Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/14/1998 - Regular Minutes - Historic Preservation Committee HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE REGULAR MEETING COLLEGE STATION CONFERENCE CENTER 1300 GEORGE BUSH DRIVE WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1998 -- 5:15 P.M. HISTORIC COMMITTEE Bill Lancaster, Chairman; Deborah Jasek, Co- Chair; Elton MEMBERS PRESENT: Abbott; Sharon Menn; Dennis Maloney; Jeannie Miller; Shawn Carlson MEMBERS ABSENT: Carol Wagner; Rebecca Berry STAFF PRESENT: David Gerling, Special Facilities Superintendent; Pamela Einkauf, Senior Secretary VISITORS PRESENT: None I. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 5 :15 p.m. by Bill Lancaster, Chairman, 2. INTRODUCTION OF NEW MEMBERS: Bill welcomed new member Jeannie Miller to the Historic Preservation Committee (HPC). She said she had been in Bryan /College Station for 25 years, was a tenured Associate Professor at A &M, and was the acting head of the- ey-vrds Division at Evans Library. K- . .^nQ - 1 APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The minutes for November, 1997 were approved with no corrections. There was no December meeting. 4. HEAR VISITORS: There were no visitors present. 5. REVIEW AND DISCUSSION OF HISTORIC HOME APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED: An application for 206 Lee Avenue, owned by Sidney and Janet Loveless, was presented. David said he felt more information was needed. Dennis said he would go visit Colonel Loveless and get more information from him. He asked David to put together a list of questions he could ask, to help finish the application. David suggested having Dennis tape the interview with the Colonel, and Dennis agreed. Dennis wanted to approve the home for the plaque, since he would be getting more information to supplement the application. He said he felt that individual interviews should be done for all the applications that the HPC wants more information on. Bill said he felt this was a good approach to the problem of people not getting additional information back to the HPC. Sharon made a motion to Historic Preservation Committee Page 2 follow up with direct interviews on applications that the HPC does not get enough information on, and to approve the 206 Lee Avenue application, as is. Dennis seconded. David stated that 206 Lee Avenue would be Historic Home #41. 6. DISCUSSION OF COMMITTEE GOALS: Bill said when the HPC last met, it was decided that the goal topics discussed needed to be narrowed down. Elton said tourism issues, neighborhood appearance issues, and the possibility of declaring Southside an official historic district had been discussed. Bill asked what would be involved in such a declaration, and wanted to know if it would be done at the National or State level. Deborah said National and State guidelines were too restrictive, and that the HPC would want to create its own definitions and guidelines. Dennis suggested looking at the guidelines that Brett Estes, former HPC member, had drawn up for the City of Fredericksburg. He said he would try and locate the copy of the guidelines he'd gotten from Brett. If those guidelines were followed somewhat, it would give the area some protection as far as radical changes being made. Perhaps the guidelines worked up could eventually be implemented in Eastgate. David said that when Joey Dunn had been there, he'd mentioned creating an historic overlay district. This would give more control at the city level, without National or State restrictions. Deborah felt that one of the HPC's goals should be to research historical areas in different cities in order to establish a set of guidelines for renovation. Once worked up, the guidelines would have to be presented with back -up materials to the City Council for approval. Bill said the HPC needed to keep in mind that there was a high percentage of rental property located in Southside, and getting owners stirred up enough to do something would be difficult. Deborah said if owners could be shown that their property would appreciate, then they might be willing to cooperate. Shawn said a good way to research other city ordinances would be through the Internet. The members who had access to the Internet agreed they would try do some searching before the next meeting. Elton said the research itself could be a three -month project. He said he had a young man working with him, who was getting his Master's degree in historic preservation, and he would ask him if he had any information. Bill said that searching for information on historical district guidelines was a good goal for the next meeting. Dennis said it would be great to have a product ready for presentation to the Council by May. Everyone agreed it couldn't be done that soon. Deborah said perhaps something in draft form could be done by May, and over the summer some of the Southside neighbors could be approached. Bill said he had a list of all property owners in that area, showing whether or not they lived in the house. Elton said one of the purposes of the project would be to establish guidelines for people living in the area who may want to renovate. Those guidelines would not need Council approval, however, the second part of the project -- officially designating the area as a district, would need approval. Bill said this was a good beginning. 