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HomeMy WebLinkAboutApril 18, 2022 Historic Preservation Commission MinutesJ r. +ITY OF SOUTHBEND --- HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES April 18, 2022 6:00pm MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT Sarah Andrews (Vice President) Michelle Gelfman (President) Joan Downs Krostenko (Arch. Historian/Secretary) Eric Stalheim John Tiffany Elizabeth Hertel (Virtual) Mary Brazinsky (Treasurer) (Virtual) David Wyncott I. CALL TO ORDER — 6:01 p.m. II. ROLL CALL III- PUBLIC HEARING a. CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS i. 2022-0330 920 West Washington Avenue MICHELE GELFMAN PRESIDENT HYBRID ALSO PRESENT: Adam Toering Ross Van Overberghe Rachel Boyles Christina Shakour Local Landmark, Ordinance #7448-85 (Audio Position: 1:02) The staff report was presented by Adam Toering. Staff Recommendation: Approval of the roof material change. The applicant was represented by: Andrea Crawford, 920 W Washington St. South Bend, IN 46601 The public was represented by: N/A After due consideration, the following action was taken: Upon a motion by David Wyncott, seconded by Sarah Andrews, and unanimously carried by vote, the Historic Preservation Commission APPROVES Certificate of Appropriateness Application #2022-0330. Vote: 7-0-1. Seven in Favor, none opposed, one abstention- COA#2022-0330 was approved ii. 2022-0404 1636 Lincoln Way West Local Landmark, Ordinance #8965-98 (Audio Position: 12:30) The staff report was presented by Adam Toering. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval The applicant was represented by: Marlaina Johns, 227 W Jefferson Blvd Suite 1300 South Bend, IN 46601 A CERTIFIED LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADAM TOERING OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE HISTORIC PRESERVATION ADMINISTRATOR EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY INNOVATION INCLUSION EMPOWERMENT 14005 County -City Building 227W. Jefferson Blvd. South Bend, Indiana 46601 p574.235.9371 f 574.235 9201 southbendin.gov CITY OF SOUTH BEND HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION Sandra Kennedy, 227 W Jefferson Blvd. Suite 1200 South Bend, IN 46601 The public was represented by: Randy James, 125 S Lafayette Blvd. South Bend, IN 46601 Charity Stowe, 614 S. St. Joseph St. South Bend, IN 46601 After due consideration, the following action was taken: Upon a motion by Mary Brazinsky, seconded by David Wyncott, and unanimously carried by vote, the Historic Preservation Commission APPROVES Certificate of Appropriateness Application #2022-0404. Vote: 4-4. Four in Favor, four opposed. COA#2022-0404 is denied due to lack of majority. Commission President Gelfman clarified that, when certificates of appropriateness are not approved, Commissioners are required to state their reasons for denial. Roll was called. Commissioner Hertel (NAY): I vote against demolition for the reasons that have already been stated, and I just want to restate Eric's concerns about demolition and the landfill, the fact that we do not know what the inside looks like. I recognize that there is a potential that if people are inside or living inside the dangers to that. I am confused as to why the City would possibly pay a million dollars to demolish a building and not feel the need to invest that into rehabbing a building that is a part of our community and offers so much character to our community. It breaks my heart. I honestly came into this meeting anticipating that I would approve this, and my ideas have been changed because this is an important part of our history, and we can't afford to lose any more buildings. We don't need any more farmland in the City of South Bend. Commissioner Brazinsky (AYE): Commissioner Andrews (AYE): Commissioner Stalheim (NAY): For the reasons listed I totally agree, and I believe that we don't know enough. I want to emphasize that point about the interior integrity in the main part of the building, not the single story, the main part. The iconic part, it's the first thing you see when you come into town from the airport. It is an important building; we need to do better. And this is that point. Also, we should not be demolishing buildings, we are in the climate change era now, right. The greenest building is a building that's already built. We need to take care of this stuff. Commissioner Downs-Krostenko (NAY): I also voted against demolition at this time because I don't think that we can make that decision without more information and because I want to draw a line in the sand and say what we all know is true. Which is that even if this building does eventually come down, this should be our rubicon. Like we just need to stop, and somebody needs to reconsider the way we are doing everything. And so, if this is the one that goes, helps start that conversation seriously and helps the City actually put resources towards it so for instance if we are going to have a commission committee that addresses this on the statewide level, and lets face it, it is a property values issue it is probably going to go higher than that. There are lots of tendrils to be considered the city needs to give us city employee time. We need Christina or Sandi; we need someone that's Page 12 CITY OF SOUTH BEND HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION an attorney to advise us in that discussion and then we need city employee time to go down state to talk to Landmarks and to talk to other people in the state preservation community. So, um I am just going to say no because I want to start a fire as a war so we can really get something done here. Commissioner Tiffany (NAY): We haven't seen inside yet. I know there's been a lot of people doing a lot of work, but I would like to see inside. I agree I don't like seeing buildings get knocked down especially historic. Commissioner Wyncott (AYE): Commissioner Gelfman (AYE): Certificate of Appropriateness #2022-0404 is denied. IV. PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR V. REGULAR BUSINESS a. APPROVAL OF MINUTES i. March 21, 2022 (Audio Position: 1:23:00) Upon a motion by Sarah Andrews, being seconded by Eric Stalheim and unanimously carried by vote, the minutes from the March 21, 2022, Historic Preservation Commission are approved. April 11, 2022 (Special Meeting) Upon a motion by Sarah Andrews, being seconded by Mary Brazinsky and unanimously carried by vote, the minutes from the April 11, 2022, Historic Preservation Commission are approved. b. STAFF REPORTS i. Administrative Approvals After due consideration, no action was taken. c. COMMITTEE REPORTS i. Standards and Guidelines After due consideration, no action was taken. VI. OLD BUSINESS VII. NEW BUSINESS VIII. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS Commissioner Gelfman requested a special meeting of the Landmarks and Historic Districts committee to create a list of at -risk properties. IX. ADJOURNMENT Upon a motion by David Wyncott, seconded by Eric Stalheim and unanimously carried, the meeting was adjourned at 8:01 p.m. Page 13 CITY OF SOUTH BEND HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION Joan Downs-Krostenko Date Arch. Historian/ Secretary Page 14