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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 01 Historic Commission Interviews AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: 2/9/2016 Meeting Type: Work Session Staff Contact/Dept.: Mark McCaffery/DPW Staff Phone No: 541-736-1003 Estimated Time: 30 Minutes S P R I N G F I E L D C I T Y C O U N C I L Council Goals: Encourage Economic Development and Revitalization through Community Partnerships ITEM TITLE: HISTORIC COMMISSION INTERVIEWS ACTION REQUESTED: Conduct interviews to fill four vacancies on the Historic Commission. ISSUE STATEMENT: There are four vacancies on the seven-member Historic Commission as a result of two term expirations and two resignations. After a 3-month recruitment period that closed on February 8, 2016, the Department received applications from Kristina Koenig and Mackenzie Karp. ATTACHMENTS: Attachment 1 – Interview Schedule and Questions Attachment 2 – Candidate Applications Attachment 3 – Profiles of Current Historic Commissioners Attachment 4 – State Historic Preservation Office Comment Letter DISCUSSION/ FINANCIAL IMPACT: The vacancies on the Historic Commission are a result of term expirations for Commissioners Dannie Helm and Kuri Gill, and the resignation of Commissioners Vincent Martorello and Kerry Barbero. Qualifications for membership on the Historic Commission include expertise in the fields of architecture, history, architectural history, planning, or archeology; residency within the Metro Plan boundaries; or as residents, electors, or property owners within Springfield. In addition, the Council shall solicit recommendations for appointment from Willamalane and School District #19 (Municipal Code Section 2.502). The School District declined to recommend appointees to fill these vacancies; Willamalane recommended applicant Kristina Koenig to fill the vacancy created by Commissioner Martorello’s resignation. Ms. Koenig has a Master’s degree in Architecture and Community and Regional Planning, is a resident of Springfield and is employed by Willamalane. Ms. Karp has a Master’s degree in Architectural History, resides in Eugene and is employed by NEDCO in Downtown Springfield. State and Federal funding of the City’s historic preservation activities stipulate that a majority of the Commissioners have professional qualifications in a field related to historic preservation. Two current members and both applicants possess these qualifications and also meet or partially meet the qualifications and standards set forth by the National Park Service regarding commissions (See Attachments 3 and 4). Springfield Municipal Code Section 2.506 states that any vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term of the member creating the vacancy, and Section 2.504 states that appointed members shall hold office for four years with the terms staggered to provide overlapping and continuity. The candidate appointed for a first term is eligible to serve for four years beginning on the date of appointment by City Council, currently scheduled for March 7, 2016. The candidate appointed to fill Commissioner Martorello’s vacancy is eligible to serve the remaining portion of this term, which expires on February 2, 2018. Historic Commission Interview Schedule & Questions Schedule 5:30pm Council preparation of interview questions 5:35pm Interview of Kristina Koenig 5:45pm Interview of Mackenzie Karp 5:55pm Council deliberation Questions for Kristina Koenig and Mackenzie Karp 1. Why are you interested in serving on the Historic Commission? 2. Describe your professional and personal experience as it relates to your desire to become a Historic Commissioner. 3. What initiatives are you interested in working on if you are appointed as a Commissioner? 4. Describe your familiarity with the City’s historic resources. 5. What is it about Springfield’s history that interests you most? 6. Have you attended a Historic Commission meeting? If so, what were your impressions? Attachment 1, Page 1 of 1 Attachment 2, Page 1 of 10 Attachment 2, Page 2 of 10 Attachment 2, Page 3 of 10 Attachment 2, Page 4 of 10 Attachment 2, Page 5 of 10 Attachment 2, Page 6 of 10 Attachment 2, Page 7 of 10 Mackenzie Karp, Supplemental Questions, Springfield Historic Commission application 1. Yes; 1751 Lawrence Alley, Eugene, OR 97401 2. Architectural Historian 3. As the City of Springfield grows, Historic Preservation is of the utmost importance to ensure that new development does not mean the destruction of historic assets and the erasure of valuable history and identity. The more that historic resources are understood, documented, and contextualized, the more the public will consider them to be assets in the community. The use of historic structures will necessarily change change over time and adaptive reuse is a valuable way to bring historic structures into our modern way of life, while keeping their historic character and acknowledging past uses. 4. The purpose of the Historic Commission is to serve as stewards of Springfield’s historic resources by contextualizing, documenting, and interpreting historic assets and by educating the public to raise awareness and support for the protection of historic sites and structures in Springfield. 5. Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act allows for comment on alteration and renovation plans affecting historic properties. If a citizen brought plans to the commission which were in conflict with the City’s historic preservation policies and regulations, I would encourage her/him to reconsider based on the importance of maintaining the historic character of the property and its value to the community. I would be sure that the citizen was aware of the incentives offered to historic property owners who choose to maintain, preserve and/or restore historic structures and original features, including tax credits and federal grants where applicable. 6. The Historic Commission can raise awareness of Historic Preservation in the Springfield community by placing plaques describing historic sites and buildings, holding exhibitions about historic Springfield in public spaces, and also by encouraging community involvement in Historic Commission meetings. By making Springfield’s historic assets more visible to the public through exhibits, placards, etc., people will become more aware of the value of the sites and buildings around them and give more thought to historic structures, their lasting presence over time, and their function in modern life. 7. Yes; I attended a meeting in the fall of 2014 when I was enrolled in Introduction to Historic Preservation at UO. At this meeting a person interested in purchasing a historic property presented changes she hoped to make to the home. The remainder of the meeting consisted of subcommittee reports, including presenting survey results to residents in the Washburne to educate them on contributing and non-contributing properties in the district. Attachment 2, Page 8 of 10 Supplemental Commission Application Questions HISTORIC COMMISSION 1. If you do not live within the Springfield city limits, do you live within the Eugene/Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan boundaries? N/A 2. Please refer to the attached list of professional qualifications. Which category best describes you, if applicable? (Not having the qualifications associated with a field related to historic preservation will not necessarily disqualify you from consideration.) Landscape Architect, though not Historic 3. Why do you think historic preservation is important for a city like Springfield? Historic preservation contributes towards developing an identity for the community, thereby making Springfield a more desirable place to live. By preserving and celebrating this history we can learn from our past and, to an extent, deepen residents’ connection to Springfield. 4. What do you think the purpose of the Historic Commission is in Springfield?  To assist the City with providing oversight on the historic sites and structures currently documented within Springfield.  To encourage further preservation of undocumented/unrecognized historical sites via outreach, funding, or other means.  To raise awareness and provide information on local historic preservation efforts within the community.  To assist the City with prioritization of historic preservation needs within the community. 5. How would you address a situation in which a citizen’s development or restoration plans are in conflict with the City’s historic preservation policies and regulations? The City’s preservation policies/regulations are intended to serve the best interests of the community as a whole and should be enforced. If there are conflicts the Commission should identify how they can best assist the citizen resolve such conflicts. 6. How can the Historic Commission foster citizen awareness of historic preservation?  Providing funding for preservation/interpretation efforts  Organize/coordinate volunteer efforts  Actively publicize historic preservation efforts Attachment 2, Page 9 of 10  Network with broad range of community partners to inform them of preservation efforts 7. Interested applicants are encouraged to attend a Springfield Historic Commission meeting. Did you attend a meeting and if so, what were your impressions of the meeting? I attended a sub-committee meeting for the CLG grant. I was encouraged that there is funding available to help the committee act on some of their goals. Attachment 2, Page 10 of 10 Profiles of Current Historic Commissioners Bruce Berg Bruce is a Springfield resident and business owner in the Washburne Historic District. He previously served on the Springfield Planning Commission and Springfield City Council. Bruce is currently serving his first full term on the Historic Commission, which expires on June 14, 2015. Tim Hilton – Chair Tim is a Springfield resident who lives just outside the Washburne Historic District. He has a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Architecture. Tim has worked as a professional architect since the 1980s and served as an adjunct professor at the University of Oregon in 2005. Tim is currently serving his second term on the Commission, which expires on June 14, 2019. Terra Wheeler Terra is a Eugene resident. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and is in the process of pursuing her Master’s degree in Historic Preservation. She volunteered with the Architectural Heritage Center in Portland for six years and is currently co-editor of the Associated Students of Historic Preservation Journal at the University of Oregon. Terra is currently filling the unexpired term of a previous commissioner, which expires on October 19, 2018. Attachment 3, Page 1 of 1 Attachment 4, Page 1 of 1