Joliet Historic Preservation Commission Committee of the Whole

150 West Jefferson Street City of Joliet Joliet, IL 60432 Joliet Historic Preservation Commission Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes Commission Members Quinn Adamowski Brian Bessler Mary Beth Gannon Bill Habiger Kevin Heinemann Candace Johnson Kailee Lowry Sharon Merwin Aaron Mikottis Sara Stovall Steven Wright Wednesday, April 28, 2021 6:00 PM City Hall, Council Chambers Pursuant to Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan, the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity's Guidelines recommend best practices that limit an in-person meeting to 50 people or less (Council Chambers allows for 18 members of the public) while adhering to social distancing guidelines. During meetings, any member of the public physically present in the Council Chambers in excess of the limit will be asked to wait in another room with live feed to the meeting until the Citizens To Be Heard on Agenda Items section or Public Comments section of the meeting has commenced. Speakers will be rotated into Council Chambers to allow everyone an opportunity to speak. Pursuant to the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity’s Guidelines, it is recommended that any individual appearing in-person wear a face-covering to cover their nose and mouth. Citizens who are unable to attend the meeting can email comments in advance of the meeting to publiccomment@joliet.gov. CALL TO ORDER DECLARATION OF QUORUM Present Quinn Adamowski, Brian Bessler, Candace Johnson, Sharon Merwin, Sara Stovall and Steven Wright Absent Mary Beth Gannon, Bill Habiger, Kevin Heinemann, Kailee Lowry and Aaron Mikottis APPROVAL OF MINUTES Page 1 of 6 Joliet Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes April 28, 2021 Committee of the Whole Minutes from the March 24, 2021 Committee-of-the-Whole meeting were not available. These minutes will be voted on at the May 26, 2021 meeting. Minutes Pending... A motion was made by Sara Stovall, then seconded by Sharon Merwin to table the March 24, 2021 meeting minutes. The motion carried the following vote: Aye: Adamowski, Bessler, Johnson, Merwin, Stovall and Wright Absent: Beth Gannon, Habiger, Heinemann, Lowry and Mikottis CITIZENS TO BE HEARD ON AGENDA ITEMS NOTE: There is a new temporary procedure for public speaking. Details can be found on the Joliet.gov “Public Comments” web page. A. This section is for anyone wanting to speak regarding non-agenda items and are allowed a maximum of 4 minutes. It is not a question and answer period and staff and the Joliet Historic Preservation Commission do not generally respond to public comments. Please note, speakers who engage in conduct injurious to the harmony of the Joliet Historic Preservation Commission shall be called to order by the Presiding Officer and may forfeit the opportunity to speak. STAFF REPORTS a.Staff Report Ms. Bernhard went over the staff reports. Ms. Bernhard has issued 1 administrative approval for a generator at 614 Western Avenue. The St. Johns Tier 1 survey should be finished within a week, Ms. Bernhard has received the Tier 3 survey information and it will go to Candace and Sara for review. The same Consultant will do the Downtown Joliet survey as well. Ms. Merwin asked who will be completing the work, Ms. Bernhard answered the Lakota Group. Ms. Bernhard has not heard back about the certified local government project. Landmarks Illinois will announce the 2021 most endangered historic property soon, Ms. Bernhard is hoping the US Steel Building will be included. Ms. Bernhard said that Ms. Merwin reached out to the CEO of US Steel. US Steel has committed to fix the roof, Ms. Bernhard stated that the company had not applied for a permit to do so. Ms. Bernhard announced that the City Council approved the updates to the Historic Preservation ordinance at the April 20th Council meeting. Ms. Bernhard announced that the Old Joliet Prison Visitors Center will open to the public on May 1, 2021. b.Committee of the Whole (COW) There was no discussion on this subject. OLD BUSINESS Page 2 of 6 Joliet Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes April 28, 2021 Committee of the Whole A. Candidates for future landmarks: i. 804 West Marion Street – discussion on appropriate thematic category. Ms. Bernhard gave an update on events that have happened since the last discussion of this property. ii. 214 Herkimer Street Ms. Merwin gave an update on progress she has made with 214 Herkimer Street. Ms. Merwin is still working on completing the nomination prerequisites. iii. Big Brothers Building Ms. Johnson is still working on the nomination prerequisites. Ms. Johnson went to Big Brother & Big Sisters, a former tenant, to collect more information. Ms. Johnson is having issues determining which Wunderlich family member built the building. Ms. Johnson stated that she has started researching 20 S. Raynor Ave. NEW BUSINESS A. Annual Historic Preservation Award Nominations: Review and Discussion Annual Historic Preservation Award Nominations: Review TMP-1480 and Discussion Attachments: Staff Report_Annual Awards_April 2021 Meeting Oakwood Cemetary Nomination 3 Manor Court Nomination Billie Limacher Nomination Lynne Lichtenauer Nomination Packet i. Lynne Lichtenauer Ms. Bernhard announced that Lynne M. Lichtenauer was nominated by Quinn Adamowski & Greg Peerbolte for her service to Joliet. Lynne M. Lichtenauer should be recognized for her devotion to promoting Joliet’s heritage and all things Joliet. Lynne M. Lichtenauer, passed away at the age of 81, at her home after a courageous battle with cancer on Tuesday, February 23, 2021. Lynne spent most of her life in Joliet. She was a graduate of St. Francis Academy (Class of 1957). She retired in 2016 as JTHS Director of Alumni Relations and Development--District 204. She made many significant contributions to the community over her decades of service. At the time of her passing, she was the current President of the Joliet Area Historical Museum. She had been a board member of the Joliet Area Historical Museum for 11 years., including four terms as President. Under her leadership, the Museum entered into an Page 3 of 6 Joliet Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes April 28, 2021 Committee of the Whole unprecedented public-private partnership with the City of Joliet and community partners to restore the iconic Old Joliet Prison. Her leadership also included oversight of greater operational efficiencies. As a testament to this work, the Museum has weathered the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic