April 17, 2023 Historic Preservation Commission Meeting - Minutes

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CITY OF SOUTH BEND HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION Commissioner Skaggs: I'm not detecting any hesitancy, so this may be beside the point, but if you could just put it very bluntly for me, how does this get around the properties owned by religious institutions? Sort of automatic exclusion, but then, coming back in? Adam Toering: That's a great question. So, a number of sites that are religiously owned are added to the National Register of Historic places. I would say, like the other paragraph there was the cemetery and I bring this up as a parallel, city cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018, that took some, I won't say finagling, but there was a number of back and forth with that nomination. I always joking say there's a Vice President of the Unites States buried in that cemetery and it was a big struggle to get that listed on the National Register. So it can happen. I don't know if that answers your question or not. Todd Zeiger: So the exclusion is to carve out a property. You wouldn't be able to nominate this property just because it's a Catholic church, but the importance of being put on the National Register, which is what you were just talking about, criteria A, B, C or D, sets out it's importance beside it being just a Catholic Church. So it's an amazing architecture. You can't just nominate a church cause it's Protestant or Catholic or whatever. The importance of spending the extra time to knit that story together about the immigrants and the art and the architecture and all of that helps set this church aside from just another one that's just a Catholic church or a Protestant church. So that's that hopefully helps you make the difference between just excluded because it's a church versus not because this has deeper meaning to it. Just to try quick criteria B, it's not any less or more on the National Register because it doesn't have that other criteria. Two is good, call it good. Some only get one. Adam Toering: I will say, I mean, for me when reviewing and writing the staff recommendation, there's an amazing case for criteria C, which with the Masters because of all the beautiful amazing artwork. Kudos again to Gavin for doing the research, but showing who did what, when, and that narrative, which I think, that in itself, I'm not saying that criteria A is not important, but like that's a beautiful narrative that in and of itself is amazing. After due consideration the following action was taken: Upon a motion by Elizabeth Hertel, seconded by Joan Downs-Krostenko, and UNANIMOUSLY carried by vote, the Historic Preservation Commission submits their approval for the nomination of St. Adalbert Church Complex to the National Register of Historic Places under criterion A and C and that all of the appropriate paperwork be submitted to the Mayor for his concurrence, and that is then sent onto state's representatives. Vote: 6-0. Six in favor, none opposed. Nomination of St. Adalbert Church Complex for addition to the National Register of Historic Places is APPROVED c. LOCAL LANDMARK NOMINATION 3016 Portage Avenue, "Portage Manor" (Audio Position: 44:24) The staff update was presented by: Adam Toering Todd Zeiger, with Indiana Landmarks, 801 W Washington, South Bend, IN also gave an update on Portage Manor. Page 17