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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-09-19 - Historic Landmarks Commission Minutes MINUTES DESCHUTES COUNTY HISTORIC LANDMARKS COMMISSION DESCHUTES SERVICES CENTER 1300 NW WALL STREET, BEND, OREGON, 97701 SEPTEMBER 19, 2013 – 5:30 P.M. I. CALL TO ORDER Chairman Stenman called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Historic Landmark Commissioners (HLC) present were Sharon Leighty, Kelly Madden (Ex-officio), Rachel Stemach (Ex-officio), Broc Stenman, Chris Horting-Jones, Dennis Schmidling, and Ray Solley (Ex-officio). Peter Gutowsky, Principal Planner represented County staff. Commissioner Leighty motioned to accept the June 24, 2013 minutes, seconded by Commissioner Schmidling, and accepted unanimously. II. ELECTION OF SECRETARY Chris Horting-Jones stated her interest to continue as the HLC Secretary. The HLC affirmed the reappointment unanimously. III. PUBLIC COMMENTS Nunzie Gould, a resident of Deschutes County, acknowledged the importance of the Deschutes County Historical Society as a repository of historical archives. IV. RECONNAISSANCE LEVEL SURVEY KICKOFF MEETING Peter Gutowsky introduced Tama Tochihara, the consultant performing the Reconnaissance Level Survey. Ms. Tochihara introduced herself. She spent the last few weeks in the data collection stage, reaching out to historic contacts at the Sisters National Forest (Matt Mawhirter), Fort Rock Ranger District (Penni Borgi), Bureau of Land Management (Terry Holtzapple) and State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO; Kuri Gill, Ian Johnson). She is going through the SHPO and National Register database and perusing any relevant historic resources that she can find. She also met with Nunzie Gould, a Deschutes County property owner and visited the Deschutes County Historical Society museum. 2 She is organizing information by region, topic, and timeframe. Questions that SHPO posed that require answers include:  Is it worthwhile to identify a specific time-period of significance?  When is the appropriate starting point for historic recreation?  Is it appropriate to examine places where people historically started visiting for recreation? Examples include lodges, ski areas and landmarks people visited like Newberry Crater and lava tubes (When, Why and How long?). Following the context of significance, the next task will be selecting which area warrants the RLS. Ideas include selecting an area by region or theme. Following Colorado’s approach along I-90, is to explore a road corridor like the Cascade Lakes Highway. Instead of picking just one type of site, a corridor approach allows you to identify every site of significance within that area. Commissioner Madden asked how one defines recreation. Ms. Tochihara stated she was thinking ski areas, resort tourism, fishing and hunting camps, boating activities, campgrounds, and trailheads (including horseback riding and bicycling). It will be important to determine when those various activities started. Commissioner Leighty expressed concerns about focusing solely on Century Drive since it has already been extensively studied. She asked what would be new or significant about those sites. Another approach is to identify other new and unique sites from a diversity standpoint. Ms. Tochihara stated that it will be important to identify regions of priority and which ones produce the most recreational and tourism sites as a template for other areas. We already know areas to the east of Highway 97 include Newberry Crater, and to the north, Smith Rock. Peter Gutowsky stated that the challenge facing our consultant is limited time and resources. Her contract is only for $7,500. It raises the importance of developing a plan with a phasing and timing element. The goal of this project is to lay the foundation for a National Register Multiple Property Submission. SHPO’s feedback will also be critically important. Chair Stenman asked the HLC which dates seemed plausible to define “historic recreation.” Commissioner Madden suggested early to middle 1800s. Chair Stenman, recognizing that term recreation can be subjective, he acknowledged the history of the Forest Service and National Park Service, go back to the late 1800s. They really start gaining recognition in the early 1900s. He expressed caution for casting to wide a net for defining historic recreation. Commissioner Horting-Jones suggested the period when the Bend Boosters started promoting the region for recreation to outsiders in the turn of the 20th century. Commissioner Madden mentioned 1905. Commissioner Leighty acknowledged that the timeline for historic recreation will likely flesh out in the details of Ms. Tochihara’s research. She expressed hope that the research can 3 be organized