without a single staff layoff or tapping its financial reserves. In addition to her leadership role in the organization’s governance, Lynne faithfully attended virtually every Museum event, often arriving and leaving as the same time as staff to assist them in their preparation. Lynne will be remembered by Museum staff for her unflappable positive attitude and contagious kindness, never leaving an event or meeting without ensuring she had spoken to everyone about the happenings in their lives with the care and concern of a family member . A journalist at heart, she possessed an immense knowledge of and equally big love for the Joliet area’s rich history, culture and traditions. Lynne presented frequently and authoritatively (often without a single note) on an array of historic topics such as the Rialto Theater - a institution she treasured - and the Molly Zelko mystery. Even though Lynne’s tenure on our Board was bookended by the dual global crises of the Great Recession and COVID Pandemic, her unforgettable legacy will be one in which the Museum not only survived, but thrived, gaining international media attention and unprecedented organizational growth as a result of her resilient and tireless leadership . While she has earned and received multiple awards for selflessly donating her time and energy for the benefit of her community over the years, we feel that this should be another award that she should have. ii. Billie Limacher Ms. Bernhard announced that Billie Limacher was nominated by Candace Johnson & Sara Stovall. Ms. Merwin also stated that Ms. Limacher was also a member of the Historic Preservation Commission in the past. Billie Limacher should be recognized for her devotion to promoting Joliet’s heritage and all things Joliet. Billie Louise Limacher passed away peacefully on April 1, 2021 in her home, surrounded by three generations of her family. Born in 1921 and raised in Danville, Illinois, Billie moved to Joliet with her husband Dr. William Limacher and raised her four children here. In the early seventies, Billie was the guiding force for building the Will Joliet Bicentennial Park, later renamed the Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park in May of 2000. She was a founding member of the Will County Historical Society. She served as the Will County Historian for several years. While she has earned and received multiple awards for selflessly donating her time and energy for the benefit of her community over the years, we feel that this should be another award that she should have. Preserving Joliet history was one of her passions. In the early 1960s, HUD purchased and demolished the buildings along Bluff Street from Jackson to Marion. Bluff Street was Joliet’s “first street.” Billie worked tirelessly to preserve the history of this street which correlated with the early history of Joliet. HUD wanted $210,000 for the property. So, Billie formed Will-Joliet Bicentennial Park Inc from the former county and city bicentennial committees. She led fundraising efforts and eventually convinced HUD to sell them the property for a dollar. The park broke ground in 1976. On July 4 that year, a 100-year time capsule was buried. Page 4 of 6 Joliet Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes April 28, 2021 Committee of the Whole Viewpoints on the brick and concrete walking areas were named for prominent Joliet pioneers. It was her idea to place historical placards on the boulders at the site as part of the thematic celebration of the early history of Joliet. In addition, she helped launch the Pioneer Days, Heritage Festival, Waterway Daze programs -all of which celebrated the history of Joliet. iii. 3 Manor Court Ms. Bernhard went over the nomination information, 3 Manor Court was nominated by a neighbor, Kathy Spieler. Ms. Merwin questioned whether the home should be nominated on interior work or just the exterior of the home. Chairman Adamowski stated he has voted no in the past on interior work. Chairman Adamowski stated he has voted no in the past on interior work. Ms. Johnson also suggested the home has been altered because the front door in on the side, not in the front, which is typically where homes of this style have the front door. The Commissioners discussed the four square style and if this home has been altered from that style. iv. Oakwood Cemetery Ms. Bernhard said the purpose of the nomination is to highlight the work that Joliet Township has done stabilizing the Oakwood Cemetery. Mr. Wright stated he visited the cemetery recently. The greenery and landscaping have been updated and they have cleaned and rebuilt deteriorating structures. B. Historic Preservation Month Programmatic Calendar Ms. Bernhard went over the Historic Preservation Month Programmatic Calendar. The Commissioners went over possible local landmarks to add to the Facebook posts. Ms. Bernhard asked if there were any suggestions for things to do besides Facebook posts . Ms. Johnson asked if there was a possibility to partner with the Joliet Historical Museum to work with the Herald News on the annual calendar they publish. Ms. Merwin requested that Ms. Bernhard send out the calendar to the Commissioners when it is complete. Ms. Johnson suggested adding products & companies that started in Joliet. Ms. Johnson asked about adding former theaters. The Commissioners discussed former theaters and where they were located. C. Thematic District Criteria (TABLED TO JUNE MEETING) COMMISSIONER COMMENTS PUBLIC COMMENTS Page 5 of 6 Joliet Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes April 28, 2021 Committee of the Whole NOTE: There is a new temporary procedure for public speaking. Details can be found on the Joliet.gov “Public Comments” web page. A. This section is for anyone wanting to speak regarding non-agenda items and are allowed a maximum of 4 minutes. It is not a question and answer period and staff and the Joliet Historic Preservation Commission do not generally respond to public comments. Please note, speakers who engage in conduct injurious to the harmony of the Joliet Historic Preservation Commission shall be called to order by the Presiding Officer and may forfeit the opportunity to speak. ADJOURNMENT A motion was made to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: Adamowski, Bessler, Habiger, Johnson, Merwin, Stovall and Wright Absent: Beth Gannon, Heinemann, Lowry and Mikottis This meeting will be held in an accessible location. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please contact Christa M. Desiderio, City Clerk, 150 West Jefferson Street, Joliet, Illinois 60432 at (815) 724-3780. Page 6 of 6