Minutes of theState Historic Preservation Review Board Meeting
May 11, 2018, 10:00 A.M.
Board Room, Fourth Floor, Michigan State Housing Development Authority
735 East Michigan Avenue, Lansing, Michigan
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT
Rhonda Baker, Kemba Braynon, Sally Bund, Dale Gyure, Misty Jackson, Janet Kreger, Brian Rebain, Krysta Ryzewski, Grace A. M. Smith
BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT
n/a
STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT
Dean Anderson, Amy Arnold, Laura Ashlee, Brian Conway, Brian Grennell, Deborah Johnson, Katie Kolokithas, Martha MacFarlane-Faes, Jessica Puff, Kevin Stone, Todd Walsh
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC PRESENT
Jill Anderson (Old-Merchants), Randy Case (Old-Merchants), Mark Harmsen (Old-Merchants), Jami Keegan (River Raisin Battlefield), Deborah Larsen (Newberry House), Jennifer Metz (School for the Blind), Penny Reddish (Newberry House), Rebecca Smith-Hoffman (School for the Blind), Rod Wilson (Newberry House), Susan Wilson (Newberry House)
CALL TO ORDER
Rebain called the meeting to order.
Baker moved approval of the agenda
Jackson supported the motion
Vote: 6-0
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Kreger moved approval of the agenda
Smith supported the motion
Vote: 9-0
APPROVAL OF MINUTES – FEBRUARY 23, 2017
Smith moved approval of the minutes
Jackson supported the motion
Vote: 9-0
DISCUSSION OF REVIEW BOARD BYLAWS
Smith moved to table the review of the board bylaws until the September 2018 meeting
Bund supported the motion
Vote: 9-0
STAFF REPORTS
BRIAN D. CONWAY, STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER
- Stone's contract was not able to be renewed. His last day is today (May 11). SHPO will be without administrative help until the position is filled.
- Walsh has been selected as the National Register Coordinator
- Ashlee has been selected as the Certified Local Government Coordinator
- Johnson is now coordinating the easement program. Easements have been previously criticized for not being done correctly. Johnson will now be monitoring all 130 easements.
- 3 new student positions have been filled. Jessica Puff (designation), Luke Pickrahn (106), and Martisha Suttles (MiSHPO, 106). We are in the process of hiring another student for the tax credit program. The office typically employs five student assistants.
- Ashlee and Bryan Lijewski have worked with MSHDA graphic designers to produce a new lighthouse postcard.
- Michigan Modern: An Architectural Legacy was published earlier this year. The official book launch occurred at Cranbrook in March. Conway has been invited to speak at numerous events around the country.
- The MHPN Annual Conference will be held in East Lansing between May 17 and 19. Many of the SHPO staff members are participating as participants, speakers, vendors, volunteers, and scholarship recipients. With the conference in town this year, participation could be expanded because travel and housing costs did not have to be covered.
- The Michigan Lighthouse Alliance will host the 2018 International Lighthouse Conference on Mackinac Island between May 20 and 22. Conway, Lijewski, and Joelle Letts will attend the conference. Conway will speak at the conference.
- Lijewski spoke at the Maritime Heritage Conference, February 15-17, in New Orleans.
- Lijewsi joined Michelle Smay from Smay Trombley Architecture from May 6 to 8 to give regional presentations related to the Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program (MLAP). Lijewski and Smay visited Copper Harbor, Houghton, and Marquette.
- Three MLAP grants were recently awarded for the Keweenaw Waterway Lower Entrance Light, the DeTour Reef Light, and the Thunder Bay Island Fog Signal Building.
- SHPO has provided funding for several survey and National Register projects in several communities throughout the state, including Southfield, Sault Sainte Marie, Oxford, and Flint.
- A Certified Local Government (CLG) grant to the City of Kalamazoo to prepare plans and specifications for the rehabilitation of the Fountain of the Pioneers has been recaptured because the fountain was dismantled due to racial implications of the artwork. SHPO has distributed those funds among other CLG grant recipients.
