Agenda - Council - 01/23/1996 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Information to be added to Case #14 OLD TOWN HALL By: Ryan R. Schroeder, City Administrator I spoke to Dennis Gimmesmrl~ Minnesota Historical Society Compliance Officer, on January 23, 1996 (296-5462) regarding the Old Town Hall. If the building is moved or destroyed, anEAW would be required in that it is on the National Historic Register. It is possible to got a building pre-approved from the Register to move it and maintain its stares or to reapply for status after it is moved; however, the likelihood of approval is very small. Both location and setting are important issues to the Register and an old building on a different site effectively just becomes an artifact and the Historical Society considers the building destroyed at that point. I asked about compatible adjacent land uses. He stated that in many cases incompatible adjacent uses makes the historic resource even more provocative in that it shows the change in the setting over time. However, they prefer to see compatible adjacent design. He also stated that in ia rapidly growing community like Ramsey, with very few buildings with historic significance, the few that are in existence are even more important (much like the removal of the lone tree on a property versus the removal of one within a forest). I asked Jim Cn'omberg to check with the Isanti State Bank to gauge the level of importance to their development of the Old Town HalL I believe it is their position that removal of this building would change the entire focus of their effort and cextainly their marketing plan. Hence, a primary consideration of their current development plan is in fact the Old Town Hall. I met with the Anoka County Historical Society on December 14, 1996, to report on the status of the Old Town Hall project. They were pleased that the building was going to be preserved on its existing site. They also have approximately $2500 that has been set aside for this building. While they need to again consider the allocation of these funds, I was left with the impression that this money is likely available. There has bexm concern expressed about the end uses of this building (i.e. Pizza Hut, antique store, ~community meeting room). As long as the City retains ownership of the building, the City has control over future use of the building. Council has not determined any interim or,end use but I believe the end use will be as a community focal point of some son (educational, museum, meeting facility) with "perhaps" a different interim use. Remodeling of this building does not provide a final determination of future uses. Remodeling the building also does not restrict the City from moving the building at some point in the future. While a move would cause the City to pay back grant funds, it could still be moved, The grant funds used at this time allow the building to be secured and for the City to spend the next decade or so monitoring the validity of today's decisions. CC: 01/23/96