Southwest Partnership Historic Preservation Committee Meeting
September 19th 2016
6pm 918 Lemmon St
Present
Scott Kashnow
Michael Mellett
Diana Geis
Dan Morrison
Dan Rodenburg
Bif Browning
Dotie Page
Signage Project Update
We’re still waiting to hear back from our state funding application. Michael is finishing up the language for signs for Barre Circle and Pigtown, and will share Barre Circle’s draft with Diana.
Sign locations now need to be determined–Elizabeth will contact the Department of Transportation to begin the process of figuring out which locations in each neighborhood would work so that the neighborhood associations can pick one.
Scott will follow up with CHAP on the possibility of applying for funding so that we can investigate Poppleton and Mount Clare being added to the National Register of Historic Places.
1001 W Baltimore St
The Committee discussed the history of the building–it had been an apothecary belonging first to Bowers, who was a high ranking Mason and wrote a guide for new Masons that is still being used today, and then by one of the founders of the UMB School of Pharmacy. A letter outlining this history has been sent to UMB.
The owner of the building is asking CHAP to approve his landscaping designs for the space, which include demolishing the building (although not the lot). The lot is in the Hollins Roundhouse neighborhood as well as the Union Square Historic District. The Union Square Association is not in favor of demolition for demolition’s sake, but the Hollins Roundhouse Association is the neighborhood association that would give community approval or disapproval to CHAP. The owner hasn’t presented the designs to the association yet, but Dan M reports that the general feeling among association members he has talked to is that they aren’t devoted to the building and can’t commit to fighting to save it, but would be supportive if another group wanted to.
The Committee discussed whether the letter detailing the building’s history should be sent to the CHAP commission, and if the Historic Preservation Committee would be the appropriate group to do it. In Dan M’s view, as long as the Committee sends the letter with just the information discovered and without a recommendation of action it would be appropriate.
The Committee also discussed how to share the information discovered with the community without appearing as though they were taking a position on an issue which falls under the neighborhood association. Dan M offered to share the information and Elizabeth will work with him and Profiles to get it on the SWP’s social media and website.
Oral History Project
Elizabeth prepared a planning checklist for the oral history project, which the Committee reviewed. Dan suggested having two parts to the event–ongoing scanning of photographs and documents, which community members could make appointments for scanning, and then an event where stories could be shared and follow ups for more in depth one on one interviews could be scheduled.
The first choice for the event is November 19th and the second is the 12th–Elizabeth will confirm with Jane Mayrer that St Luke’s Church is available.
The Committee decided on the theme of Church, Schools, and Neighborhoods for the first event. Subsequent events will move around the neighborhoods and will have different themes.
