HomeMy WebLinkAboutJanuary 1975HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
Room 1123 County City Building
South Bend, Indiana 46601
Phone (219) 284-9798
AGENDA
Regular Meeting Conference Room,
Monday, January 13,-1975 County Commissioners'
7:30 p.m. Fourth F1oor,,County-City Bldg.
1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Approval of Minutes
4. Treasurer's Report
5. Correspondence
National Trust
Don B..Ransberger
Southhold
6." Committee Reports
Budget & Finance Committee
Historic Districts Committee
Historic Landmarks Committee
7. Old Business
Humanities Proposal.
Standards
Terms of Appointment
Community Development Funds
Legal Advice: Jack Dunfee
Survey Inventory Forms
8." New Business
9. Hearing of Visitors : Ethnic Heritage Studies Program; "Robert C. Gaede, A.I.A.
10. Announcements & Miscellaneous
11. Adjournment
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF SOUTH BEND AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
Room 1123 County City Building
South Bend, Indiana 46601
Phone (219) 284-9798
M I N U T E S
Regular Meeting
7:30 p.m.
Monday, January 13, 1975,
1. Call to Order
Conference Room ~i
County Commissioners'
Fourth Floor;-County—City Bldg.
President Smith called the meeting to order'At'7:40 p.m.
2. Roll Call
MEMBERS PRESENT: Ms. Deloris Davisson,.Mr. John Oxian,.
Mr. Russell Rothermel, Dir. Jack Smith.'
Ms. Christine.Woolridge
MEMBERS ABSENT: Mr. F. Jay Nimtz,' Mr. Al Paszek, Ms.
Joanne Sporleder; Mr...A1 Stivers'
ALSO PRESENT: Ms. Jan Friedan from'the Junior League;
Mr. Tom Catanzorite, County Councilman;
Mr. Robert Gaede and Mr. Kim Zarney,
architects; Ms. Ruth Price, Southhold;`
Ms. Jeanne Derbeck, South Bend Tribune;
Ms. Judy Studer;,Ms. Wendy Schlereth
3. Hearing of Visitors
Mr. Smith introduced Ms. 'Jan Friedan of the Junior League.
Ms. Friedan.explained the project that the Junior League
has undertaken to redecorate a "Designers'.Showcase Home".
Through an arrangement with the owners, the:Junior;League
has leased the home located at 330 W. Navarre..Avenue.for,
April and May of this. -year and has invited eleven designers
from the,city to each -decorate one room..;:The..house was:-
built.in 1889 by Eva Stover. The Lea gue,intends;to.raise
funds by selling tickets at.$2.00 a personAo''tour`.the home,
May 3rd May 23rd._, Ms. Friedan stated`,ihat:"she..ft- ught ;the
Commission might.be interested -in placing_,an,-ad in their -
program., Prices were: 5500. for - a full page4,.ad; 1250.1* for
3 page ad, and $125. for a 3/4 page ' ad.:': They; would 3 meed- a
commitment and money.by March 1st. The Commissionpostponed
a decision -on this to be considered under. New".Businees.
Mr. Smith next, _recognized, Messrs.- Gaede` and: Zarney .from ; pR,
Cleveland, Ohio . for '-the purposes of,, their;. preseiita- "ion �
relative; to an," architectural survey of South Bend and St.
Joseph County. Mr. Gaede spoke of his work in Cleveland
and passed around a -number of booklets and pamphlets docu—
menting his work. Mr. Zarney_passed around a number of
January 13, 1975
Page 2
illustrations of the work he had done in Medina, Ohio. Mr. Gaede rec-
ommended to the Commission that if they only have a limited amount of
funds, it would be better to commission a preliminary survey of the
_entire city rather than to don an in-depth survey of one particular
area. He also said that if his firm received the commission, that he
and Mr. Zarney would do all the evaluative work in the city, they would
not use students. Mr. Smith thanked them both.for coming to South Bend,
and said that the Commission would keep them informed as to their plans.
Mr. Smith next introduced Mr. Catanzorite. Mr. Catanzorite explained
that he would be serving on the Land Use and Planning Committee for -the
County, and wished to become acquainted with the work of the HP Com-
mission and to know what the County Council might expect from the HP
Commission in the near future. He explained that according to the new
legislation the HP Commission would have to go before the County Council
instead of the County Commissioners, as zoning power now is in the hands
of the Council. Mr. Smith and Mr. Oxian stated that before going to the
Council with any recommendations, such as the declaration of an historic
landmark, that they would request a chance to familiarize the Council with
the necessary background information, perhaps in a caucus meeting.
4. Approval of Minutes
Ms. Woolridge moved that the minutes of December 9, 197+ be accepted as
submitted. Ms. Davisson seconded the motion and it passed.
5. Treasurer's Report
Ms. Schlereth reported that Postage and Duplication bills from the
County Commissioners had been received for the month of December,
totalling $11.35. Mr. Rothermel moved that these bills be'approved for
payment. Ms. Woolridge seconded the motion and it passed.
6. Correspondence
Ms. Schlereth informed the Commission that two letters had been received
from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. One requested the
names of any persons that Trust members might think would be interested
in joining the Trust. The second letter gave information concerning
National Historic Preservation Week, May 12-18, 1975.
Mr. Smith next read a letter from Ms. Ruth Price of Southhold Restorations,
dated December 7, 197+, concerning the good work that the Commission has
done to date and hopes for a cooperative effort in the new year.
Ms. Schlereth read a letter from the Art Librarians Society of North
America regarding the Commission's inquiry about a cataloging system.
They stated that they would circulate -the Commission's request among
their membership.
Mr. Smith deferred the reading of the letter frau Mr. Ransberger to the
Historic Landmarks Committee report.
7. Committee Reports
January 13, 1975
Page 3 .