in a usable format like a spreadsheet so landmarks can be recognized by themes, era, type, etc. Commissioner Stemach made a suggestion organizationally to provide a matrix that creates a list that can be sorted by different categories. For example, a state park might list its name, campsites, showers, picnic tables, bathrooms, etc. You could sort the historic recreational /tourism sites the same way, based on their unique characteristics. After all the sites are entered, you might find interesting relationships. Ms. Tochihara agreed, stating she has already started building a spreadsheet, with different categories by recreation type. Commissioner Stemach stated that she could see this type of database being used eventually as a search tool for the public. Chair Stenman urged Ms. Tochihara to think broadly and examine newer forms of recreation, like mountain biking, off-highway vehicles, and rock climbing. Commissioner Madden said she had resources documenting first ascents. Ms. Tochihara asked Commissioner Leighty if she had areas in mind for researching. Commissioner Leighty stated that the USFS already has their sites inventoried. She expressed concern of not repeating work already performed. Her other key concern is the deliverables, beyond a nomination. She emphasized the importance of education and public outreach. It is critical that the materials provided to the County can serve multiple purposes. Commissioner Madden asked for clarity on what constitutes a recreational site. Ms. Tochihara emphasized that it is a site known primarily for its tourism and recreational value like a ski hut, resort, or lodge. Peter Gutowsky acknowledged that it is CDD’s intent to develop a draft scope of work for a historic preservation strategic plan that will guide staff resources and future CLG grants over a 3 to 5 year period. The RLS will a foundational document that we can build upon. Chair Stenman encouraged Ms. Tochihara to engage the HLC and take advantage of their expertise. Commissioner Leighty encouraged her to contract the recently retired historian from the Sisters Ranger’s District and to tap into resources from State Parks. V. CERTIFIED LOCAL GOVERNMENT (CLG) GRANT UPDATE Photography Project – Peter Gutowsky provided an update regarding photographers visiting historic landmarks during the months of July, August, and September. This month volunteers are taking photographs of historic landmarks in Sisters Country. Next spring, photographs will be incorporated into an interactive website managed by the Community Development Department (CDD) that enables viewers to learn more about each property’s historic and cultural heritage. VI. HLC TRAINING OPPORTUNITY / CLG CONFERENCE Peter Gutowsky highlighted a training conference in Dayton. On October 8, the State Historic Preservation Office is convening a Certified Local Government (CLG) Workshop in Dayton from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Commissioners Kelly Madden and Dennis 4 Schmidling both expressed interest. The County’s CLG grant can reimburse gas and lunch expenses. There also may be opportunities to car pool with a newly hired Associate Long-Range Planner. VII. COMMISSION / STAFF COMMENTS Cline Falls Power Plant Historic Site – Peter Gutowsky discussed the Cline Falls declaratory ruling. The HLC on June 24 formally declared that the entire site, including the dam, penstock, and powerhouse, is designated as an historic resource. Pacific Corp. appealed the decision to the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). A public hearing is scheduled with the BOCC on October 21 at 10:00 a.m. at the Deschutes Service Center, Barnes and Sawyer rooms. Tumalo Community Church - Peter Gutowsky discussed an administrative decision associated with Tumalo Community Church. CDD recently issued an administrative decision approving a cross on the steeple of Tumalo Community Church. With the support of Chair Stenman, the proposal was deemed a minor alteration and evaluated administratively. The proposal does not include destroying historic materials that characterize the property. The cross will be attached in a way that allows for removal without disturbing the original materials of the steeple. The proposal does not include removal or alteration of existing building materials. Commissioners emphasized the importance of evaluating these types of land use applications and if necessary, sending them to a hearing before the HLC. Bend HLC Joint Work Session - Peter Gutowsky stated he is continuing to coordinate with City staff to set up a joint work session with Bend’s HLC. Optimistically, a work session will be held on November 4. VIII. ADJOURN There being no further business, the meeting adjourned. Respectfully submitted, Peter Gutowsky Principal Planner