7. DISCUSSION OF ORAL HISTORY BOOK: Bill asked if there were any other goals. Deborah said that since the money had been designated to get the oral history Historic Preservation Committee Page 3 book written, the HPC needed to work on that. She brought handouts of two articles from Jeff Carroll's third volume of Legendary Texas. She said they were typical examples of his stories -- about two pages long. She said he had seven volumes out, and some deal specifically with people, some with historical events, some with legends. Bill said that the City of Bryan put out a similar book which was simply a collection of stories. Dennis asked how much was budgeted to have the book written, and David said $7,500.00. Dennis wanted to know if the author would be expected to read through all the information and come up with a unifying theme. David said there were several directions that could be taken. A fictional book could be written with the oral histories woven throughout, or as Deborah suggested, doing separate stories. David said Grace Calbert had met with the woman who'd written the Annabella stories. The author had suggested writing about a fictional family, and include the factual information as though the events had happened to the family. Shawn asked what the HPC thought about having Jeff Carroll write the history. Dennis asked if he would be willing to do it for $7,500.00, and Shawn said he probably would, adding that she personally knew Mr. Carroll, The members liked the idea, and all agreed they would like to avoid the fictional aspect. Deborah said the format of Mr. Carroll's stories were short and easy -to -read, making it easy to add into local school curriculum. This had been one of the objectives of the oral histories. Dennis said he didn't want the book to be a history of Texas A &M but of the community. Bill asked what time frame the book would cover. Deborah and David said from the beginning to pre- 1950's or pre- Vietnam War. Shawn said she would contact Jeff Carroll to see if he would be willing to come to the meeting to talk about the possibility of writing the book for the HPC. 8. OTHER COMMITTEE CONCERNS: Dennis asked when the lights would be installed in Brison Park. David said it would be on an upcoming Saturday and /or Sunday, and that the locations where the lights would be installed, had already been flagged in both Luther Jones and Brison Parks. Elton asked if the money for the lights came from "gateway money ". David said no, the money for the lights in Luther Jones Park came from Community Development Block Grant funds, and the money for Brison's lights came from Hotel /Motel funds. Elton asked if there was still "gateway money" available. Elton said the HPC needed to encourage the neighborhood where the lights are being installed, to form a neighborhood association, so they could make use of available "gateway funds ". Dennis said the Oakwood Neighborhood Association would be the only group willing or able to come up with the matching funds needed. Bill asked what percentage of funds the neighborhood association would need to come up with. Dennis said it was 50/50 program. Elton said in that case, the HPC needed to look into getting corporate sponsors for historic neighborhood rehabilitation. Dennis asked how the sponsors would be rewarded, and Elton said a plaque for their office or a "thank you" advertisement Historic Preservation Committee Page 4 in the newspaper. Bill asked if the money would be used for other gateway items. Elton said yes, it would be an opportunity to do an entry into Southside that would have historic overtones, beyond the signs that are there now. Dennis liked the idea, stating that the area should have an ambiance that's totally unique. He added that when all the utilities are redone in Southside and Eastgate, they should go underground. He said period lighting should be added throughout both neighborhoods, as well. David said he was waiting for the Luther Jones family to approve the verbiage for a plaque to be installed in the park. Once he receives that back, he will have the plaque cast, and then a formal dedication can take place renaming the park from Fairview to Luther Jones Park. David said it had been brought to his attention that the City of College Station's Community Development building -- the T.O. Walton building -- is a historic building and could qualify for a building plaque. It was built in 1941 and served as a doctor's office for many years. What was once the black waiting room with a separate entrance has been modified and is now the handicap accessible entrance and a copy room. Dennis said there were doctors in town as late as 1973 using that type of separate entrance system. The members all agreed that the building should receive a plaque. David said he would have Pam contact the people in Community Development to get an application written up and submitted to the HPC within the next month or so. Bill said that T.O. Walton's niece was Red Cashion's wife, and she would be a good source of information on T.O. Walton. David told the members that Steve Beachy wanted to make everyone aware that the Parks and Recreation Board was working with the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Sciences at A &M putting together a Lick Creek Park Master Plan. When money becomes available to develop the park, the plan will be done. David said Steve was making sure that the historical aspect of the park will remain in tact, and the HPC will be kept informed of what's going on. Shawn asked if the HPC would have any input on what went on there. David said the HPC would be able to review the information at the same time as the Parks Board, and would be able to give input at that time. Deborah stated that there would be a lot of environmental concerns influencing how the park would be developed. 10. ADJOURN: The meeting adjourned at 6:15 p.m.