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Minutes 09-14-15 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC RESOURCES PRESERVATION BOARD MEETING HELD IN COMMISSION CHAMBERS, CITY HALL 100 E. BOYNTON BEACH BLVD., BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2015, AT 6:30 P. M. PRESENT: Barbara Ready, Chair Warren Adams, Historic Preservation Planner Eric Salomonsson, Vice Chair Michelle Dion Susan Oyer Dr. Ginger Pedersen Cheryl Black, Alternate Hollis Tidwell, III, Alternate ABSENT: Roger Cope Jason Shaffer 1. Pledge of Allegiance Chair Ready called the meeting to order at 6:31 p.m. The members recited the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. 2. Agenda Approval Mr. Adams added Item D, Potential Site Designation, and E, Provision of Program Advice to other Municipalities to Section 6, New Business. Motion Vice Chair Salomonsson moved to accept the agenda as amended. Ms. Oyer seconded the motion that unanimously passed. 3. Approval of Minutes The minutes were not available. 4. Communications and Announcements New Board member Hollis Tidwell, III, introduced himself. He has been a Boynton Beach resident for 11 years, a County resident for 16 years, and Florida resident for 18 years. He attended Auburn University studying architecture. He was involved in preservation and community service in Alabama and came to Florida and was doing Meeting Minutes Historic Resources Preservation Board Boynton Beach, Florida September 14, 2015 the same. The members welcomed him to the Board. Self- introductions were made. Mr. Adams advised Jason Shaffer could not attend the meeting. He also commented there was a handout from the Division of Historical Resources regarding an upcoming webinar explaining what a historic resource survey was, its purpose, types and more. He invited the members to attend the webinar and pointed out they were presently conducting an in -house survey. The log -in details were provided. Mr. Adams noted in some instances, surveys could be grant eligible, but they decided not to apply because normally they require match funding. The Board focused on the education grants that did not require a match, and opted to conduct the survey themselves. If there was a PowerPoint used in the webinar, it is usually made available, but Mr. Adams was unsure if the audio portion would be recorded. Ms. Oyer announced an upcoming CRA event unrelated to the agenda. 5. Old Business A. Cultural Resources Mobile Application Update Mr. Adams explained last year they received a grant from the Division of Historical Resources, and they submitted a smart phone application to partner with the Heritage Trail they created. It is up and running on the City's website, and it contained 170 sites. It is a searchable site and the 10 most significant sites have audio. The final report was submitted to the State, but they have not yet received the check. When the check is received the grant will be closed out. B. Division of Historical Resources Small Matching Grant Application for 2016/2017 Mr. Adams gave the final rankings for this grant cycle, and explained Boynton Colored Town was ranked second in the State. He was fairly confident they would receive funding. The number one project was the St. Augustine Civil Rights Movement. Mr. Adams noted Boynton's grant applications ranked in the top three over the past few years. The members noted the Board's success regarding grants was due to Mr. Adams' hard work. He explained they would not know if they will receive the funds until the State passed the budget. Mr. Adams explained the Boynton Colored Town project to Mr. Hollis. The project would be an interactive website entirely focused on that area, and they have been working with residents for over a year obtaining information. Many of the residents working with him were long- standing families. Handling the project in- house would be more economical and they would not have to employ a future consultant to make changes to the website. ITS committed to update the website in the future affording timely updates. He noted the State liked the project. 2 Meeting Minutes Historic Resources Preservation Board Boynton Beach, Florida September 14, 2015 C. Barton Memorial Park Cemetery Monument Proposal Mr. Adams explained Barton Cemetery is on the local register. The Cemetery was larger before 1 -95 traversed the property. It had 20 grave markers and ground penetrating radar showed there were many more burials there. He has been working with residents to place a memorial to individuals who were buried there. They cannot put up individual headstones because they do not know who was buried where. He had another meeting tomorrow and the plan was to finalize, with long -term residents who have a solid knowledge of the area and who was buried at the cemetery. They have to address funding, where the monument would be placed, what it would look like and if there would be an epitaph. This project must involve the community and would move forward with it to completion. D. Florida Master Site File Survey. Mr. Adams was reviewing the demolitions contained in the Florida Master Site File Survey and was updating the forms as some had incorrect information. Photographs of structures that were demolished were viewed. When Mr. Adams had 100 forms completed, he would send them to the State. There are about 1,500 to do. The forms require GPS and mapping. They have pictometry and aerials and a lot more information was being added so the State would have a solid record. There were 130 entries in the 1996 survey and it only included buildings up until 1946. Now they were reviewing buildings constructed up until 1965. He noted Boynton Beach experienced massive growth during the post war period, which was why there were so many properties. The 1996 survey also completely missed the former Boynton Colored Town area. Prior to review of the grant application, the State contacted him and advised they had no site file forms or survey for the Boynton Colored Town area, and Mr. Adams responded it was missed in the 1996 survey, which was one of the biggest complaints the residents in that area had. Their history was not reflected. He informed the State he could complete Master Site File forms, but it made more sense to complete the forms while they are undertaking the grant funded project. The State agreed. Ms. Oyer noted two of the homes could have been built by her grandfather and his friend Ray Wilcox. Together they constructed several homes. E. Boynton Woman's Club Special Category Grant Application Mr. Adams advised they received the grant to repair the wood -frame doors and windows. The City offered Mr. Adams' services as part of the grant match, but they were still waiting on the contract to begin. F. Student Volunteer - Footprints on Boynton Program Mr. Adams explained the City has a volunteer program and student Carla Goldberg spent four days shadowing him. She became aware of the Historic Preservation 3 Meeting Minutes Historic Resources Preservation Board Boynton Beach, Florida September 14, 2015 program due to a presentation he made at North Broward Preparatory School and Ms. Goldberg wanted to volunteer. He encouraged other students to participate. Vice Chair Salomonsson advised she loved volunteering and he was scheduling Mr. Adams again for Career Day at the school. He thought it was great to see student interest. 