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Sustaining Our Legacy
<br />The Future of Ramsey Town Hall
<br />FUTURE CITY PRESERVATION POLICIES: Local Outreach
<br />PRESERVATION'S
<br />FUTURE
<br />Development in Ramsey has primarily taken place since the 1960s. Therefore, many
<br />buildings, structures, and landscapes in the city will soon reach potential "historic" status as
<br />defined by the National Park Service (NPS). We present steps and recommendations for the
<br />City to make informed and responsible decisions about their historic resources. We begin
<br />by identifying the ever -changing definition of "historic."
<br />WHAT IS HISTORIC?
<br />REVIVALISM modified old styles for today's function
<br />ARTS & CRAFTS emphasis on the handmade
<br />CHICAGO SCHOOL steel -frame with masonry
<br />• 1880
<br />•
<br />•
<br />DERNISM historicism, playful, modulations
<br />INTERNATIONAL STYLE modular, industrial, rigid
<br />ART DECO luxury, curvy
<br />MODERNISM technology, function, true to material
<br />1890 1900 1910 1920 1930
<br />potentially "HISTORIC"
<br />1940
<br />1950
<br />1960
<br />• 1970
<br />•
<br />•
<br />1980
<br />1990
<br />2000
<br />2010
<br />u_.
<br />Many people associate "historic" buildings and places with long -ago times, perhaps the nineteenth century or earlier. In reality, though, the threshold
<br />is only fifty years. Although the Ramsey Schoolhouse is clearly an historic building, within ten years, structures from Ramsey's first wave of
<br />development will be historic as well. As Ramsey ages, more and more of the structures from the city's early suburban development will potentially
<br />become historic, and it will become important to think about preserving structures from the more recent past. Using Ramsey's oldest buildings as a
<br />guide, we propose the following first steps.
<br />THE NATIONAL REGISTER
<br />What is the NRHP?
<br />The National Register is a
<br />database of over 80,000
<br />properties of national,
<br />regional, and local
<br />historical significance.
<br />Nomination is usually
<br />done through a state's
<br />istoric Preservation Office. The Ramsey
<br />Town Hall's application was submitted by the
<br />Minnesota Historical Society.
<br />What does this designation mean?
<br />Listing on the Register makes buildings eligible for
<br />federal rehabilitation grants and tax credits, as
<br />well as easements and fire and health safety
<br />code alternatives. In addition, the State of
<br />Minnesota offers a 20% tax credit that parallels
<br />the federal one.
<br />TE[!S PRt1PEkr'
<br />E{AS BEEN PLACED ON THE
<br />NATIONAL REGISTER
<br />OF HISTORIC PLACES
<br />P,} Tt[E CMILD sl rES
<br />TIFF, INTERIOR
<br />Criteria for Evaluation
<br />The quality of significance in American history,
<br />architecture, archeology, engineering, and
<br />culture is present in districts, sites, buildings,
<br />structures, and objects that possess integrity of
<br />location, design, setting, materials, workmanship,
<br />feeling, and association, and four more
<br />elaborate criteria found in the NRHP guidelines.
<br />h ttps: //wwwnpsgov/nr/
<br />HISTORIC PRESERVATION 101:
<br />Establishing a City Historic Preservation Commission (HPC)
<br />STEP 1
<br />Survey of Existing
<br />Resources
<br />Identify buildings, landscapes, districts, etc.
<br />that may qualify for NRHP according to the
<br />NPS. Those that are deemed worthy can
<br />apply for placement on the NRHP.
<br />Local historic designation may be useful for
<br />those that do not qualify for significance
<br />nationally.
<br />STEP 2
<br />Establish
<br />Guidelines
<br />Prepare design guidelines for
<br />nationally and locally designated
<br />historic structures. These will
<br />help the city of Ramsey monitor
<br />and provide a standard for
<br />any building improvements or
<br />alterations, including demolition.
<br />STEP 3
<br />Engage with
<br />Community
<br />Creating resources that connect
<br />residents to the area's history is
<br />vital in creating a sense of place.
<br />The City HPC could advocate for
<br />participation in a Historical
<br />Society, which may be better
<br />equipped to host community
<br />events.
<br />Examples of Local HPCs
<br />Anoka Heritage Preservation
<br />Commission
<br />ONumber of 7 people on commission
<br />people
<br />Q on HPC
<br />U Number of Once a month
<br />meetings
<br />Guidelines/
<br />� design
<br />manual
<br />How much
<br />control do
<br />they have?
<br />Set of design guidelines for their historic district that
<br />serves as reference materials. The guidelines also
<br />establish general standards for preservation and
<br />rehabilitation projects.
<br />Any change to City register items comes to the
<br />committee for recommendation. The committee
<br />makes its recommendation to the City Council,
<br />which has the final say.
<br />Mankato Historic Preservation
<br />Commission
<br />7 people on commission, including a Blue Earth
<br />County Historical Society officer, and a staff liaison
<br />from the Mankato Planning Department (not an
<br />official member)
<br />Once a month
<br />Neighborhood design guidelines created the
<br />Urban Planning department at a local college.
<br />Design manuals are created for different
<br />designated historic districts in the city.
<br />Proposals for changes to City -designated structures
<br />or structures within the historic districts come to the
<br />commission for review, even if the building is not
<br />historic. The committee makes its recommendation
<br />to the City Council, which has the final say.
<br />A citywide framework for preservation is an investment in preventing deterioration of the
<br />community's architecture. This approach also preserves Ramsey's aesthetic and cultural
<br />heritage, while enhancing the community's vitality and encouraging economic growth for the
<br />future. As a case in point, the lack of such a framework has contributed to the deterioration of
<br />the schoolhouse and the degradation of its site. How bad is it? Let's take a look.
<br />PA5211: Land Use Planning / Instructor: Fernando Burga PhD.
<br />Mary Cutrufello, Katriona Molasky, Amy Van Gessel
<br />City of
<br />RAMSEY
<br />
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