Elgin Heritage Commission
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ELGIN HERITAGE COMMISSION Tuesday, September 3, 2019 7:00pm City Council Chambers, 2nd Floor North Tower 150 Dexter Court, Elgin, IL 60120 AGENDA A. Call Meeting to Order and Roll Call B. Approval of Minutes 1. August 6, 2019 C. Recognize Persons Present D. Plaque Applications 1. 263-267 Douglas Avenue 2. 269-271 Douglas Avenue E. Old Business 1. Reports from Neighborhood Groups on Heritage Related Activities 2. 2019 Elgin Heritage Commission Goals a. Historic Resources Survey (No Update) b. Elgin Historic District and Landmark Design Guidelines (No Update) c. Update to requirements for Heritage and Sears Plaque applications F. New Business 1. December Plaque Awards – Tuesday, December 3, 2019 a. Potentially eight plaques will be awarded b. Discuss ideas for the lecture/presentation 2. Funding Request by the Downtown Neighborhood Association – Design Committee for supplies to move and secure the Crocker Theater façade pieces G. Other Business 1. Upcoming Events a. Historic Elgin House Walk – September 7th and 8th, 9:00AM-4:00PM, check in at 364 Division Street b. Silent City Memorial Dedication – September 14th at 3:00PM, Bluff City Cemetery c. Elgin History Museum – Bluff City Cemetery Walk – September 22nd at 11:00AM- 3:00PM, Bluff City Cemetery d. Silent City Speaks Theater Production – September 29th at 4:00PM, Iglesia Principe de Paz H. Adjournment THE CITY OF ELGIN IS SUBJECT TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1990. INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES WHO PLAN TO ATTEND THIS MEETING AND WHO REQUIRED CERTAIN ACCOMMODATIONS IN ORDER TO ALLOW THEM TO OBSERVE AND/OR PARTICIPATE IN THIS MEETING, OR WHO HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING THE ACCESSIBILITY OF THE MEETING OR THE FACILITIES, ARE REQUESTED TO CONTACT THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, ADA COORDINATOR AT (847) 931-5620 {TDD (847) 931-5616} PROMPTLY TO ALLOW THE CITY OF ELGIN TO MAKE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THOSE PERSONS. City of Elgin Elgin Heritage Commission August 6, 2019 Proposed Minutes A. The meeting of the Elgin Heritage Commission was called to order at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers by Chairman John Wiedmeyer. 1. Members Present: Brian Anderson, Len Govednik, Rebecca Hunter, John Marston, John Regan (7:03), George Rowe, Scott Savel, Steven Thoren (7:01) and John Wiedmeyer 2. Members Absent: None 3. City Staff Present: Christen Sundquist, Historic Preservation Planner B. Approval of Minutes: 1. A motion was made by Commissioner Anderson to approve the April 2, 2019 minutes with the following amendments, under adjournment the name “Rose” to “Rowe.” The motion was seconded by Commissioner Rowe. The motion passed 5-0-4 (Govednik and Hunter abstained; Thoren and Regan absent). 2. A motion was made by Commissioner Rowe to approve the June 2, 2019 minutes as submitted. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Marston. The motion passed 5-0-4 (Govednik and Hunter abstained; Thoren and Regan absent). C. Recognize Persons Present: Janine Hnatusko (public) The Commission welcomed new committee members Len Govednik and Rebecca Hunter and gave introductions. D. Plaque applications: 1. 461 Division Street – The plaque nomination received the following average scores: Historic Significance 8.38; Architectural Significance: 7.13; Current Maintenance: 6.50. A motion was made by Commissioner Savel to approve awarding the plaque for the property with the inscription that would read G. W. (George Willard) Reed, 1890. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Thoren. The motion passed 8-0-1 (Hunter abstained). 2. 52 N. Crystal Street – The plaque nomination received the following average scores: Historic Significance 9.00; Architectural Significance: 7.43; Current Maintenance: 7.29. A motion was made by Commissioner Anderson to approve awarding the plaque for the property with the inscription that would read W. & C. (William and Caroline) Kimball, c. 1870. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Marston. The motion passed 7-0-2 (Hunter and Savel abstained). Elgin Heritage Commission: Minutes Page 2 August 6, 2019 3. 315 Mountain Street – The plaque nomination received the following average scores: Historic Significance 8.57; Architectural Significance: 7.14; Current Maintenance: 7.29. A motion was made by Commissioner Anderson to approve awarding the plaque for the property with the inscription that would read W. & C. (William and Caroline) Kimball, c. 1870. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Thoren. The motion passed 7-0-2 (Hunter and Savel abstained). 4. 326 McClure Avenue – The plaque nomination received the following average scores: Historic Significance 6.67; Architectural Significance: 6.11; Current Maintenance: 7.11. A motion was made by Commissioner Savel to approve awarding the plaque for the property with the inscription that would read A. & L. (August and Lena) Podewills, 1906. