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Minutes Historic Pres Com 3 22 05 , MINUTES ftl~TORIC PRere1lV1ill0N OOMMI~ION SPECIAL SESSION Tuesday, March 22, 2005 D ~...'.: ft F"e ..T. 12.00 p.m. ,). City Hall, Conference Room A ..' i 50 W. 13th Street, Dubuque, Iowa . PRESENT: Chairperson Dave Stuart; Commissioners Chris Olson, Mike Coty, Mirdza Berzins and Jim Gibbs, and via conference call Commissioners Terry Mozena and Mary Loney Bichell; Planning Services Staff Members Laura Carstens and Wally Wernimont. Also present: City Engineer Gus Psihoyos and Civil Engineer Bob Schiesl. ABSENT: Commission Members John Whalen and Chris Wand. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Stuart at 12:00 p.m. AFFIDAVIT OF COMPLIANCE: Staff presented an Affidavit of Compliance verifying the meeting was being held in compliance with the Iowa Open Meetings Law. ADVISORY DESIGN REVIEW: Application of the City Engineering Department for an advisory design for proposed improvements to Washington Park and to 6th & ih Streets between Locust and Bluff Streets, located in the Cathedral Historic District. The Historic Preservation Commission discussed the proposed improvements to Washington Park and to 6th & ih Streets between Locust and Bluff Streets and referred to their previous informational discussion with City Engineering Department at the March 17,2005 Historic Preservation Commission meeting. They were very supportive of the proposed street and park improvements. The Commission asked if the pedestrian scale lights in the park will match the ones located along Bluff Street in Cable Car Square. Assistant Planner Wally Wernimont noted that the pedestrian scale street lights in the park will match the street lights that are located in the Cable Car Square area, and that the intersection street lights will match the historic intersection street lights located along Loras Boulevard. The Commission discussed the design and layout of the park. They noted that a bump- out will be installed in front of the Dubuque Museum of Art in order to provide for a drop-off area. They discussed that the sidewalk adjacent to Washington Park along ih Street will be widened and the street would become narrower between Locust and Bluff Streets. NOTE: Commissioner Gibbs entered the meeting at 12:04 p.m. City Engineer Gus Psihoyos and Civil Engineer Bob Schiesl reviewed the Washington Minutes - Historic Preservation Commission March 22, 2005 Page 2 Park Improvement Plans with the Commission. They noted that the existing gray sidewalks crisscrossing the park will be widened in a slightly different configuration and replaced with buff colored concrete. They also noted that the sidewalks along the perimeter of the park meet the downtown sidewalk standard approved by the City Council. They noted that poured concrete pads will be placed throughout the park where benches will be installed. They noted that with this bid package, no benches would be purchased or installed at this time. They also noted that an area in the northwest corner of the park at Locust and ih Streets is being reserved for potential display of artwork in conjunction with programs at the Dubuque Museum of Art. Commissioners asked about the style of the benches. City Engineering staff reported that they did not have this information from the Leisure Services Department. The Commission discussed that the benches and trash receptacles should be reviewed, and that they can meet with Leisure Services Department 'about the design. Commissioner Coty asked that the number of park bench pads be increased. He noted he would like to see an additional park bench and pad placed at each diagonal sidewalk in the interior of the park. The Commission felt that the location of a bench and pad in the center of the park doesn't fit with the symmetry of the park. They wondered if an additional light could be placed where the bench is shown. Civil Engineer Bob Schiesl noted that there possibly is a sewer that runs underneath the existing light at this location, and this is may be why there is no street light being proposed at this time. He said this could be verified. He also noted that all the lighting will be replaced on the Washington Park Gazebo in a future year, and that the flag poles will have lights shining on them where before they did not. He felt that this future lighting scheme should provide enough light for the interior of the park. . The Commission discussed the color of the traffic controllers and the electrical pedestals. City Engineering staff explained that they were considering a dark green or black for the electrical pedestals, and that the traffic controllers would to be white. They asked for a recommendation from the Commission. The Commission consensus was that they would like to see both the electrical pedestals and the traffic controllers painted dark green. Commissioners asked about the possible use of historic replica traffic signals at the 7th and Locust Streets and the 6th and Bluff Streets intersections. City Engineering staff said the standard pole would be galvanized, and they did not have firm costs or City Council direction to proceed with historic replica designs. Commissioners discussed with City Engineering staff how historic traffic signal street light poles might be accommodated within the project bidding process and/or budget. Note: Commissioner Mozena noted that he is in favor of the plan. He left the meeting at 12:20 pm. , Minutes - Historic Preservation Commission March 22, 2005 Page 2 Planning Services Manager Laura Carstens reviewed that the Commission's role is to serve as an advisory design review body to the City Council for public improvements in the historic districts. Motion by Stuart, seconded by Olson, to recommend that the City Council approve the proposed improvements to Washington Park and to 6th & ih Streets between Locust and Bluff Streets, and to further recommend to the City Council the following suggestions: 1 . That four additional pads and benches be placed in the interior of the park, one along each diagonal walkway on the opposite side of the walkway from the four benches shown at each corner, and closer to the center of the park. 2. That the pad and the bench proposed to be loc~ted in the center of the park be removed because it does not fit the symmetry of the park layout. 3. If the budget allows, to put in historic lighting poles for the traffic signals at Locust and ih Street (1st priority) and Bluff and 6th Street (2nd priority). 4. That dark green color be used for both the electrical pedestals and the traffic controllers. 5. That black be used for other iron accessories which include the park lights, benches, and trash receptacles, and to have these be similar to those amenities located in Cable Car Square. Motion was approved by the following vote: Aye - Olson, Coty, Loney Bichell, Berzins, Gibbs and Stuart; Nay - None. ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 12:27 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Wally Wernimont, Assistant Planner Adopted