6. New Business A. Boynton High School Update Mr. Adams advised the City Commission agreed to give a 120 -day extension to Architect Rick Gonzales to develop a proposal to reuse the Old High School. He has not heard anything from him. B. Greenways, Blueways, and Trails Plan - Public Workshop Mr. Adams commented the City has a program for the above to encourage walking and cycling. They had a public workshop on August 20, 2015, and Mr. Adams distributed information on it. They want to connect the trails. He read the objective of the Master Plan and explained the public was invited to provide feedback. He noted this was to update the original plan which was conceptually adopted and was important because a significant part of the Plan will include historic sites. They have designated sites, the Heritage and Cemetery Trails and the Downtown Trail. They have the Smart Phone application with points of interest which could be used to encourage people to use the trails. They also had recent archeological digs in undeveloped City parks accessible by water. He thought this would play heavily with the Plan. Ms. Oyer attended the workshop and mentioned Dr. Pedersen's presentation on the Stage Coach Line. She suggested working with Hypoluxo on the Line because it is unique. She also noted one person was focusing heavily on bike access. She suggested they have a bike rental station on the State Coach Line and noted everyone wanted more trees lining the major streets in the Town. C. "Inside History" - PBC Channel 20 Show On September 24 Mr. Adams would record a 30- minute program for the Inside History Show on the PBC Channel 20. They want to focus on the trails and the Smart Phone application, affording good publicity of the amenities. Mr. Adams advised it showed there is a lot of interest created by what the Board was doing and the State recognized the City's efforts. D. Potential Site Designations Mr. Adams announced the new owners of the home on 117 S. Seacrest will close within a week and they were adamant about moving forward with designation. He spoke with them and they want to make alterations prior to designation to get it going and move 4 Meeting Minutes Historic Resources Preservation Board d Boynton Beach, Florida September 14, 2015 into the home which Mr. Adams reviewed. They proposed to remove shutters which were not original and install impact windows of an appropriate design. He noted all of the windows were replacement metal- framed windows so there was no issue with that. They also wanted to fill in a few windows on the back porch to provide more storage space and relocate the door. He advised since this was in the rear of the building, the front facade would not change or affect its eligibility for designation. He offered to start the designation application and was given the go ahead. This would be site number nine for designation and it may be on the next agenda for review. Mr. Adams looked through the windows and there were many original features that were potentially National Register eligible. Mr. Adams had contacted the National Register about other properties in the City and one main issue appeared to be the retention of the original door openings. Mr. Adams informed them moving the door in the back may or may not affect their eligibility. The owners seemed amenable that once it was on the Local Register they could submit a Determination for Eligibility and see if the State would support it. He would have a better idea once he gets inside the home which was built in approximately 1925. He had a picture of the home next door from 1926 and noted Alfred Bowen purportedly built both homes. There are some similar internal features between the two homes although they were built in two different styles. The members had discussed designating 115 Seacrest, but there was an insurance issue. Mr. Adams wanted to encourage the owner of 115 Seacrest to apply for designation. Another potential designation was the church diagonally across from City Hall. They contacted him to inform him the majority of the Board was interested in designation. Mr. Adams met with some of the Board members and would attend their next Board meeting to explain historic designation to them. He believed the decision would be made by the church members and not the Board members. The Church may also be eligible for grants. Mr. Adams felt the people really care about the church and love the building so they want to preserve it for the future. There was discussion about Historic Preservation plaques and continuity of design. Dr. Pedersen thought the Historical Society could recognize the home's significance and help underwrite the cost of the plaques. Plaques are used in Europe and Mr. Adams explained the plaques and numbers could be obtained in the U.S. The issue was it was not good to attach plaques to historic buildings and not everyone had a boundary wall it could be affixed too. Additionally, if it is on the home, it had to be readable from the street. Mr. Adams thought it was up to the Board to determine the most appropriate design, size, cost and placement. Another option would be to place it on the walkway, but it may require permits from the City. Further discussion followed if the homeowner was paying for the plaque, they should be allowed to put it by the door. Dr. Pedersen pointed out if the plaques were the same color or design, one only had to see the color, shape and design of it to know the structure was historic. This was done in Cocoa Beach. 