HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015 02 26 BHPAB agenda_HPO reportHistoric Preservation Officer Report
For February 26, 2015 Bozeman Historic Preservation Advisory Board meeting
I. Historic Preservation Officer report
1. Update on Montana History Conference: Sept. 24-26 2015 in Bozeman:
Planning for this event is in a bit of a standstill while the Montana Historical Society awaits conference
session proposals. Session proposals are due March 2, and can be done through this web portal:
http://www.bozeman.net/Departments/Community-Development/Historic-
Preservation/Calendar/Event-List/Call-for-Proposals-Deadline-2015-Montana-History#registration The
session proposals are very short; three to four sentences and contact information. The MHS welcomes
amateur and professional historians alike!
2. Update on Gallatin Heritage Consortium:
HPO Kramer continues to attend a monthly meeting of the Gallatin Heritage Consortium. The group
includes a representative from each of the museums, public history and heritage groups in Gallatin
County (it’s an open group- anyone is welcome).
The group’s mission is: Through collaboration amongst local groups, the Gallatin Heritage Coalition
engages the public in our local history through unified programs, professional development and shared
resources.
The group includes committees for:
• Programming: Ensuring that public programming compliments that of the other organization
and doesn’t double-book likely attendees. A shared calendar is available here:
http://www.bozeman.net/Departments/Community-Development/Historic-
Preservation/Calendar
• Professional Development: Sharing information about professional development for staff
members of each organization, identifying where organizations could partner to bring training
sessions to our area.
• Collections and archives coordination: Identifying which organization holds which sets of
collections, the accessibility of that collection and opportunities available for synchronizing work
on the collections or archives (example: preventing duplication of efforts to index newspapers)
3. Ghost signs initiative: public hearings tentatively scheduled for Zoning
Commission on March 17 and City Commission on April 6
Allyson Brekke is the Department of Community Development’s point person for a policy initiative
dealing with “ghost signs.” The new code section will address signs painted on buildings for businesses
which no longer occupy the building. The initiative leaves the maintenance of these “ghost signs” to the
property owner’s discretion and exempts the signs from “counting” in the property’s signage points. The
initiative does not replace the Historic Sign code but is meant to compliment it. Public hearings are
tentatively scheduled for Zoning Commission on March 17 and City Commission on April 6. Please
contact Allyson Brekke at abrekke@bozeman.net for further information.
4. Update on grants
HPO Kramer submitted the 2015-2016 Certified Local Government grant application on February 11. A
copy of the entire grant application is available in the City’s preservation program document library,
here: http://www.bozeman.net/Departments/Community-Development/Historic-
Preservation/Document-Library
HPO Kramer continues to work with the Bozeman Masonic organization to utilize the remaining
$140,000 in Save America’s Treasures funding on the Masonic Temple at Tracy and Main. The National
Park Service was able to extend the deadline for grant contract signing to the end of May 2015. The
Masonic organization is currently negotiating design issues on the west façade of the building as well as
options for early release from the Conservation Easement, and hopes to make a final decision by the
end of March.
5. HPO Kramer’s public outreach over the last month
HPO Kramer made two presentations about public history in the last month. For the League of Women
Voters, HPO Kramer presented about how a historic district is formed. For the Kiwanis organization, HPO
Kramer reprised a presentation about the history of Story Mill and the development of Story Mill Park.
HPO Kramer’s monthly article in Bozeman Magazine focused on the history of Bozeman’s sewer system.
6. Update on Z14218, 401 S. Willson Avenue demolition COA
The Director of Community Development issued a denial of the requested Certificate of Appropriateness
for 401 South Willson Avenue on February 11, 2015. The full staff report was sent to the Preservation
Board as FYI with this agenda.