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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-12-01Meridian Historic Preservation Commission December 1, 2005 Page 1 of 9 City of Meridian Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Meridian City Hall – Mayors Conference Room December 1, 2005 Minutes The regularly scheduled meeting of the City of Meridian Historic Preservation Commission was called to order at 5:15 P.M., Thursday, December 1, 2005 by Chairman Walter Lindgren. Members Present: Walter Lindgren, Tom Hammond, Frank Thomason, Carol Harms Members Absent: Steve Turney Others Present: Will Berg (staff) Item 1: Roll-Call Attendance: Roll-call: __X__ Walter Lindgren – Chair __X__ Frank Thomason __X _ Tom Hammonds – Vice __X__ Carol Harms __O__ Steve Turney Item 2: Adoption of the Agenda: Lindgren: I guess we need a motion for the adoption of the agenda. Hammonds: I move we adopt the December 1, 2005 agenda. Is that what you want me to do? Harms: Second. Lindgren: Any discussion? Call the previous question. All those in favor? ALL AYES. MOTION CARRIED. Item 3: Adoption of November 3, 2005 Meeting Minutes: Lindgren: Has everybody had a chance to read and do you have any comments, questions? Thomason: Just one might need correction on page 2 of 3. Mortar I think is spelled “ar” not “er”. Hammond: What page – where is that? Thomason: On the last, next to the last paragraph – brick and mortar place. City of Meridian Historic Preservation Commission December 1, 2005 Page 2 of 9 Lindgren: Oh, yeah. That would be good. Thomason: Yes, it is very important to correct that. Harms: So noted. Lindgren: We have got a lot of issues to discuss. Berg: We will get this corrected and get you a co rrected copy, Mr. Chair. Lindgren: Any other discussion? Would you like to do a motion to adopt the corrected meeting minutes? Thomason: I will make that motion. Hammond: Second. Lindgren: Call the previous question. All those in favor? ALL AYES. MOTION CARRIED. Item 4: Finalizing Emily Peeso’s Public Presentation Event: Lindgren: I am not sure if we’ve settled anything yet, have we? Hammond: Is there a timeframe that we have to have her present it by? Lindgren: You know, I don’t think so. She has been compensated and I think it’s just something that she owes, but I think it would be more important – time is important, but my take on it is I think it’s getting her in front of the appropriate group is more important. Hammond: I talked with Teri at the Chamber and she said if I were to change with the program Chairman for the program in February and I sort of volunteered to do that. Lindgren: Okay, for February. Hammond: January is already taken. Lindgren: That is understandable. Hammond: If that is soon enough. The first and third Thursday of – I don’t have my planner with me. Lindgren: And that is at lunch? OK. That’s the first and third. City of Meridian Historic Preservation Commission December 1, 2005 Page 3 of 9 Hammond: Yeah, but I don’t have anybody else for the other Thursday, so she can do the first or the third. Lindgren: Oh, okay. Do you want to confirm that date please? Hammond: Oh, I am sorry, Tuesday. (Inaudible discussion) Harms: And then I ran into her at the reception that evening. (Inaudible) She is excited about that. Lindgren: Oh, yea I think so too. So, that is the third – Hammond: The third or the 17th of February. Lindgren: Of February? Hammond: I am sorry, that’s January. The 7th or the 21st. Lindgren: And these are at lunch, right? And the Chamber meets at? Hammond: At the Nazarene Church. Thomason: The Valley Shepard. Lindgren: That is the one right off of Main Street, correct? Thomason: Across the alley from the Valley Times. Harms: The next corner down. (Inaudible discussion) Lindgren: Okay, very good. I think that is great. I can go ahead and contact her and let her know about that. Hammond: And let me know which one she wants and I will figure out – Lindgren: Okay, we will push for the seventh, but if it doesn’t work, we will do the 21st. That is great. She also, just to let you know, she emailed me just wanting to kind of get a heads up on what is coming up this year and I think Emily has done a good job for us and I would like to continue using her where it is appropriate a nd where we need her services. So, I just communicated that back to her in very broad terms, but I said we haven’t really had a chance to get our arms around what we are doing this year, so until City of Meridian Historic Preservation Commission December 1, 2005 Page 4 of 9 we do – but, I think she is kind of – you know, scheduled her year out to make sure that she is still on board with the project. Item 5: Ada County Making History Award – Application: Lindgren: I do have one other item, I guess to add and that was the – you have a copy of that and that was the application for where they are making history for Ada County this (inaudible) through the Ada County Commissioners and Historical Preservation Council, so the application is in. I have made copies for everybody. I think – you know take your time to look at it. Actually this is – the Mayor has been asked to be the official sponsor, which I think is a lot more weight than anyone of us, especially me. I think it reads well and I think has got a great shot assuming I understand the criteria – we were also kind of confused about what they were really looking for, but if we can kind of spin it to really address what Lila does because in so many words that’s what the award was looking for was somebody that leaving that legacy. I want to thank Frank with the wonderful text that he has written because that is verbatim everything that he