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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCentral Business District Cultural Resource Survey_14 Commission Memorandum REPORT TO: Honorable Mayor and City Commission FROM: Courtney Kramer, Planner I/ Historic Preservation Officer Wendy Thomas, Director of Community Development SUBJECT: B3 Cultural Resource Survey to begin in late May, 2014 MEETING DATE: May 19, 2014 AGENDA ITEM TYPE: Special Presentation BACKGROUND: The Department of Community Development and the Bozeman Downtown Partnership are co-sponsoring a cultural resources survey for 100 properties located in the B-3 zoning designation. The Montana Property Record Forms created with this project will update the 1984 Montana Historical and Architectural Inventories for the surveyed properties. This is the first substantial cultural resources survey work undertaken by the City of Bozeman since 1984. InteResources, Inc., a local cultural resource management firm, has been hired to complete the project. Their professional staff members will record properties and structures primarily from the public rights of way, using photographs, measurements and archival research. The survey work is a proactive step that will create reliable data for our community. The project will not change a property’s zoning or impose new regulations; it is entirely a fact- finding process. The survey work should be completed by late summer 2014. Once completed, a copy of each property’s new Property Record Form will be available upon request from the Department of Community Development. Interested community members should contact Chris Naumann, Executive Director of the Downtown Bozeman Partnership, or Courtney Kramer, City of Bozeman Historic Preservation Officer, with any questions about the project. UNRESOLVED ISSUES: None at this time. ALTERNATIVES: FISCAL EFFECTS: The City of Bozeman charges a small amount with each Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) in the Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District to fund this type of work. The City of Bozeman has budgeted $15,000 in COA revenue for the survey project. A balance of $125,285 remains in the COA savings account for future projects. Attachments: Letter to property owners, sent May 2, 2014 170 Press release, scheduled for May 20, 2014 Report compiled on: May 6, 2014 171 May 2, 2014 Dear property owner, Beginning in late May, you may notice an architectural historian working in the downtown area. They will be evaluating the historic character of 100 properties located in the commercial core of downtown Bozeman on behalf of the Downtown Bozeman Partnership and the City of Bozeman. The list includes your property, which will be evaluated for its cultural and historic significance. We have hired InteResources Planning, Inc., a Bozeman cultural resource management firm, to evaluate each property’s historic use and architectural significance. InteResources’ professional staff will be documenting each property through photographs, field measurements and archival research. The evaluation will primarily occur from the sidewalk or public right of way, and should not intrude on your home or place of business. The researchers will not need to access the interior of any structures, but may wish to closely examine your property for measurements, descriptions, and photographs. The survey work is a proactive step that will create reliable data for our community. The project will not change a property’s zoning or impose new regulations; it is entirely a fact-finding process. Historic preservation is an important component of Bozeman’s economic vitality. Many of the “Best Small Town,” “Best College Town,” “Best Downtown,” and “Best Places to Live” kudos recently received by Bozeman cited the community’s strong sense of place and livable downtown area. Many properties downtown are potentially eligible for an honorary listing on the National Register of Historic Places based on their relationship to the historic events and culture of the 1950’s and 1960’s. You may not have known that properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places are eligible for federal Tax Credits for Historic Preservation and the City’s Historic Preservation Tax Abatement program. This inventory project does not include nominating properties for listing on the National Register; we will just be evaluating the potential eligibility for listing. A property cannot be nominated to the National Register without notifying the property owner. Listing on the National Register of Historic Places is entirely honorary, and does not prevent future modification of the property. The survey work should be completed by late summer 2014. Once completed, a copy of your property’s Montana Property Record Form will be available upon request from the Department of Community Development. Please feel free to contact Chris Naumann, Executive Director of the Downtown Bozeman Partnership, or Courtney Kramer, City of Bozeman Historic Preservation Officer, with questions you may have about this project. Sincerely, Chris Naumann Courtney Kramer Executive Director Historic Preservation Officer Downtown Bozeman Partnership City of Bozeman 406-586-4008 / chris@downtownbozeman.org 406-582-2289/ ckramer@bozeman.net CITY OF BOZEMAN DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 172 The City of Bozeman - PRESS RELEASE - Bozeman Downtown Partnership & Department of Community Development 5/20/2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CITY AND DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP COLLABORATE ON CULTURAL RESOURCE SURVEY Local cultural resource management firm will evaluate 100 properties in the downtown area for their eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places Beginning in late May, architectural historians will evaluate the historic character of 100 properties located in the commercial core of downtown Bozeman on behalf of the Downtown Bozeman Partnership and the City of Bozeman. InteResources Planning, Inc., a Bozeman cultural resource management firm, has been hired to evaluate each property’s historic use and architectural significance. InteResources’ professional staff will document each property through photographs, field measurements and archival research. The evaluation will primarily occur from the sidewalk or public right of way, and should not intrude on private homes or places of business. The survey work is a proactive step that will create reliable data for our community. The project will not change a property’s zoning or impose new regulations; it is entirely a fact-finding process. Historic preservation is an important component of Bozeman’s economic vitality. Many of the “Best Small Town,” “Best College Town,” “Best Downtown,” and “Best Places to Live” kudos recently received by Bozeman cited the community’s strong sense of place and livable downtown area. Many properties downtown are potentially eligible for an honorary listing on the National Register of Historic Places based on their relationship to the historic events and culture of the 1950’s and 1960’s. Income-producing properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places are eligible for federal Tax Credits for Historic Preservation and the City’s Historic Preservation Tax Abatement program. This inventory project will not include nominating properties for listing on the National Register; just evaluation of the potential eligibility for listing. A property cannot be nominated to the National Register without notifying the property owner. Listing on the National Register of Historic Places is entirely honorary, and does not prevent future modification of the property. The survey work should be completed by late summer 2014. Once completed, a copy of each new Montana Property Record Form will be available upon request from the Department of Community Development. Please feel free to contact Chris Naumann, Executive Director of the Downtown Bozeman Partnership, or Courtney Kramer, City of Bozeman Historic Preservation Officer, with questions about the project. 173 Contact: Chris Naumann Executive Director Downtown Bozeman Partnership chris@downtownbozeman.org 406-586-4006 Courtney Kramer Historic Preservation Officer ckramer@bozeman.net 406-582-2289 174