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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes CITY OF OSHKOSH LANDMARKS COMMISSION MINUTES DECEMBER 12, 2012 PRESENT: Vicky Redlin, Shirley Brabender Mattox, Steve Cummings, Dennis Arnold and Sharon Kipetz EXCUSED: Arlene Schmuhl and Karen Heikel STAFF: David Buck CALL TO ORDER Mr. Arnold called the meeting to order at 3:12 pm and a quorum was declared present. GRAND OPERA HOUSE IMPROVEMENT DISCUSSION Mr. Buck introduced Mr. Ferlo, Director of the Grand and Mr. Lange, Marketing Manager and thanked them for hosting the Landmarks Commission meeting in their great facility. He further added that Mr. Ferlo would like to go over some minor exterior changes/additions to the annex building that he has been exploring. Mr. Ferlo first stated that the items he will be going over today related to identifiers of the Grand and would be funded completely by private donation. He said he will be going over six items to be located on the annex but he is conscience that even though they are not on the historic theater the annex has historic significance as well. He pointed out that he is bringing this to the Landmarks Commission in the conceptual stages to be sure what is being considered is in keeping with the cultural and historic significance of the site. The six items in consideration include: 1) Window stencil signs on the glass of the windows; 2) Lounge and stage door awning; 3) Grand Lounge entrance signage; 4) Handicap entrance awning and window stencil; 5) Large “G” identification sign; and 6) potential electronic message center. Window Stencil Signs – Mr. Ferlo stated that there is currently no signage on the entrance to the annex. He is envisioning a historic style of window stencil on both windows on the sides of the doors and he showed multiple examples of the type of font and sign style that could be utilized. Ms. Brabender Mattox suggested contacting an individual who had presented at the Wisconsin Historical Society conference who was specifically lecturing on historic signage. Mr. Ferlo said he would appreciate it if he could get contact information as he desired to do signage that was historically accurate to the time period and style of the structure. Lounge and Stage Door Awning – Mr. Ferlo showed the entrances, which are at the rear of the building, that would be protected by the proposed awning. He stated that this entrance is often the main entrance for non-theater events and that an awning would cover both the lounge and stage doors, which would also cover an outdoor bench area and provide a unifying look to the off street entrances. He said he has been discussing material and appropriate style with Oshkosh Tent and Awning but has not gone very far at this point. Grand Lounge Entrance Signage – Mr. Ferlo showed an example of a historic wall sign and said he was hoping to have a sign on the south façade of the west wall that had an 1880’s era feel, which he was still in the process of researching though now he thinks that the Wisconsin Historical Society contact may be able to assist with what that was. Handicap Entrance Awning and Window Stencil – This entrance is used very extensively by the patrons of the theater as it is level and does not require steps. The thoughts are to have an 1 of 4 awning/canopy that projects off the building to protect handicap and elderly patrons, who comprise approximately 40% of the attendants at most events, as they enter and exit the building. He added that the door itself would also be improved by the placement of a stencil on the window to identify the entrance for what it was. Mr. Lange added that the photograph of the door shows that it has panes but that these are imitation and may be removed if the stencil is utilized. Mr. Ferlo added that the door could also be replaced to a more historic style in the future. Ms. Brabender Mattox commented that the door does not fit the period of the building and Mr. Arnold agreed. Mr. Ferlo stated that a more period style door could be used but that it could not be solid as it is a handicap entrance with automated open/close features that require clear glass. Building Identifier – Discussion took place on either including a backlit Grand logo “G” above the existing changeable copy sign on the west building façade and an unlit individual letter directional sign locating the entrance to the Grand Lounge. Ms. Kipetz suggested that the “G” be accompanied by the words “Grand Theater”, in the same fashion. Mr. Ferlo stated that there would not be an objection to including the word “Grand” but that the name of the facility is actually Opera House. He explained that the marketing scheme for the establishment does not use Opera House and markets “The Grand” as an entity. General discussion was that some type of individual backlit signage would be a good addition to the building with the understanding that it did not alter the structure of the building and the building could be restored to an as-is condition if the sign was removed. Electronic Message Center – Mr. Ferlo stated he had two options in mind to advertise coming attractions that include utilizing the existing changeable letter board that currently exists on the buildings west façade or to remove it and replace it with an electronic message center sign. Ms. Brabender Mattox commented that the individual letter changeable copy signs were 1970’s style and very inappropriate for this era of a building. Mr. Ferlo showed several examples of historic structures that have incorporated electronic message centers as part of their signage and he stated that because of the zoning designation of the Grand that it would require a conditional use permit/variance from the City Council to put it on this building. Mr. Buck asked what size of EMC he was envisioning and Mr. Ferlo stated that he had not yet got that far with the thought of it but felt the size of the existing individual letter changeable copy sign or a bit wider would serve the Grand’s needs. Mr. Cumming asked if the Grand had thought of placing a mural on the western façade and incorporating signage into it. Mr. Arnold expressed concern that a mural may distract from the signage message purpose of advertising coming attractions. Mr. Ferlo responded that he would have to contract an artist to do the work and if the facility was ever to expand an addition would cover the west façade and eliminate the mural. Mr. Buck suggested that the Commission ask any final questions and provide feedback on the Landmarks Commission’s thought about the six items from a historic preservation perspective so that Mr. Ferlo could decide if and how he would proceed with the concepts. There was a common consensus that improvements 1-5 should be discussed separately from improvement 6. After general discussion on the