President's Report
Mr. Smith reported that he had met with Roger Parent con-
cerning the two buildings that the Commission recommended for
landmark status at the last meeting. Mr. Smith stated that
he and Mr. Oxian would attend the next caucus meeting of the
Common Council and would discuss the Union Station and the
Kresge Building.,.
Budget and Finance Committee
No report.
Historic Districts Committee
No report. Ms. Price, on behalf of Southhold Restorations, pre-
sented the Commission with a map that had been color coded to
illustrate the Master Study done of the West Washington proposed
historic district.
Historic Landmarks Committee
Mr. Oxian reported that the County Commissioners had approved
four buildings and structures for historic landmark designations:
the Darden Bridge, The Coy -Savidge house; and the two court houses.
Mr. Smith stated that the Commission is now responsible for
placing plaques in front of each landmark. Ms. Davisson said
that she might be able to get one of her students at NSB to
make the plaques and would look into it. Mr. Smith stated that
another source might be the State Penitentiary.
Mr; Oxian reported that he had received over fifty letters in
response to his letter in the Tribune concerning the Kresge
building. All the letters received were in favor of saving the
building and having a five and ten cents store in the downtown area.
Mr. Oxian next reported that condemnation signs have been put on
the Kresge building stating that it is unfit for occupancy. Mr.
Oxian reported that this was not a usual procedure, and was an
affront to the Commission. He moved that a letter be sent to
the Board of Public Safety and the Building Department stating as
much. Ms. Woolridge suggested that we ask the Building Department
for clarification of their procedure regarding a building that is
vacant. Mr. Smith suggested that someone from the Building Dept.
be invited to attend the next meeting. Ms. Davisson moved that —
Mr._Forrest West be invited to the next meeting and asked to pro-
vide the Commission with the stanaards and procedures for con-
demnation. Mr. Rothermel seconded the motion and it passed.
Mr. Oxian moved that he appear before the Board of Safety and
ask why the Kresge Building has been condemned. Ms. Davisson
seconded the motion and it passed.
Mr. Oxian next reported on a letter he received from Mrs.
von Karowsky requesting that her home (407 W. Navarre) be declared
January 13, 1975
Page 4
an historic landmark. Mr. Oxian moved that this building, the Chapin
House, be declared an historic landmark. Mr. Rothermel seconded the
motion, and it passed after a discussion on the procedure that the
Commission should follow concerning such designations.
8. Old Business
Standards
Mr. Smith reported that Mr. Dunfee will work on the standards
to draft them into legal terminology for ordinance form and to
work on re -drafting the Commission's present ordinance. Mr.
Oxian moved that Jack Smith be authorized to meet with Mr. Dunfee
and to keep the Commission informed of their progress. Ms.
Davisson seconded the motion and it passed.
Community Development
Mr. Smith appointed a committee, consisting of Mr. Rothermel,
Ms. Woolridge and Mr. Smith, to draft a proposal to be submitted
to the city requesting a share of the Community Development funds.
Junior League Ad
After some discussion it was generally felt that there would be
a legal problem in using Commission funds to run an ad in the
Junior League program.
Survey Inventory Forms
Mr. Smith asked for action on a form and set of criteria at the
next meeting.
10. The meeting adjourned for lack of a quorum at 10:10 p.m.
NEXT REGULAR MEETITZG:
MNDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1975
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS'- CuvriuuaiCE ROOM
FOURTH FLOOR, COUNTY -CITY BUILDING
SUBMITTED BY: Russell Rothermel
DRAFT PREPARED BY: W. Clauson Schlereth
CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION
The following criteria are designed to guide the -States -and =
the-Ses ry-o'f tl.,4.ii65w in evaluating potential entries = ,'
-
{ 1 ilro ''N ttiviial Fafk -System--and
National Histnric T and ar
The quality of significance in istory, archi-
tecture, archeology, and culture is prese t in districts, sites,
buildings, structures, and objects that possess integrity of '
location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling,
and association, and:
`(A) that are associated with events that have made a
"
significant contribution to the broad patterns of our
history; or
_
(B) that are associated with the lives of persons
significant in our past; or
1 (C) that embody the distinctive characteristics of a
-
( type, period, or method of construction, or that repre-
sent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic =
`
values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable _
entity whose components may lack individual distinc-
tion; or
(D) that have yielded, or may be likely to yield, infor-
mation important in prehistory or history. _
`
Ordinarily cemeteries, birthplaces, or graves of historical ••
figures, properties owned by religious institutions or used. _
•
for religious purposes, structures that have been moved -
from their original locations, reconstructed historic build-
•
Ings, properties primarily commemorative in nature, and
properties that have achieved significance within the past
50 years shall not be considered eligible for the National =
Register. However, such properties will qualify if they
are integral parts of districts that do meet the criteria -
` or if they fall within the following categories:
(A) a religious property deriving primary significance
•
from architectual or artistic distinction or historical im-
portance; or
(B) a building or structure removed from its original'
"
location but which is significant primarily for archi- .
tectural value, or which is the surviving structure most
importantly associated with a historic person or event; or `•_
(C) a birthplace or grave of a historical figure of ouk "
1
standing importance if there is no appropriate site or
building directly associated with his productive life; or
(D) a cemetery which derives its primary significance
from graves of persons of transcendent importance, "
from age, from distinctive design features, or from as- .
sociation with historic events; or
(E) a reconstructed building when accurately executed
in a suitable environment and presented in a dignified
` "; • = -
manner as part of a restoration master plan, and when
t
no other building or structure with the same association
has survived; or
(F) a property primarily commemorative is intent if
{
design, age, tradition, or symbolic value has invested
'
it with its own historical significance; or
(G) a property achieving significance within the past
50 years if it is of exceptional importance.