SUBJECT: General Business
Title
A Resolution of the Board of Trustees of the Town of Erie Adopting the Historic Preservation Master Plan
Body
DEPARTMENT: Administration
PRESENTERS: Malcolm Fleming, Town Administrator, Michael Katyryniuk, HPAB Chairman, and Trustee Scott Charles
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Approve the resolution adopting the Historic Preservation Master Plan.
End
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT MATTER:
A. Elizabeth Watson of Heritage Strategies, LLC first presented the Historic Preservation Master Plan draft to the Board of Trustees on April 11, 2017. Ms. Watson also presented a revised draft of the Historic Preservation Master Plan at the Board of Trustees’ July 11, 2017 regular meeting. At the July 11, 2017 meeting, the Board expressed concerns about the language in the plan and the possibility the language could affect future Board’s decision-making abilities.
On July 25, 2017, the Board of Trustees accepted the 2017 Historic Preservation Master Plan as satisfactory, to close out the grant process, but the Board did not adopt the plan. Adopting the Historic Preservation Master Plan is one of the 2019 Work Plan priorities designated by the Board of Trustees.
During the Board of Trustees’ September 24, 2019 meeting, some Board members expressed concerns about the following:
• Financial impact on the Town
• Length of the Plan
• Commitment of staff time to administer the plan
• Potential for the HPAB to take action without the Board of Trustees’ approval
At the conclusion of the September 24 meeting Trustees expressed interest in the Plan and asked staff to work with the HPAB to review the document in more detail and bring it back for Board consideration at a later date.
In late 2019 and early 2020, Town Administrator Malcolm Fleming worked with HPAB Chairman Katyryniuk and Trustee Charles to address concerns the Board of Trustees expressed during the September 24 meeting. As a result of a detailed review, Administrator Fleming and Chairman Katyryniuk incorporated numerous edits into a revised version of the Master Plan; most of the changes were minor in nature, but staff believes they will address the concerns previously raised by the Board. Attachment 3 is a summary table of the Town Administrator’s proposed edits and the HPAB’s response to those changes.
As a result of this detailed review Administrator Fleming recommends the Board of Trustees approve the Resolution adopting the proposed Historic Preservation Master Plan. The Plan is comprehensively researched, is an excellent resource on numerous aspects of Erie’s history, outlines the elements and benefits of an effective historic preservation program, and proposes a thorough list of strategies the Town can pursue (without mandating any or requiring any funding). Appendix A on page 99 of the Plan (Page 117 of the pdf) summarizes the various strategies proposed in the Plan.
This Master Plan provides the Board of Trustees, the HPAB and the Town with an excellent “road Map” to foster effective voluntary historic preservation activities that help the Town maintain a unique sense of place as reflected in the Town’s significant historic structures, neighborhoods, farms and open space lands. In doing so, the Plan will help support both the Town’s economic development activities and efforts to preserve and enhance the small town feel and quality of life.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution
2. Historic Preservation Master Plan
3. Comment and Action Summary