5 Meeting Minutes Historic Resources Preservation Board Boynton Beach, Florida September 14, 2015 Mr. Tidwell pointed out Palm Beach was similar to West Palm Beach. The plaques were brass and if they were not on a public building, one can barely see them. Chair Ready requested Mr. Adams research the cost of the plaques. He thought they started at $100 on up depending on what was wanted. They cannot force people to use plaques, but it would be nice to offer them something. The issue was funding. It was noted it cost $15 to submit an application for Historic Designation. Mr. Adams thought there may be a way to include the cost of the plaques with the application. Mr. Adams was reluctant to increase the application cost because applicants like the low price. Dr. Pedersen suggested a matching fund program splitting the cost of a plaque between the applicant and the Historical Society may be an option. He noted other potential properties were surfacing and he has received inquiries about designation. E. Provision of Program Advice to Other Municipalities. Mr. Adams commented the State was referring other cities to Boynton Beach if they are contemplating beginning a Historic Preservation Program or having difficulty with one. He spoke to the City of Anna Maria in this regard, and last year, he made a presentation in Stuart regarding their Florida Main Street Conference. He was also contacted by Vero Beach because their program did not take off and he will meet with them on November 12 He planned to make a presentation detailing how Boynton Beach got the program moving, gained community support, obtained grant funds and used technology in what they do. He was speaking with the City of St. Cloud Main Street Organization who also wants a preservation program. They requested he conference call with them and then make a presentation in January. On a different note, Mr. Adams pointed out the Board normally reviews alterations, new construction and demolitions and he believed this would begin to occur. If anything happened with the Old High School or Magnuson House, the Board would review those applications. 7. Other None. 8. Comments by Members Ms. Oyer noted the City Commission has new logo pins and thought all the Board members should have pins as it would be a nice thank you for their service. It was noted the City did away with the Board Appreciation Banquet. Ms. Oyer also went to the Police Department because there is a trespass problem with old historic buildings down the street from her and was advised before the Police Department will sign off the owner had to put "No Trespass, Police Will Arrest You" signs on all sides of the buildings, which she felt became an issue with historic buildings. She conveyed the Police Department suggested speaking with the 6 Meeting Minutes Historic Resources Preservation Board Boynton Beach, Florida September 14, 2 015 Commission. She thought it would have a negative impact on Ocean Avenue and any other areas with historic buildings. An alternative would be to place the signs on a post. She thought the Historic Resource Preservation Board should initiate a discussion of the matter. She pointed out homeless individuals negatively affect those properties. Mr. Adams thought if the site was designated there would be more of a case. The no loitering signs have to be a specific size in order for the police to remove those loitering or making inappropriate choices. Mr. Adams noted the Board is tasked with making recommendations regarding the Historic Preservation Ordinance, but it could result in issues with historic plaques. Mr. Adams agreed to research how other cities handle the issue. He thought there may be avenues to explore. Chair Ready inquired about painting the Old High School and if there was anything they could do to help protect the surface of the school. She commented demolition by neglect is prohibited. Mr. Adams thought it made no sense to paint a building that would either be demolished or restored in the future. Additionally, he pointed out the Ad Hoc Committee had discussed paint colors. Currently if a building is repainted and the owner wants to clean the existing paint, they do not have to submit an application to paint, but he did not know if pressure washing was part of the painting process or was an alteration to the building. Mr. Adams explained that had provision remained in the Ordinance, they could have intervened. West Palm Beach does not review paint color, but Mr. Adams wanted to ascertain if they consider pressure washing part of the painting process or if it was an alteration prior to the painting process. Chair Ready inquired if a process damaged the exterior of the building could be considered an alteration ?. Mr. Adams responded not if there was no requirement to submit a painting application. All they could do was advise. He had not heard anything about a painting proposal and explained the Board could make a recommendation to change the Ordinance. Mr. Adams commented there were items in the Ordinance that were very different from other municipalities. If pressure cleaning was part of the painting process, unless it was determined it was an alteration prior to the painting process. anyone could blast away at a historic building with grinders and other equipment. If it is required, they were stuck. Ms. Oyer read page 62 of the Secretary of the Interior standards: "chemical or physical treatment such as sandblasting that causes damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible." Mr. Adams explained they are guidelines. They are to advise property owners the most appropriate direction to move in, but he understood each situation was different. The matrix in the Ordinance details what the Board and Mr. Adams would review and the matrix specifically indicates the paint color is not reviewed. Delray Beach reviews paint color and Mr. Adams never denied anyone a paint color, but there was one occasion when someone purchased a home and the rest of the residents in the historic district complained because the owner painted the home lilac, sea green, 7 Meeting Minutes Historic Resources Preservation Board Boynton Beach, Florida September 14, 2015 purple, red, dark blue and pink. That was where a review of paint color helped, because the City could intervene. There was consensus for Mr. Adams to come back at a later time with recommendations to tweak the Ordinance. 9. Public Comments None. 10. Announce date of next meeting - October 12, 2015 11. Adjournment There being no further business to discuss, Chair Ready adjourned the meeting at 7:46 p.m. Catherine Cherry Minutes Specialist 100115 8