Southwest Partnership
Historic Preservation Committee
May 16 2016
6pm
918 Lemmon St
Present
Michael Mellett
Jane Mayrer
Scott Kashnow
Betsey Waters
Bif Browning
Dan Rodenburg
Dotie Page
Chris Redwood
Elizabeth Weber
Committee Chair Elections
Josh has resigned as Chair of the Committee to focus on his mayoral campaign. The Committee will need to elect a Chair in order to have a voting representative on the Southwest Partnership Board of Directors.
Dan Rodenburg nominated Scott Kashnow. There were no other nominations.
Chris Redwood asked Scott if he would have time to devote to the Committee. Scott said he would, and that he would take the position seriously.
Bif asked Scott if he would standardize the meeting dates and times. Scott thought they already had been, on the third Tuesday of the month at 6pm, and would keep them the same if that would work for the Committee. There was consensus that it would.
Scott has a plan for how he would like to run the Committee: the Committee needs to establish clear funding priorities in terms of implementable projects, starting with the sign project, to give to the Fund Development Committee. He would like to see more walking tours, and a way to develop self-guided walking tours, and to have a survey done of all the buildings and historic features in the neighborhoods. He thinks that the Committee should increase their knowledge of the historic tax credit process and work with the historic and cultural institutions in the community to connect them to each other, local businesses, and other resources. He would also like to see an archive of historic materials and recruit more members for the Committee.
Michael Mellett asked about his commitment to the the historic signs project. Scott is very committed to the project, especially as so much work has already been done, and sees it as an important first step in a lot of his plans for the Committee. Michael asked about funding for the project–the Southwest Partnership has a very small amount of money in its budget for Committee expenses–Committees work with the staff and the Fund Development Committee to raise money for their projects.
A discussion was held about the process of seeking city approval for the installation of the signs while also raising money–it was agreed that the should be a parallel process.
The Committee discussed the importance of promotion the history of the area as well as the work of the Committee.
Michael asked about the length of the term–it is a year from the date of election according to the bylaws.
Scott Kashnow was elected chair with seven votes, with one abstention (himself).
Dotie Page nominated Michael Mellett to serve as Vice-Chair and he accepted. He is dedicated to the work of the Committee and plans on making all the meetings but is too busy to serve as Chair.
Michael Mellett was elected vice-chair with seven votes, with one abstention (himself).
Historic Signage
Drafts have been made of the language for the signs in Hollins Roundhouse, Franklin Square, and Union Square. Franklin Square and Union Square will be uploaded to the drive, and Jane Mayrer will help Scott edit the one for Franklin Square. When the drafts are complete they will be shared with the neighborhood associations, and Committee members are asked to begin talking to their associations about the project.
It will be important to review the drafts for consistency of style and content.
Committee members will volunteer at the SOWEBO Festival to raise awareness of the project. Materials for the festival will include examples of the signs as well as next steps, including consulting the neighborhood associations.
Once the language is complete a proposal should be written to share with CHAP, who may be able to help find cheaper signs, and the SWP Board.
The cost of each sign, including installation and any events is estimated to be about $3000.
Storytelling Events
Scott would like to start planning events for area residents to share their stories and historical material about the area. The Committee agreed, and suggested connecting the events to the installation of the signs.
Neighborhood Museum Tour
Bif suggested holding a tour of three museums in the area–the Irish Railroad Workers Museum, the B&O, and the Carroll Mansion. The museums would be asked to let tour participants in for free, if there is already an admission charge, and the tour would be followed by lunch. The Committee asked Bif to continue coordinating the event by reaching out to the museums.
Next Meeting
Jeff Buccheit from the Baltimore Area Heritage Association will attend the next meeting. Dan will follow up with Eric Holcomb about representatives from CHAP being more involved in the Committee.
The next meeting is June 20th at 6pm at 918 Lemmon St. The Committee will plan to have a cookout after the meeting
