Preservation Commission

Regular Meeting

Rock Island, IL · October 30, 2024

Minutes

Rock Island Historic Preservation Commission Minutes Lower Level Conference Room (Basement), City Hall 1528 3rd Avenue October 30, 2024 5:30 PM Voting Members Diane Oestreich Present Alan Carmen Zach Campbell Jeff Dismer Bruce Peterson – present at 5:40pm Estlin Fiegley Voting Members Mark Schwiebert Absent Addison Kimmel Staff Present Eunice Amissah-Mensah Tanner Osing Call to Order and Roll Call Chair Oestreich called the meeting to order at 5:35 PM and read the roll call. Public Comment No one from the public wished to speak so the meeting continued. Approval of the Previous Meeting Minutes Carmen moved to approve the meeting minutes for September 25, 2024. Campbell seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 5 to 0. Other Business/ New Business Case 2024-06: Certificate of Appropriateness for 1203 45th Street With the applicant not present, Carmen moved to defer consideration until a later appearance during the meeting or postpone to the next meeting. Dismer seconded the motion. The motion passed on a voice vote of 5 to 0. Case 2024-07: Certificate of Appropriateness for 1601 21st Street Amissah-Mensah presented the staff report noting staff’s recommendation of approval of the described scope of work. Applicant and homeowner, Karen Young, was present for the meeting. Contractor, Brian Paulsen, spoke on the request. He stated that the scope of work on the garage will be done to match the previous look and everything will be replaced as they were. The wood windows will be replaced with exact same dimensions and material. Dismer moved to approve Certificate of Appropriateness for the replacement of wood window with new wood windows. Carmen seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 6 to 0. Commissioners commended the applicant for the effort put in to match the new work with the previous. Case 2024-08: Certificate of Appropriateness for 1635 20th Street Amissah-Mensah presented the staff report noting staff’s recommendation of approval for the most of the work but suggests further exploration for the front door replacement described in the scope of work. Applicant and homeowner, Steve Herman, along with contractor, Taylor Love were present to speak on the request. Mr. Herman stated that the garage door will be replaced to match the current design, material and style. He further expressed a preference for wood doors instead of fiberglass and also discussed the condition of the existing doors and the possibility of matching the design across all doors. Commissioners weighed in on the materials and design choices, suggesting wood as the preferred option for maintaining the historical character of the property. Carmen moved to approve Certificate of Appropriateness for the replacement of the front door with a solid wood door with clear glass inserts and horizontal door panels and all the other works described in the application. Dismer seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 6 to 0. Case 2024-09: Certificate of Appropriateness for 1718 21st Street Amissah-Mensah presented the staff report noting staff’s recommendation of approval for the described scope of work. Dismer moved to approve Certificate of Appropriateness for the composite wood bases for the columns. Campbell seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 6 to 0. Invitation to comment on AT&T Mobility LLC Project on the water tower at 1404 36th Street Commissioners discussed the AT&T project on the water tower, noting that there are no significant historic resources nearby that would be impacted. Carmen moved to approve the proposed work. Dismer seconded the motion. The motion carried on a vote of 6 to 0. Discussion on Certified Local Government (CLG) grant opportunities Osing discussed grants available for Certified Local Governments, highlighting the opportunity to apply for funding. He suggested updating the residential and commercial design guidelines as a potential project. Commissioners discussed the need for updating the design guidelines, including addressing composite materials and providing clearer illustrations. Oestreich also suggested adding a section on building maintenance. Discussion on local financial incentives for historic properties Osing introduced a discussion on local financial incentives for historic property rehabilitation. He noted that the City currently does not have anything in place. Osing outlined potential funding sources and also discussed programs in other communities. Commissioners discussed the different options, weighing in on the pros and cons of each approach. They acknowledged the city's budget constraints and competing priorities, suggesting that securing funding will require political support and creative solutions. Other Business The Commissioners briefly discussed the Centennial Bridge with Oestreich inquiring about any updates on a potential study session or involvement from the Rock Island Downtown Alliance. Adjournment Chair Oestreich called for a motion to adjourn the meeting. Dismer moved to adjourn the meeting. Carmen seconded the motion. The meeting adjourned at 6:50 PM. Minutes submitted by Eunice Amissah-Mensah.

