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MINUTES
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
REGULAR SESSION
5:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
City Council Chamber, Historic Federal Building
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Commissioners Present: Chairperson Bob McDonell; Commissioners Julie
Schlarman, David Klavitter, Christina Monk, Chris Olson, Joseph Rapp, and John
Whalen.
Commissioners Excused: Commissioners Mary Loney-Bichell, and Otto Krueger.
Staff Members Present: Laura Carstens, David Johnson, Eric Van Buskirk, Jerelyn
O'Connor
CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order by Chairperson McDonell at 5:30
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.
INTRODUCTION OF ICMA FELLOWS: Staff Member Laura Carstens provided
introduction of the visiting ICMA Fellows to the Commission. She outlined the reason
for them attending the meeting and goals of the ICMA exchange program.
MINUTES: The minutes of the April 17, 2014 meeting were approved as written.
Motion by Whalen, seconded by Schlarman, to approve the Minutes as submitted.
Motion carried by the following vote: Aye: McDonell, Schlarman, Klavitter, Monk, Olson,
Rapp, and Whalen; Nay - none; Abstain — none.
DESIGN REVIEW: Application of the Downtown Neighborhood Association for
Advisory Design Review for a Public Project to install one Jackson Park identification
sign and three Jackson Park interpretive signs within Jackson Park, located in the
Jackson Park Historic District.
Staff Member David Johnson outlined the information in the staff report and provided
some information about the Jackson Park neighborhood. He noted that the applicant
was present to make a presentation about the project.
Joe Noll, resident of 315 West Locust Street and president of the Downtown
Neighborhood Association, was present to address the Commission. He introduced
Minutes — Historic Preservation Commission
May 15, 2014
Page 2
two other members of the neighborhood association, Jeff Montgomery and Eric Heinz
Sr., who were present at the meeting. Mr. Noll provided information to the Commission
on the various programs and initiatives undertaken by the Downtown Neighborhood
Association and local Jackson Park residents to improve the image of the neighborhood
and foster community pride. He provided an overview of how the project developed
collaboratively between local residents to collect information about Jackson Park and
develop the content of the signs, and the partnerships between the various City
Departments to design and find funding for sign construction.
Mr. Noll provided the Commission with an overview of the construction design, noting
the locations of the signs, construction materials, and the information contained in the
interpretive signs. Mr. Noll also provided a brief history of the park and indicated that
some of the content was still being developed as new information about the park is
being discovered. The Commission asked if the signs were being designed to be
assessable to wheelchair users. Mr. Noll and Planning Staff noted that the signs would
be constructed similar to the signs along the Heritage Trail, which meet ADA standards.
The Commission commended the applicants for undertaking the project, noting that
these signs are an important first step in providing education to neighborhood residents
about the history of the park and the importance of Jackson Park to the history of
Dubuque.
The Commission provided ideas for possible revision to the sign design and content.
They suggested that educational materials be presented chronologically by date, the
"Jackson Cemetery" interpretive sign be changed to the correct name "City Cemetery,"
that the applicant acknowledge who the park is named after, italicize the photo captions
on the interpretive signs, provide paragraph breaks between content, and to Left Justify
the text to make the signs easier to read. Planning staff indicated that they could assist
Mr. Noll with the design suggestions if needed.
Motion by Olson, seconded by Klavitter, to recommend approval of the project as
presented with the suggestions provided by the Commission. Motion carried by the
following vote: Aye: McDonell, Schlarman, Klavitter, Monk, Olson, Rapp, and Whalen;
Nay - none; Abstain — none.
ITEMS FROM PUBLIC: There were no items from the public.
ITEMS FROM COMMISSION:
Work Plan Update: Commissioner Monk did not have any update on the Survey and
Registration Project goal. Staff noted that the Request for Proposals would be
submitted by Monday May 19, 2014, and that reviews of the proposals would begin.
Commissioner Schlarman did not have an update on the Public Spaces in Historic
Neighborhoods goal and the Ordinance Adoption and Enforcement goal. She indicated
that she would be able to devote more time to goal items once she is finished teaching
at the end of May.
Minutes — Historic Preservation Commission
May 15, 2014
Page 3
Commissioner Whalen provided an overview of the Comparative Analysis of Historic
Districts goal to the Commission. Commissioner Whalen noted that the project would
be in two parts; the first part would be to research existing and historic conditions of the
local historic districts with regard to property values, ownership, investment, land use
and density to identify how the districts have been successful in promoting preservation
and reducing neighborhood blight and decay. Commissioner Whalen hoped that the
study would identify areas where the Commission could focus their efforts to improve
the districts through education and promote greater investment, particularly in rental
properties.
Staff provided additional information to the Commission about the project, noting what
types of information would be collected and analyzed, and the importance of the
Commission in taking that information and verifying it. Staff indicated that the
timeframe for the first part of the project would be roughly a year, with periodic updates
to the Commission as information is collected and mapped.
ITEMS FROM STAFF:
Building Department Historic Preservation Enforcement Update: Staff Member Johnson
provided an overview updates to the Enforcement Report, noting the ownership status
at 1163 Highland, scaffolding has been removed at 1589 and 1591 Bluff Street, and
progress is slowly being made at the 1921 Madison.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 6:39 p.m. Motion by Schlarman,
seconded by Whalen, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried by the following vote: Aye:
McDonell, Schlarman, Klavitter, Monk, Olson, Rapp, and Whalen; Nay - none; Abstain
— none.
Respectfully submitted,
Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager Adopted