wrote down – Thomason: No one could be more deserving of that award. Did they tell you or did Kurt tell you when we might know something? Lindgren: I know the event is in March at the State of the County Address. If you go to their website Ada County – yeah, the Historical Preservation Council, if you go on their website, it will probably tell you. I just don’t. Thomason: Thank you for making sure the deadline got met. Harms: That came up fast didn’t it? Thomason: And a heck of an idea to begin with. Lindgren: Well, I would agree. When I read it the first time I thought, here is something – you know Lila needs to be acknowledged for the work she has done. Hopefully they will see it the same way. From what I understand that even if they are not considered for this years that their application is kept on file as a consideration for the following years back. That would be good. Thank you, Frank. Thomason: Nicely written letter, too. Lindgren: Thanks the Mayor for that. Thomason: I agree with you on it coming from the Mayor’s Office is both appropriate and just more clout than our group. Lindgren: Any other discussion? City of Meridian Historic Preservation Commission December 1, 2005 Page 5 of 9 Item 6: Meridian Chamber of Commerce “Business After Hours” – February 2006: Hammond: We were talking about piggybacking onto the business after hours and I have got to call and I will keep following up on that. Lindgren: That was to – refresh my memory. Hammond: Well, we were going to throw out some pictures of the – and she has done it before and maybe highlight some of the houses we’ve done, the plaques and what they are doing. Lindgren: Yes, I think that would be great because by that time – well, I haven’t spoken to Mark lately – I need to get back in touch with him and see where we are with the signage. He had mentioned that he was going to give one last look at it because it needs a few twicks and we wish we had. I am hoping that it’s in a format like a PDF sort of document that I can electronically share with you guys and you guys can take a look at it and if anybody has some reservations or another you can let me know prior to next months meeting. But if we can get that one started and get some of these others started certainly by that time then have the photos – Hammonds: August 17th is the date for (Inaudible). That seems to be the most natural. Lindgren: I think so. I don’t think it’s a bad idea to start to think about it now. I think you have to plan ahead. Hammonds: Well, if you are like me. Lindgren: I am like you. Hammonds: I can’t believe I am seven months ahead. Item 7: Walking Tour: Harms: The only other thing that I would like to bring up is that I did go to that reception and I met some of the people from this group and one of the things that I would like to do is devote a little bit more time and meet with different Historic Preservation Commissions and let us know what they can do for us and what services they offer and what they can do with any group. We can get a good environment to talk a lot. I said sure we would love to hear. If there is something you can do that you want to do to help us out, we would love to talk about it. Lindgren: Steve Stallone was planning at some point to speak with us and I am not sure what his position is anyway. City of Meridian Historic Preservation Commission December 1, 2005 Page 6 of 9 Harms: Well, that’s not a name I remember anyway. This was a lady that I talked to and I can’t think of her name right now, but (Inaudible) was here and this was several different groups that were involved in that – but most of it was from – Lindgren: Craig Slocum knows, he is the chair of. Thomason: He is? The guy who is with MDC? Lindgren: Yeah. Harms: But they want to put together one of two more functions per year where all these smaller groups are invited to attend so we all can get together to talk and share with one another and find out what the main group has that they can offer us. Lindgren: I think that is neat and you know we should all talk about this, what do you call it, the camp, the National Association of Preservation Councils and Ann was really fired up about maybe having our group instigate – I mean that brings these professional guns into our community. You pay them a fee for coming, but if you can get more groups involved you can share those costs and they are really good about addressing some of the issues that you have questions to and they have been through and they understand how to address them or to kick start certain projects and so she was really fired up about us because that was one of the things that she (Inaudible). But I think starting with these guys first because there is no obligation first that makes sense. Harms: Then when my husband and I hosted one of the homes on the historic homes which I did that because I wanted to see will we ever reach that point? What is it that you do? How does this really work? It was very nice. They didn’t do much advertising this year, specifically. Lindgren: Did they have a good crowd? Harms: On purpose they didn’t advertise. Lindgren: I think the one reservation that I know is that we have one gentleman here in town that tend to not respect – I don’t know if you witnessed that at all or if people seem pretty much in line with these tours. Harms: Boy I am telling you there were three to four people assigned per house in your station like we were in. The first site was in the kitchen area where I could see this half of the house and somebody upstairs and you could see. We only had like four to five people at a time come through. Most of all, you had a group of ten congregated in one area, but