DEAN ANDERSON, STATE ARCHAEOLOGIST
- SHPO has partnered with the Michigan Department of Transportation to laser scan the Sanilac Petrogylphs. Stacy Tchorzynski was instrumental in establishing this partnership. The scans are very precise and will result in billions of data points for use in studying the petroglyphs.
- Tchorzynski applied and received funding to replace the pedestrian bridges at the petroglyphs site.
- Tchorzynski spoke on the petroglyphs in March in the Upper Peninsula.
- Anderson, Tchorzynski, and Jessica Yann attended the Conference on Michigan Archaeology (COMA) at the end of March.
- Anderson and Tchorzynski spoke at the 2018 Building Michigan Communities Conference on April 30. It is likely the first time a presentation on archaeology was given at the conference.
- Anderson and Tchorzynski will speak at the 2018 Michigan Historic Preservation Network Annual Conference in May in East Lansing.
- Anderson has been in conversation with the producers of the History Channel series Curse of the Civil War Gold. The series is based on a story that Confederate gold was smuggled north and ended up in Lake Michigan.
TODD WALSH, NATIONAL REGISTER COORDINATOR
- In addition to the National Register work mentioned by Conway, there are a few other SHPO-funded projects in progress: an additional documentation nomination for the Northville Historic District, an additional documentation and boundary increase nomination for North Lansing (Old Town), and a nomination for Hart Plaza in Detroit.
NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATIONS
Site: River Raisin Battlefield (Additional Documentation and Boundary Increase)
Presented by: Jami Keegan
Moved for Approval: Jackson
Seconded: Smith
Vote: 9-0
Criteria: A, D
Level of Significance: National
Bund inquired about collaborations with various groups. Bund stated that a map that depicts the city parks and other features would be beneficial. Bund suggested adding a paragraph that discusses the various partners involved in River Raisin National Battlefield project. Smith mentioned that the box in Section 5 of the registration form was not checked in regards to “previous resources.” The board at large suggested nominating the site under Criterion D in addition to Criterion A. Braynon asked if any of the homes mentioned are currently for sale or if they have been purchased by the National Park Service. Bund stated the nomination should address the non-contributing resources. Kolokithas suggested this additional information would be better suited to a survey report.
Site: Michigan School for the Blind Complex
Presented by: Jennifer Metz
Moved for Approval: Bund
Seconded: Baker
Vote: 9-0
Criteria: A, C
Level of Significance: State
Conway asked if there was any new construction within the boundaries of the complex. Metz stated that a new building was currently under construction.
Site: Milo Prentice Newberry House
Presented by: Deborah Larsen
Moved for Approval: Kreger
Seconded: Jackson
Vote: 9-0
Criteria: A, C
Level of Significance: Local
Rebain stated the period of significance should be extended to include the additions to the house.
Site: Grand Rapids Christian High School
Presented by: Sue Osgood
Moved for Approval: Gyure
Seconded: Braynon
Vote: 8-0, Smith abstained
Criteria: A, C
Level of Significance: Local
Site: Old-Merchants National Bank and Trust Building
Presented by: Randy Case
Moved for Approval: Braynon
Seconded: Smith
Vote: 9-0
Criteria: A, B, C
Level of Significance: Local
Site: Hancock High School
Presented by: Todd Walsh
Moved for Approval: Smith
Seconded: Bund
Vote: 9-0
Criteria: A, C
Level of Significance: Local
HISTORIC DISTRICT STUDY COMMITTEE REPORTS
Amy Arnold, Preservation Planner
West Grand Boulevard Historic African American Arts and Business District, Detroit, Wayne County
Delist 361 East Maple, Birmingham, Oakland County
Modification of Manistee Commercial Historic District, Manistee, Manistee County
APPEALS AND ANNUAL RESOLUTIONS
Kara Hart-Negrich, Staff Attorney
n/a
DATES OF NEXT MEETING
September 14, 2018; January 18, 2019
Moved for Approval:
Seconded:
Vote:
ADJOURNMENT
Motion to adjourn: Smith
Seconded: Kreger
Vote: 9-0
Meeting adjourned at 12:44 pm
Prepared by Kevin Stone