Agenda

Packet

Preservation Commission Meeting Agenda October 30, 2024 - 5:30 PM Lower Level Conference Room, City Hall, Basement 1528 Third Avenue, Rock Island, IL 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call Commissioners: Jeff Dismer, Addison Kimmel, Deb Kuntzi, Diane Oestreich, Bruce Peterson, Mark Schwiebert, Alan Carmen, Zach Campbell, Estlin Feigley 3. Public Comment 4. Minutes a. Approval of the September 25, 2024 Meeting Minutes Motion Move to approve the September 25, 2024 Meeting Minutes VV Voice vote is needed. 5. Other Business/New Business a. Case 2024-06: Certificate of Appropriateness application for the 1203 45th Street Motion: Move to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness application for 1203 45th Street for the work as described. RC Roll Call vote is needed. b. Case 2024-07: Certificate of Appropriateness application for the 1601 21st Street Motion: Move to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness application for 1601 21st Street for the work as described RC Roll Call vote is needed. c. Case 2024-08: Certificate of Appropriateness application for 1635 20th Street Motion: Move to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness application for 1635 20th Street for the work as described RC Roll Call vote is needed. d. Case 2024-09: Certificate of Appropriateness for 1718 21st Street Motion: Move to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness application for 1718 21st Street for the work as described RC Roll Call vote is needed. e. Invitation to comment on AT&T Mobility LLC project on the water tower at 1404 36th Street. Motion: Move to have no objection to the proposed work. VV Voice vote is needed. Page 1 of 53 f. Discussion on Certified Local Government (CLG) grant opportunities. g. Discussion on local financial incentives for historic properties. 6. Adjourn This agenda may be obtained in accessible formats by qualified persons with a disability by making appropriate arrangements from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, by contacting the City Clerk's Office at (309) 732-2010 or visiting in person at: 1528 Third Avenue, Rock Island, IL 61201. Page 2 of 53 Rock Island Historic Preservation Commission Minutes Lower Level Conference Room (Basement), City Hall 1528 3rd Avenue September 25, 2024 5:30 PM Voting Members Jeff Dismer Present Addison Kimmel Diane Oestreich Alan Carmen Mark Schwiebert Zach Campbell Estlin Fiegley Voting Members Deb Kuntzi Absent Bruce Peterson Staff Present Eunice Amissah-Mensah Call to Order and Roll Call Chair Oestreich called the meeting to order at 5:30 PM and read the roll call. Public Comment No members of the public were present for general comments, so the meeting continued. Approval of the Previous Meeting Minutes Dismer moved to approve the meeting minutes for August 28, 2024 as amended Schwiebert seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously on a vote of 7 to 0. Public Hearing a. 2024-07: Landmark Designation Application for the Smyth-Jackson House at 824 20th Street Chair Oestreich asked for a motion to approve the landmark designation for 824 20th Street. Carmen moved to approve the request. Schwiebert seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously on a vote of 6 to 0. Other Business/ New Business Resolution on the Centennial Bridge Commissioner Dismer amended the resolution to include the 2021 date for the $6 million dollars that was allocated for the painting of the Centennial Bridge. Commissioner Schwiebert suggested that the Community and Economic Development Departments take a look at the economic impact of replacing the bridge and conduct a traffic count on the bridge. Page 3 of 53 Chair Oestreich asked for a motion to approve the Centennial Bridge resolution. Dismer moved to approve the resolution with the date addition. Schwiebert seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously on a vote of 7 to 0. Commissioners discussed putting the resolution before the City Council during a study session and Downtown Alliance. Adjournment Chair Oestreich called for a motion to adjourn the meeting. Schwiebert moved to adjourn the meeting. Campbell seconded the motion. The meeting adjourned at 6:15 PM. Minutes submitted by Eunice Amissah-Mensah. Page 4 of 53 Memorandum To: Rock Island Preservation Commission From: Eunice Amissah-Mensah, Urban Planner, Tanner Osing, Planning & Zoning Manager Subject: Case 2024-06: Certificate of Appropriateness application for the 1203 45th Street Motion: Move to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness application for 1203 45th Street for the work as described. RC Roll Call vote is needed. Date: October 30, 2024 Introduction and Background Information: Angela Lynch has applied for a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for the Borg House at 1203 45th Street. The