2013 HPC Annual ReportMEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor Tammy de Weerd
Council President Charlie Rountree
Council Vice President Keith Bird
Councilman David Zaremba
Councilman Joe Borton
Councilman Luke Cavener
Councilwoman Genesis Milam
FROM: Historic Preservation Commissioners
Blaine Johnston, Chairman
Carol Harms, Vice Chairman
Steve Turney
Dr. Frank Thomason
Dr. Thomas Hammond
Joely Walters
DATE: January 9, 2014
SUBJECT: Annual Historic Preservation Commission Update
In 2013 we partnered with TAG Historical Research and Consulting Group to develop afive-
year plan for the Commission. The goal of this partnership is to identify and prioritize the
areas of historic significance within the City of Meridian determining which areas are at a
greater risk for losing their structural integrity and/or being compromised by development.
The commission will use this information to schedule and pursue additional surveys of the
area as well as consider possible nominations to the National Historic Registry.
The Commission celebrated National Historic Preservation Month in May by hosting three
free presentations. This year was especially important as Idaho also celebrated its Territory
Sesquicentennial. The three presentations discussed the topics of irrigation, the interurban
railroad, and Abraham Lincoln's effect on Idaho's early development. Approximately 35
citizens attended the events in the Council Chambers. We received statewide recognition
for these presentation through Preservation Idaho.
HPC maintained their website and Facebook page during the year. Using electronic
methods to promote the Commission and other historic activities in the area has proved to
be a successful and low-cost way to "advertise." Moving forward the Commission will
continue to use those methods but will also focus on new ways to have a presence within
the community.
We sent a commissioner to a training hosted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The skills, ideas, and information learned in that session will help continue to propel the
discussions at HPC forward into the new year.
The Commission will continue to work with ITD as well as other local historic commissions
regarding the development of State Highway 16 and the mitigation funds associated with
the project. A member or representative of HPC will continue to attend any scheduled
meetings to keep the Commission involved and to maintain a vote on how the mitigation
funds may be spent.
Members of the Commission participated in a Walking Tour subcommittee. This group
features a unique partnership with the City and Meridian Development Corporation (MDC).
The Commission would like to see the tour completed and ready to launch before the first of
2014. The updated tour will provide citizens with a fully accessibly multimedia historical
experience. The new brochure includes QR codes that directly link to the newly created
"Our History" page within the City's website. This new site highlights each of the properties
on the Walking Tour as well as other fun and information topics regarding early Meridian. A
citizen can walk the tour and, and by using their smartphone, view the website with
additional information and videos that feature historian, Lila Hill and her unique and valuable
perspective on the early community and residents. Part of this project's first phase will
include the design, construction, and installation of a historical panel on the City Hall plaza.
This panel with be the first of many markers that will be installed along the route of the tour.
The Commission is hopeful that this new signage will grab the attention of a few new guests
and provide an opportunity for schools, families, and even the youngest of historian to
experience life in early Meridian.
Working with the History Center and Historical Society the City will soon have access to
many new and never before publicly seen photographs. Original slides are set to be
converted to JPEG images and then will be printed for public viewing. These new
photographs are going to provide an even more wonderful experience to visitors of the
History Center.