Loading...
Original History CommitteeMINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY JON 15 2001 14 June 2001 Stephanie Klinzing, Mayor City of Elk River 13065 Orono Parkway PO Box 490 Elk River, MN 55330 Dear Mayor Klinzing, We have reviewed the materials you submitted relative to Certified Local Government status for the City of Elk River. The materials are in conformance with the "Procedures For Applying For and Maintaining Certified Local Government Status." Enclosed are four (4) copies of an agreement between the City and the Minnesota Historical Society. This agreement is issued pursuant to Section II of the above referenced procedures and federal regulations. Please ensure that all four copies of the agreement are signed by both the chair of the heritage preservation commission and yourself and return them to me. Upon receipt of all signed copies of this agreement, we will complete final processing and forward your request for certification to the National Park Service for final review. You will be notified when final certification is granted. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at (612) 296-5451. S' cerely Michael Koop Historic Preservation Program Specialist State Historic Preservation Office Enclosure 345 KELLOGG BOULEVARD WEST / SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA 5102-1906 / TELEPHONE: 651-296-6126 MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY 19 September 2001 SEP 21 200i Stephen Rohlf Building and Zoning Administrator City of Elk River 13065 Orono Parkway Elk River, MN 55330 Dear Steve, It was good to talk to you last week about the potential loss of the historic commercial buildings in downtown Elk River. I hope that my comments below will help you articulate to the city council and other interested parties justification for retaining these important cultural resources. I'm encouraged that the city is about to become a Certified Local Government (CLG) with a qualified Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC). This will allow Elk River to integrate historic preservation into local planning. Preservation planning is a process that organizes preservation activities (identification, evaluation, registration and treatment of historic properties) in a logical sequence. Decisions about the identification, evaluation, registration and treatment of historic properties are most reliably made when the relationship of individual properties to other similar properties is understood. Information about historic properties representing aspects of history and architecture must be collected and organized to define these relationships. This organizational framework is called a "historic context." The historic context organizes information based on a cultural theme and its geographical and chronological limits. Contexts describe the significant broad patterns of development in an area that may be represented by historic properties. Twenty of Minnesota's thirty Certified Local Governments have completed historic context studies. We strongly encourage cities to prepare context studies because they form the foundation for decisions about identification, evaluation, registration and treatment of historic properties. We spoke about the need to do an intensive level survey of the two -block area of downtown in order to properly assess the potential significance of these buildings. An intensive survey is most useful when it is necessary to know precisely what historic properties exist in a given area or when information sufficient for later evaluation and treatment decisions is needed on individual historic properties. 345 KELLOGG BOULEVARD WEST / SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA 55102-1906 / TELEPHONE: 651.-296-6126 Page 2/Stephen Rohlf Depending on the potential significance and physical integrity of the downtown buildings, it may be possible to designate some or all of them either locally through the city's historic preservation ordinance, or by entering them on the National Register of Historic Places. One of the benefits available to the owners of designated properties is a 20% tax credit for the certified rehabilitation of an income -producing historic building. In addition, the city of Elk River may be able to use funds from the Small Cities Development Program to rehabilitate commercial buildings in the downtown area. If the buildings are historically significant the State Historic Preservation Office would need to review plans for improvements to the buildings. Under federal regulations, the State Historic Preservation Office examines proposed federally assisted undertakings in the state to determine whether any properties listed on or eligible for the National Register may be harmed by those projects. If potential damaging effects are identified, the federal agency involved is required to explore alternatives that avoid or mitigate harm. In addition, the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board requires that an Environmental Assessment Worksheet be completed for destruction of a National Register property in cases where the demolition requires a federal, state or local action, such as issuance of demolition permits. While this does not prohibit destruction, it does provide a mechanism for public review and possible intervention before destruction of a property occurs. Buildings such as those in the two -block area of downtown Elk River contribute to the community's history and to a sense of place, a