Borg House (1930) is a two-story, rare prairie style residence associated with the invention of sliding automobile clutch. The proposed scope of work involves the following: • Replace the wood railing on the north side of the house with a brown textured Georgian level (aluminum extrusion) railing. The 4ft level railing will be 46 ¾ inches in length and 3 ¾ inches between holes with 10-3/4 square baluster connects that is secured with a 3/4” stainless steel sheet metal screw. The Georgian Series Top Rail is 2 3/4 inches wide and the bottom rail is 1 1/2 inches wide. The height of the rail from top to bottom is 37-1/4″. • The alternative will be to leave the flat roof without a railing as there is no door on that side of the house. Staff believe the rectangular balustrade suits the prairie style house despite its lack of decorative finials and material difference. Althougth the railing is a complementing feature, it's not called out as a main identifying feature for the Borg House in the landmark nomination. Overall, staff believe the proposed railing replacement meets the residential design guidelines and complies with the Preservation Ordinance. Lastly, staff do not recommend the alternative of the existing railing being removed and not replaced. Previous Council Action (if any): NA Budget Impact: NA Additional Information as applicable (i.e. provide alternative options, community or staff input, staffing impact; resident impact; etc.): Page 5 of 53 NA Council Goal (if applicable): NA Recommendation: The Community Development Department recommends that the Preservation Commission approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for proposed scope of the railing replacement. Submitted by: Eunice Amissah-Mensah, Urban Planner Approved by: Page 6 of 53 Image of railing example provided by the applicant Page 7 of 53 Sample look – Aluminum railing to be used for replacement Page 8 of 53 Figure 1: Photo showing the property from along 45th Street Page 9 of 53 F Figure 2: View of railing from the north west section of the house Page 10 of 53 Figure 3: Railing to be replaced on the north side of the house from along 12 th Avenue Page 11 of 53 Figure 4: Closer view of the railing from north east side of the house Page 12 of 53 Memorandum To: Rock Island Preservation Commission From: Eunice Amissah-Mensah, Urban Planner, Tanner Osing, Planning & Zoning Manager Subject: Case 2024-07: Certificate of Appropriateness application for the 1601 21st Street Motion: Move to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness application for 1601 21st Street for the work as described RC Roll Call vote is needed. Date: October 30, 2024 Introduction and Background Information: Karen Young has applied for a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for property at 1601 21st Street, a locally designated landmark located in the Highland Park District. The proposed scope of work to be considered for the COA is the replacement of wood windows on the south side of the garage for wood windows of the same dimensions. The proposed windows will be fixed windows and have four panes. Additionally, the applicant plans to repair the south side wall of the garage that was struck by a car. This includes framing, patching stucco, and replacing the wood trim with matching wood trim. This work is considered to be a replacement-in-kind. Overall, staff believe the proposed window replacement meets the residential design guidelines and complies with the Preservation Ordinance. The windows will be wood windows and on a secondary structure. Previous Council Action (if any): NA Budget Impact: NA Additional Information as applicable (i.e. provide alternative options, community or staff input, staffing impact; resident impact; etc.): NA Council Goal (if applicable): NA Recommendation: The Community Development Department recommends that the Preservation Commission approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for the work as described. Submitted by: Eunice Amissah-Mensah, Urban Planner Page 13 of 53 Approved by: Page 14 of 53 Page 15 of 53 Page 16 of 53 Page 17 of 53 Page 18 of 53 Page 19 of 53 Page 20 of 53 Page 21 of 53 Page 22 of 53 Page 23 of 53 Memorandum To: Rock Island Preservation Commission From: Eunice Amissah-Mensah, Urban Planner, Tanner Osing, Planning & Zoning Manager Subject: Case 2024-08: Certificate of Appropriateness application for 1635 20th Street Motion: Move to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness application for 1635 20th Street for the work as described RC Roll Call vote is needed. Date: October 30, 2024 Introduction and Background Information: An application for a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) has been received for the Looney House at 1635 20th Street, located in the Highland Park District. The application for the Certificate of Appropriateness