they were split up and people were very respectful. If you had kids you had to keep them in tow. You couldn’t have strollers or anything banging around and people were very respectful. I was surprised at how respectful they were. Lindgren: How did the walk-ins go when you guys were doing it a few years back? City of Meridian Historic Preservation Commission December 1, 2005 Page 7 of 9 Thomason: Oh, gosh, well the ones that I remember would be like an outdoor tour here during Dairy Days and Lila would be doing it and they were fabulous. We have done other things. We have done somewhat you call arrangement tours with people in cars and go look at houses as long as you have someone like Lila. Was it the Centennial year with the trolley and so that the people could – that was a nifty little weekend. Lindgren: Do you think we could talk her into – when the weather clears up like in May or June to try and set something up? Thomason: Sure. Lindgren: Start planning about it now and get that kick started again and I certainly think with her assistance – Thomason: She had those little brochures that were really informative that lists all the places and may or may not hit everyone on there, but if Lila would redo it that would be fabulous. Hammonds: I think we ought to do like we did with the vets. We ought to take her around town with a recorder and have her just tell some of her stories about all of them because that is priceless. Harms: Well, I will tell you that was the most interesting part. Like one of the houses I went in the owners were there hosting, which you don’t find very often. They usually left. But it would have to be Cathy Silak. Thomason: Oh, the former supreme court justice. Harms: Yeah, she was there and her daughter was in the kitchen and I said what do you find the most interesting about living in this house? She said do you really want to know? And I said yes. She is like 20 years old. Well, up in the attic one of the former owners had died back East and his body was shipped back to the house because in those days they came to the house and she said the crate that the coffin came in is still in the attic and we can’t figure out how it got up there because it doesn’t fit in or out of anything and so it stays there. She said it’s kind of creepy. Thomason: Have they opened it? Harms: I don’t know. Hammonds: Those are the kind of stories that need to be put on tape. Harms: And a little enunciator. Do you know what an enunciator is? Was it a board – they all had (Inaudible) under the table there would be a little button so when it was time to bring the second course, you take your foot and push this little button and like a little City of Meridian Historic Preservation Commission December 1, 2005 Page 8 of 9 clock dial goes up and it dings and the butler knows it is time to bring the secon d course in – or the front door, or each bedroom upstairs had one and one house it is still working. It was really fun. It was interesting. Thomason: But do they use it? Harms: No, they weren’t. They didn’t have any servants. It was really fun, tho ugh and go look at those. Everybody was respectful. Lindgren: That is good because we will probably do something like, I think. (Inaudible). Thomason: The one that we are used to doing or used to do is Lila would do just an outdoor walking tour and it was much simpler as far as organizing – you know what I am talking about – having to get a dozen people, residences lined up and that could be a daunting task for that kind of tour. This is much simpler – Lindgren: So, you don’t go in the structures, you are just outside and there is a brief description, some anecdotal type of story. (Inaudible discussion) Thomason: Oh, sure like at the old bank building on East Broadway and Second. Harms: Yes, but going inside was just quite the opportunity going in and looking at it – the architect – different shapes and things – one had a secret compartment because it is close to the penitentiary, so when you went into the bathroom, the hand towel bar in the bathroom – it looks like wainscoting on the bottom and this little door would open up and inside was a secret room and that is where you went to hide because of the prison break – it was so tiny in there that people must have been very skinny. You couldn’t have gotten very many people in there. Thomason: Well, people were smaller and people in colonial Williamsburg and see those bracelets and people were smaller then. Washington was considered a big, tall man and he was barely six feet tall. Harms: I mean, there was no room just shelves to keep food on for emergencies, but that’s where everyone hided. Thomason: Did you ever go to the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam? Where they were hiding that was the tiniest room compartment. Amazing. I could barely get in to that. Lindgren: Is that in Amsterdam? I need to check that out. Harms: That was probably the size of this little – very tiny. Yeah, Tom wants to go to the Festival of the Wreaths. It started at 5:30. City of Meridian Historic Preservation Commission December 1, 2005 Page 9 of 9 Thomason: That’s right. It’s a combination of business after hours, isn’t it? Lindgren: I can’t go but would like to. I would take a motion to adjourn. Thomason: I make a motion we adjourn. Harms: Second. Lindgren: All those in favor. ALL AYES. MOTION CARRIED. Meeting was adjourned at 5:39 P.M. Reminder: The next regular scheduled HPC meeting is Thursday, January 5, 2006 at 5:30 pm. APPROVED: _______________________________ _____|_____|_____ WALTER LINDGREN - CHAIRMAN DATE APPROVED ATTEST: _______________________________ WILLIAM G. BERG, JR. - CITY CLERK