special quality that sometimes is not fully appreciated until it is too late. With the enactment of the city's recent historic preservation ordinance, it seems ironic that some of the last remaining vestiges of the city's commercial history are at risk. I urge you and the city council to take the time to conduct a survey and historic context of these downtown buildings and explore all the alternatives. If we can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. Sin rely, Michael Koop Historic Preserva ion Program Specialist State Historic Preservation Office 13065 Orono Parkway Elk River, MN 55330 July 19, 2001 Michael Koop State Historic Preservation Office 345 Kellogg Boulevard West St. Paul, MN 55102-1906 Subject: Certified Local Government Applications for the City of Elk River Mr. Koop: Included with this letter are the four signed applications for Certified Local Government Status for the City of Elk River. I appreciate your attention in this matter. Let me know if there is anything further that is required of the city. Sincerely, Stephen Rohlf, Building and Zoning Administrator Phone: 763.441.7420 Fax: 763.441.7425 wwwdelk-river.mn.us Bud Houlton 1797 Tipton Circle NW #101 Elk River, MN 55330 Ron Black 9467 Parkington Ave. Elk River, MN 55330 John Oliver 18965146"' St. NW Elk River, MN 55330 Dan Green 1215 4"' St. NW Elk River, MN 55330 Bob & Bertie Nickerson 426 Third St. NW Elk River, MN 55330 Pat Rasmusson 1797 Tipton Circle NW #103 Elk River, MN 55330 Kurt Kragness 13122 First St. Becker, MN 55330 Stephen Rohlf 13065 Orono Parkway NW PO Box 490 Elk River, MN 55330 HISTORY COMMITTEE (II) 441-5164 (W) 241-3611 (W) 441-7040 (H) 441-3257 (W) 441-2500 (H) 441-2697 (H) 441-2639 (W) 241-2922 (H)441-1370 (W) (612) 261-4433 boo- 73 2 - ZoloG (W) 441-4904 HISTORY COMMITTEE MEETING Elk • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10,1999 River 4:00 P.M. AT ELK RIVER CITY HALL It is time to go forward with our proposal to the City Council to create a Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC), probably at an April Council meeting. Please review for discussion at our March meeting the following attachments: • draft memo to the City Council, • proposed ordinance amendment adding Section 215.00, which establishes a HPC in Elk River, • proposed ordinance amendment to Section 900.08 adding definitions, • proposed ordinance amendment to Section 900.10(1) adding a Heritage Preservation Site Overlay District (HPS), and • proposed ordinance Amendment to Section 900.12 adding procedures and standard for the HPS. What we will be asking the Council for is permission to go forward with City Attorney review and public hearings on the ordinance amendments. I did not put a lot of information in the draft Council memo, I think it is best we have the discussion in person at their meeting. I want to give special thanks to Ron Black who forced me to get this stuff done. We are getting close, hope to see you at the March meeting. \\elkriver\sys\shrdoc\b&z\stever\b ist. doc 13065 Orono Parkway 0 P.O. Box 490 • Elk River, MN 55330 0 TDD & Phone: (612) 441-7420 0 Fax: (612) 441-7425 HISTORY COMMITTEE MEETING City Of Eli�lVe�` Tom', SEPTEMBER49, 1998 3:30 P.M. AT ELK RIVER CITY HALL At the September 29t' meeting of the History Committee, we will be discussing our strategy for initially exposing the Elk River City Council to the concept of establishing a Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC). This initial exposure will happen at the October 12' Council meeting. A HPC will not be established at this meeting, we first need to get the Council's permission to allow staff to research the issue. A draft memo for the October 12'h Council meeting is attached. No mention of the HPC's budget requirements is made in this draft. I think discussing budget is premature, but revisions to the draft memo are welcomed. The History Committee needs to get its pitch to the Council down, so please try to make a maximum effort to be at the September 29' meeting. We also need all of you who can make it to be at the October 12 Council meeting. 13065 Orono Parkway 0 P.O. Box 490 0 Elk River, MN 55330 0 TDD & Phone: (612) 441-7420 • Fax: (612) 441-7425 Memorandum to: Elk River History Committee members From: Stephen Rohlf Date: July 17, 1998 The next meeting of the Elk River History Committee will be held on Wednesday, August 12, starting at 3:30 p.m. at Elk River City Hall. New members Bob and Bertie Nickerson and Pat Rasmusson were in attendance at July's meeting. July's meeting was a bit of a disappointment, however, since none of the rest of you showed up. Not to mention any names (Ron, John, and Dan), but Bud Houlton was the only one courteous enough to let us know he would not be able to attend. I am not just saying this because I want to stay in his will, but thank you Bud. At August's meeting we will develop a strategy on how to approach the Elk River City Council regarding the creation of a Historic Preservation Commission (HPC). Attached is a excerpt from Cottage Grove's Comprehensive Plan that may give us some ideas. Hopefully, Ron Black will also be able to explain how Otsego went through this process. Mayor, Hank Duitsman will be invited to the meeting. Other attachments to this memo include a brief history of Elk River that will be used in a citizen guide the city is developing, and a list of committee members. Please indicate at the next meeting if corrections need to be made to your information.