painted graphics that are murals, mosaics, or any type of graphic arts that are painted on a firewall, fence, alley or retaining wall and do not contain copy, advertising symbols, lettering, trademarks, or other reference to the premises, products or services that are provided on the premises where the graphics are located or any other premises. Location The context of the building and the surrounding area is a critical component to the evaluation of an appropriate location for a mural. Murals are only allowed as a reproduction of a previous mural located on the wall of the building. Photographic evidence must accompany the application. A mural may only be placed on an exterior wall that have previously been painted. Natural brick or stone my not be painted for a mural. Existing paint on these materials can be chemically removed (no sandblasting) or repainted. Historic District Commission Guideline #11 - Murals Converted from a Policy (Adopted 7/9/09 to a Guideline on 11/17/11) Page 1 A mural location is ultimately decided by the Historic District Commission. A mural is not allowed to be mounted onto the building. This could cause damage from moisture/condensation behind the attached panel. When a building owner is considering adding a Mural to their building application must be made to the Historic District Commission for consideration. Murals and public art may be permissible within the guidelines supporting historic objectives on secondary facades. Secondary facades are those facades facing the Manistee River i.e. the Riverwalk. If the buildings’ architecture contributes significantly to the historic feel from the Riverwalk murals should be discouraged. Murals should not compete with or overwhelm existing architectural features such as windows with trim, moldings, entryways, or similar detailing. Do not engulf key architectural features with murals. Applicants must provide a budget for the project, and, if the project is approved, funding must be in place before work begins. Visual imagery must be appropriate for all audiences (not reflecting partisan politics or containing sexual, religious, or violent content or expressing a commercial aspect, etc.). Any mural that is not maintained, faded, or is in disrepair shall be ordered removed or covered with opaque paint, similar to the primary building materials/colors or other appropriate material by the Historic District Commission. Presentation materials must include: Photos of the proposed location of the mural and complete wall measurements Color drawing that adequately illustrates the proposed mural including actual color, finishes, and material samples with their locations designated on the mural drawing. How the mural considers the social dynamic of the location. How the artwork considers the historical, geographical, and cultural features of the city/county as well as the relationship to existing architecture, landscaping, and streetscape. Statement regarding the durability of the artwork and its potential to require ongoing maintenance. Signed statement by the property owner giving permission for the mural. Historic District Commission Guideline #11 - Murals Converted from a Policy (Adopted 7/9/09 to a Guideline on 11/17/11) Page 2 The Historic District Commission reserves the right to deny mural proposals based upon the City of Manistee policies and the qualifications stated herein. Historic District Commission Guideline #11 - Murals Converted from a Policy (Adopted 7/9/09 to a Guideline on 11/17/11) Page 3