HERITAGE PRESERVATION, INC.

Minutes of Meeting, 12-15-08

 

Those present:  Betty Champion, Iva McClure, Brett Wood, Ashley Winkle, Hester Cope, Judy Tiffin, Vince Brewton, Mary Peck, Lee Freeman, Dick Jordan, Billy Warren

 

  1. Betty Champion made the motion that the minutes of the 11-24-08 meeting be approved.  Mary Peck seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

  2. Billy Warren gave this treasurer’s report:
    1. Checking Account Balance                            $3,748.13
    2. Forks of Cypress Balance                               $3,234.78
    3. FDR Fund                                                       $5,000.00
    4. Bailey Springs Project Balance                       $9,140.93

Vince Brewton made the motion that the report be approved.  Judy Tiffin seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

  1. In the absence of Bob Torbert, there was no report on the status of the repairs at the Wilson Family Cemetery.

  2. Billy Warren reported that he mailed, per the Board’s directions, a check in the amount of $100 to Dr. Richard Bailey as an honorarium for Dr. Bailey’s work on the commemoration/reception highlighting the achievements of James T. Rapier.

  3. Lee Freeman reported that he lacks a small amount of information on the history of the Florence City Cemetery (which he can obtain from Bob Torbert); when he gets that, he will be ready to mail the application to Montgomery for the cemetery to be listed on the State of Alabama Cemetery Registry.

  4. Billy Warren distributed copies of the letter regarding the HPI Board’s opposition to any effort to circumvent the ordinance that prohibits the development of apartments in R-1 and R-2 (single-family) zones.  He reported that he mailed copies of the letter to Melissa Bailey and Robert Muse (Planning Department), Gary Williamson (Building Department) and Dick Jordan (District 2 Councilman).

Vince Brewton suggested, and all agreed, that the final sentence (“Further, the Board asks appropriate city officials and city Boards to continue to enforce this ordinance in a way that protects the integrity of neighborhoods.”) be set apart as a separate, final paragraph.

Billy stated that he will now mail copies of the letter to each City Councilman and to the Mayor as per the minutes of the 11-24-08 meeting.

  1. Billy Warren reported that the annual subscription to National Trust magazine for the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library – paid for by HPI – has been ordered.  The confirmation of the order has been received; therefore, the library will receive the magazine through December, 2009.

  2. In a drawing, Dick Jordan won the 2009 engagement calendar from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

  3. Billy Warren reported that these five people have agreed to allow their names to go forward as Board members of Heritage Preservation, Inc., class of 2011:  Jerry Dowd, Lee Freeman, Jim Ingrum, Iva McClure, Judy Tiffin.  They will be voted on at the annual meeting of HPI in January, 2009.

  4. Ashley Winkle gave this report for Florence Main Street:
    1. Oriental Pearl has opened for business in the beautifully-restored building on East Tennessee Street that formerly housed HyTech.
    2. Shoals Artisans Showcase, a consignment shop for local artists, has opened for business on North Court Street in the former High Cotton building.
    3. Work toward the installation of the 4’x6’ granite reproduction of the 1852 map of Florence is progressing very well.  It will be installed in the spring of 2009 in the sidewalk on the southwest corner of the intersection of Court and Tennessee Streets (in front of the former First Southern Bank building which is now jointly owned by the city of Florence and Lauderdale County).

  5. After discussing the matter at length, the Board decided to add a fifth category to the Capital Award to be known as Infill and Adaptive Reuse.  With that addition, there are now six categories:
    1. Youth – an individual younger than 21 who has made a significant contribution to local historic preservation efforts
    2. Residential
    3. Commercial
    4. Individual – an adult over 21 who has made a significant  contribution to local historic preservation efforts
    5. Governmental/Institutional
    6. Infill and Adaptive Reuse

 

Hester Cope made the motion that the Capital Award be given at HPI’s annual meeting in January, 2009, to:

·         Dr. and Mrs. Charlie Mao – Commercial

·         Mr. and Mrs. Billy Reid – Residential

·         Mr. John Harris – Infill and Adaptive Reuse

·         City of Florence (the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library) – Infill and Adaptive Reuse

 

  1. It was agreed that the annual meeting will be held in the auditorium of Richards Education Center on Sunday, January 18, 2009, at 2:00 p.m.  The tentative program will feature Mr. Frank White, Executive Director of the Alabama Historical Commission.  The alternate program will feature:
    1. A representative(s) from the Planning Department with the new color-coded map of historic districts in Florence,
    2. A representative(s) from the public library to share information on the new digital archives – including criteria for accepting documents for the archives,
    3. A representative(s) from Collier Library to share information on that library’s archival collection – including criteria for accepting documents, and
    4. A highlighting of projects sponsored or supported by HPI.

  2. These people agreed to assist in the provision of refreshments to serve at the annual meeting:
    1. Betty Champion – punch
    2. Mary Peck – non-sweet items
    3. Ashley Winkle – non-sweet items
    4. Iva McClure – cookies
    5. Judy Tiffin – cookies
    6. Hester Cope – cookies
    7. Billy Warren – cookies

  3. Ashley Winkle suggested, and all agreed, that the houses on the west side of Wilson Dam Road should be developed into a National Historical District.  These houses were originally located in the curve of Wilson Dam Road near the entry to what we know as Veterans Park and in villages nearer to Wilson Dam.  They housed various categories of workers and professional people employed at TVA.

  4. Billy Warren distributed copies of an email from Nancy Muse, a leader in the Shoals Environmental Alliance, in which she asked HPI to set up a pictorial display at the Earth Day Fest in Wilson Park on Saturday, April 25 (someone from the Alliance will tend the booth all day).  There will be further discussion of this request at future meetings of the HPI Board.

  5. Following a discussion of the matter by the Board, Judy Tiffin made the motion that, if the fountain at Wilson Park must be replaced instead of repaired, the replacement fountain be as nearly a replica of the current fountain in both size and design as possible.  Vince Brewton seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.