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Hunter. The motion passed unanimously. E. Old Business 1. Reports from Neighborhood Groups on Heritage Related Activities a. Commissioner Rowe gave an update on the work at the Nancy Kimball House (302 W. Chicago Street) noting that the south elevation work is underway with tuckpointing, repairs, new door and surround has been ordered and the investigation of the limestone sill at the front door entry. b. Commissioner Rowe also reported on the successful car show that the Elgin History Museum hosted and they hope to expand next year. It was mentioned that Commissioners Savel and Thoren both won awards for their antique vehicles. c. Commissioner Thoren stated that there are new owners at 920 W. Highland Avenue and that the home was rehabbed prior to their purchase. He stated that the home was painted white but he was given permission to add a bit of color to the porch to highlight the details. The new homeowners seemed enthusiastic about living in a historic home and are planning on painting the remaining detail to match that on the porch. d. Commissioner Anderson reported that the Northeast Neighborhood Association has a watchful eye on a significant building that’s being threatened with possible demolition in the neighborhood. It was noted that the building is not located within the historic district. 2. 2019 Elgin Heritage Commission Goals a. Historic Resources Survey No update. b. Elgin Historic District and Landmark Design Guidelines Staff stated that she is continually working on the update to the guidelines and will provide the Commission updates on her progress. The goal is to provide the amendments for review and approval to City Council in the fall. Elgin Heritage Commission: Minutes Page 3 August 6, 2019 c. Update to requirements for Heritage and Sears Plaque applications The Commission briefly touched on the adjusted guidelines for the plaque applications but are planning on revisiting this at the September meeting. F. New Business 1. Elgin Heritage Commission Budget Review Staff gave a recap of past expenses and the remaining funds left in the account. She noted upcoming expenses and asked the Commission approve the funding. Commissioner Savel made the motion to approve the renewal of memberships in the total of $200; the renewal of the Historic Elgin website fees of a total of $236, and the approval of the funding of 5 new plaques and 4 replacement plaques for an amount of $171.00. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Regan. The motion passed unanimously. 2. Plaque Replacement The Commissioners agreed that they will continue to replace the plaques for no cost to the homeowner. However, they noted there will come a time when they receive a large amount of replacement requests that they will not be able to fund due to the minimal budget that is given to them. 3. Renew Memberships: NAPC and Landmarks Illinois The renewal of the memberships were covered under the budget review. G. Other Business 1. Commissioner Marston and the other commissioners gave their condolences to Commissioner Thoren for the loss of his father. 2. Staff reminded the Commissioners of the upcoming Solar Systems on Historic Structures presentation that she along with the Citizens Utility Board will be giving on Thursday, August 8, 2019. She encouraged the members to join as it will be informative and also located at the historic 1967 Kane County landmark designed by John Schmidtke. H. Adjournment A motion was made by Commissioner Savel to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Regan and passed unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 9:02 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Christen Sundquist, Historic Preservation Planner Community Development Department Approved: Scoring Guidelines for Heritage Commission Plaque Applications Introduction The Elgin Heritage Commission plaque program recognizes buildings with both historic and architectural merit. The program is intended to promote preservation and awareness of Elgin’s past. The plaque is an acknowledgment of the owner’s efforts to research and document the building’s history and to maintain these structures as worthy examples of architectural style. The buildings and owners which receive plaques serve as role models for the larger community to emulate. The buildings become “reference books” for use in teaching others about our architectural and cultural heritage. There are a large number of “kit” or “catalog” homes in Elgin. These buildings were originally constructed using precut lumber and other materials largely supplied by a single source. The buildings were marketed through catalogs and sold by Sears, Roebuck and Company and other firms. The Heritage Commission plaque program recognizes these homes with a special plaque that documents the name of the original owner, the date of construction and the model name. The following guidelines help to delineate the criteria used to evaluate a building and merit receiving the special status of being awarded a plaque. Scoring Guidelines The scoring guidelines use three indices to assess an application. These cover the following considerations: 1. Architectural Considerations 2. Historical Considerations 3. Maintenance Considerations Each of these indices has a point scale from 0 to 10.