covers replacing the exterior front, side and rear doors of the house with the same design and replacing the man door for the garage with a similar door and knob and lock. The other proposed scope of work that includes replacing the shingles on wrap around porch with CertainTeed carriage house shingles, repairing rotted wood around the house (crown moulding, third story railings) with the same dimensions, replacing rotted boards on the ceiling of porch with 1x4 white tongue and groove with the same dimensions, replacing the flat roofing on the ceiling with same epdm black rubber roofing that already exists, removing the ladder in front of house from second floor to third floor and patch ceiling with same tongue and groove, are all considered to be a replacement-in-kind. The applicant has provided sample materials of the doors that will be replaced. The applicant notes that the existing man door on the garage is warped. Additionally, the applicant notes that all doors will be painted to match the style of the house. All the proposed doors are fiberglass as opposed to wood. Overall, staff believe the proposed exterior side and rear door replacements meet the residential design guidelines and comply with the Preservation Ordinance. However, staff contend that front door does not meet the residential design guidelines. Staff recommend that the applicant explore designs with similar detailing as the existing doors that are made of wood and do not have dividing lights. Previous Council Action (if any): NA Budget Impact: NA Additional Information as applicable (i.e. provide alternative options, community or staff input, staffing impact; resident impact; etc.): Page 24 of 53 NA Council Goal (if applicable): NA Recommendation: The Community Development Department recommends that the Preservation Commission approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for the replacement of the side door (south side of house) and the man door on the garage, but deny the proposed replacement of the front door. Submitted by: Eunice Amissah-Mensah, Urban Planner Approved by: Page 25 of 53 Page 26 of 53 Page 27 of 53 Page 28 of 53 Page 29 of 53 Figure Page 30 of 53 Memorandum To: Rock Island Preservation Commission From: Eunice Amissah-Mensah, Urban Planner, Tanner Osing, Planning & Zoning Manager Subject: Case 2024-09: Certificate of Appropriateness for 1718 21st Street Motion: Move to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness application for 1718 21st Street for the work as described RC Roll Call vote is needed. Date: October 30, 2024 Introduction and Background Information: Linda Anderson has applied for a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for property at 1718 21st Street, a locally designated landmark located in the Highland Park District. The proposed scope of work to be considered for the Certificate of Appropriateness is the replacement of the wood square bases of the front porch support columns with composite wood. This is being proposed to prevent rot with the direct contact on the concrete. The other proposed scope of work includes repairing the rotting wood on the front porch, restoring the front porch columns with natural wood, replacing soffit areas that are damaged or failing with natural wood and repairing the backyard and side fence with natural wood of the same style is considered to be a replacement-in-kind. Staff believe the composite square bases will not affect the historical integrity of the house. This proposed change meets the residential design guidelines and complies with the Preservation Ordinance. Previous Council Action (if any): NA Budget Impact: NA Additional Information as applicable (i.e. provide alternative options, community or staff input, staffing impact; resident impact; etc.): NA Council Goal (if applicable): NA Recommendation: The Community Development Department recommends that the Preservation Commission approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for the work as described. Page 31 of 53 Submitted by: Eunice Amissah-Mensah, Urban Planner Approved by: Page 32 of 53 21 B Street Burlington, MA 01803 ebiconsulting.com October 10, 2024 Preservation Commission, Planning & Zoning Attn: Jeff Dismer, Member 1528 Third Avenue Rock Island, Illinois 61201 309.732.2900 cedmail@rigov.org Rock Island Preservation Society PO Box 3261, Rock Island, IL 61204-3261 Info@RockIslandPreservationSociety.org Subject: Invite to Comment 14th Avenue WT RI 1405 36th St, Rock Island, Rock Island County, Illinois 61201 EBI Project No.: 028296-PR Pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the regulations promulgated thereunder and interagency agreements developed thereto, EBI Consulting, Inc., on behalf of AT&T Mobility, LLC, provides this notice of a proposed telecommunications facility installation at the address listed above. EBI would like to inquire