items, even though the final designs need to be developed, it was determined that the improvements could be done appropriately with the 1880’s historic context kept in mind. A motion was made by Ms. Brabender Mattox, seconded by Mr. Cummings to express that improvements 1-5 would be beneficial to the business operations and would not structurally compromise the integrity of the Grand or the Annex nor detract from the cultural significance of the building and use. Motion carried unanimously. Commissioners’ consideration of the electronic message center focused on the precedent that an electronic message center installation would have a “snowball” effect on other historic structures in the historic downtown. Additional conversation took place on what design the sign would take as it does not have a historical context to work from. Ms. Brabender Mattox motioned, and Ms. Kipetz seconded a recommendation to table this item until further research could be conducted by Mr. Ferlo and more specific signage design could be 2 of 4 provided. Motion carried unanimously. APPROVAL OF NOVEMBER 14MEETING MINUTES Mr. Arnold requested that under Subcommittee Reports – Property Landmarking that we add “to the Plan” after “…some of the windows are original”. Ms. Brabender Mattox asked to change “rebuilt” to “restored” in the last sentence. Mr. Cummings motioned to approve the meeting minutes as amended. Motioned seconded by Ms. Redlin. Minutes were approved unanimously. BUILDING PERMIT REVIEW & DISCUSSION Mr. Buck presented the list of building permits that were issued in the month of November and described work done. Mr. Arnold stated that he went past 418 North Main Street where the transom windows were replaced under the sign. Ms. Brabender Mattox inquired if the replaced windows were in good shape and Mr. Arnold commented that the building has been remodeled in general and he suspected the transom had undergone changes in the past. Mr. Buck added that he believed the replaced transom were not in good condition. Ms. Brabender Mattox expressed her concern that not enough education is going out to the property owners of the historic structures and hoped that the Commission can be a source of information to historic building owners in the future. UPDATE ON CHICAGO AND NORTH WESTERN RAILROAD BRIDGE MARKER Mr. Buck stated that now that the Riverside Park historic marker has been installed that he has started work on the first of two markers for railroad. He went over the draft text for the south shore marker, which will commemorate the Chicago and North Western Railroad Bridge that is currently in the process of being replaced. He added that a second marker for the north shore would be a broader text on rail in Oshkosh. Mr. Buck also went over several photographs of the bridge that he uncovered and said that the Commission will need to cut them down to four for inclusion on the sign. Mr. Buck said that the information was just to keep the Commission abreast of the process and to get any preliminary comments. Ms. Brabender Mattox asked that the text be e-mailed to her. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS A. Fishing Shanty Investigation - Mr. Buck provided an update on the meetings of the subcommittee and added that the last task was to draft the document to be brought back to the Commission in January and then forwarded to the City Manager. Mr. Cummings stated that he hoped that the subcommittee could meet yet this December. B. Website Update – Mr. Buck stated that the feature of having the maps interactive and connecting to the Wisconsin Historical Society inventory is still underway and hoped that a goal for 2013 will be to update and improve the content of multiple parts of it. C. Tourism Brochure – Mr. Cummings stated that he had spoken with the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Winnebago County Historical Society about collaborating on tourism efforts on not just a city but a regional level and hoped the extended outreach will help to get brochures/tours completed and possibly funded. D. North Main Street Bungalow District – Ms. Brabender Mattox reported on the second th informational meeting held November 11 at the Library and that the Wisconsin Historical Society representative and Ms. Jennifer Lehrke, with Legacy Architecture were present with a turnout of over a dozen people. E. Riverside Cemetery - There was no update to report. 3 of 4 F. Historic Bar Elements – Mr. Cummings mentioned that there was an article in the Scene Magazine and that he met with an individual that may have a Robert Brand Bar in storage. G. Property Landmarking –Mr. Arnold stated that, after the last meeting, he looked at the 633 Mount Vernon house and was concerned that some improvements may jeopardize potential landmarking status. He added that he is more of a “purest” when it comes to home restoration and feels the entire Commission needs to make a decision if it is in a condition that it would qualify for a local landmark. Mr. Buck commented that he has yet to hear back from the owners (Neighborworks) on whether they still desire the property to be landmarked so it may be a moot point. It was determined that the home would be reviewed if and when the owner agreed to proceed with the landmarking process H. Ordinance Rewrite Subcommittee – Mr. Buck updated the Commission on the Residential Design Management Program and recapped the Joint Workshop with the Landmarks Commission, th the Plan Commission and the Common Council that took place on December 4. 2013 COMMISSION GOALS/ACTION ITEMS Mr. Buck asked if the Commissioners had thought about what goals they would like to include for 2013. The Commission stated that they would like to continue with the 2012 list as many are underway. Mr. Cummings added that the Acanthus Awards had been discussed to include CR Meyer Construction Company for their body of work and Castle-Pierce for being a long standing family run business, both of which are having their 125 year anniversaries in 2013. Mr. Buck stated he will include goals on the January agenda so people could volunteer to be on working groups as well as provide the opportunity to add additional goals that may be thought of during the holidays. AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING/COMMISSIONER STATEMENTS Mr. Buck stated that Mr. Conor McGee was appointed to the Landmarks Commission at the th December 11 Council meeting but that he had not yet contacted him. Mr. Buck suggested that the January meeting be limited to building permit review, goals for 2013 and subcommittee reports. The Commission agreed to keep the agenda light to start the new year. ADJOURNMENT Motion to adjourn at 5:39 pm was made by Mr. Cummings and seconded by Mr. Arnold. Motion carried unanimously. Respectfully Submitted, David Buck Principal Planner 4 of 4