if you would be interested in commenting on this proposed project. Please refer to the attached plans for additional details. Please note that we are requesting your review of the attached information as part of the Section 106 process only and not as part of the local zoning process. We are only seeking comments related to the proposed project’s potential effect to historic properties. Please submit your comments regarding the proposed project’s potential effect on historic properties to EBI Consulting, to my attention at 21 B Street, Burlington, MA 01803, or contact me via telephone at the number listed below. Please reference the EBI project number. We would appreciate your comments as soon as possible within the next 30 days. Note that this project will be entered into the Federal Communication Commission’s e106 System, which will send notifications of the project throughout the Section 106 process. Sincerely, Page 33 of 53 21 B Street Burlington, MA 01803 ebiconsulting.com Caitlin Mee Architectural Historian II 916.217.3831 cmee@ebiconsulting.com Appendices: Maps and Project Drawings Page 34 of 53 Page 35 of 53 Page 36 of 53 Page 37 of 53 Page 38 of 53 Page 39 of 53 Page 40 of 53 Page 41 of 53 Page 42 of 53 Page 43 of 53 Page 44 of 53 Page 45 of 53 Page 46 of 53 Page 47 of 53 Page 48 of 53 Page 49 of 53 Page 50 of 53 Page 51 of 53 Memorandum To: Rock Island Preservation Commission From: Subject: Discussion on local financial incentives for historic properties. Date: October 30, 2024 Introduction and Background Information: There are on-going discussions on how historic preservation efforts, specifically property rehab, can be financially supported at the local level. Staff often receive concerns that the City has an ordinance to preserve historic properties without offering any incentive to do so. The main issue, of course, comes down to funding. There are a variety of different funding sources that could be used, but achieving consensus for dedicating those funds to historic preservation can be difficult. Staff identified some potential sources in the following list. • Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts: A TIF district could be established over a historic district. For example, re-establishing the downtown TIF would allow for an additional funding source that property owners could use to undertake historically sensitive rehab. TIF is less likely to be beneficial in a developed residential area where there would be less increment generated. It can also be difficult to justify establishing a new TIF. • Special Service Areas (SSA): An SSA could be established with a boundary overlapping a historic district. The SSA would result in an additional property tax. That money could be used to support historic preservation as well as other placemaking services. An outside organization would need to manage the SSA. • General Fund: Funding could be allocated through the City’s general fund for preservation programs. Given budget constraints, this is likely to be challenging with other competing priorities. The main benefit of this source is that the money could be used for historic properties located throughout the City unlike an SSA or a TIF district which are location specific. • Philanthropy & Fundraising: An organization, like the Rock Island Preservation Society, could seek local donations to seed rehab programs. The funding could also be used throughout the City, but is possibly less sustainable than other sources. Once funding is established, a rehab program can be developed. The two main types of programs are either grants or loans. Staff came across two notable examples from Dubuque, Iowa and Bloomington, Illinois. • Eugene D. Funk, Jr. Grant Program, Bloomington, IL: This program provides funding for up to 50% of eligible project costs with a maximum of $7,500. There are no income eligibility requirements. The program is funded through the City’s general fund with around $50-60,000 allocated each year. • Historic Preservation Revolving Loan Fund, Dubuque, IA: This program provides up to a $25,000 loan for eligible projects with a 3% interest rate over 10 years. There are no income eligibility requirements. The initial seed money was provided by a local bank, Page 52 of 53 which allowed the City to collect the interest to reseed the loan fund. Lastly, staff have no recommendations at this time, but rather wish to workshop different alternatives with the Preservation Commission. As with anything, there are pros and cons that come with each funding source. Previous Council Action (if any): NA Budget Impact: NA Additional Information as applicable (i.e. provide alternative options, community or staff input, staffing impact; resident impact; etc.): NA Council Goal (if applicable): NA Recommendation: NA Submitted by: Tanner Osing, Planning & Zoning Manager Approved by: Page 53 of 53