OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Heritage Preservation Commission Meeting Summary - January 27, 2026

Boards and Commissions — Wednesday, January 28, 2026
BodyRochester, Minnesota
SessionBoards and Commissions
DateWednesday, January 28, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:29:10

Transcript — Verbatim
0:04

Welcome everybody to the January 27th Heritage Preservation Commission meeting.

0:09

Before we call to order, we start each meeting with a 15-minute public open comment period.

0:14

This is an opportunity for the public to comment to the commission regarding items that do not have a public hearing on today's agenda.

0:21

Each speaker has up to four minutes.

0:23

The commission will not discuss or respond to any comments made during this time.

0:27

Please be concise and mindful of your time during your remarks so that everyone wishing to speak has the opportunity to do so.

0:34

Will the first speaker please step forward and state your name?

0:44

It's nice to see a full house.

0:45

We haven't had every single member Steve in a while.

0:49

It's nice to see everybody.

0:55

Number one, uh before the next HPC meeting, uh there's going to be uh a city council study session, at least it's on the agenda that way, where they're going to discuss the downtown historic district study, the one that the consultant was hired to uh work on.

1:15

So because that's going to occur before the next HPC meeting, which I would like to sort of hear you find out in this meeting what it what that's going to involve, like what exactly it will be presented to the council during that.

1:30

And in the future, I would hope that they would present it to you and the public before it goes to the city council so they can get your input before they act on it, not afterwards.

1:42

So again, I there that's coming up the Monday before your next meeting.

1:49

Uh the historical downtown um historic district um study report by the uh consultant.

1:58

Um also I I'm hoping that you can work a little on the um all of the pending properties in in the inventory.

2:09

Um this has been around for nine years now, undone.

2:13

It's all all of the all of the we we originally had a list nine years ago of of different properties that we thought were going to be potentially historic.

2:27

A lot of them are unworked on.

2:29

Some of them were over the years, and you see that on our list, but a lot of them haven't been, and it's been a very a big disappointment to all of us because it's been the they've been there for so many years uh undone.

2:42

So I'm hoping that you can have prioritize which ones you want to work on.

2:47

Um, there's so many of them, Cavalry at um Episcopal Church, the Charles H.

2:52

Mayo residence, the um the Great Western Depot, which is now the porch and cellar restaurant, the Dairy Queen, the Falwell School, IBM property.

3:03

Already the City Council is talking about IBM for the future and looking at that site.

3:09

I think it it calls for landmarking sooner rather than whether or not it's going to be landmarked sooner rather than later.

3:17

Mayo Ballfield, St.

3:19

Francis of Assisi, uh the Cali Grands, the Sisi Heights, um the uh uh all of the other ones, the IBI IBM, the Stone Silo, there's so many of these properties that have to be done.

3:34

I was just giving you a scattering of them uh and uh smattering of them.

3:39

And I I just think you you you should work on it.

3:42

So I also was hoping you'd work on the awards.

3:45

The awards are supposed to be theoretically, if you do, are given out in um uh the heritage preservation month, which is May.

3:53

So you don't have that much time.

3:55

It really should be started now rather than if you wait till uh May, you're gonna have to wait a whole year.

4:01

And again, it pushes things back.

4:02

And I'm just hoping for uh not a great amount of productivity, but a little productivity this year, so that we can actually get some of this stuff out.

4:13

And with that, I'll I'll I'll leave.

4:16

And I I wish you a good term and hopefully enjoy being on the HPC.

4:20

I as everyone knows I was on it.

4:22

Faith you have loved every minute of it, and hopefully you will too.

4:26

Thank you very much.

4:27

Thank you, Mr.

4:28

Skolnick.

4:29

Will the next speaker please step forward and state your name for the into the microphone?

4:37

Barry forgot his stuff.

4:39

Hi, I'm Barb Hudson, and uh I'd like to talk a little bit about uh your agenda this evening.

4:46

You're gonna be talking about uh priorities and what your roles and responsibilities are.

4:51

Uh I can uh appreciate both both uh being on the dais myself and then being in the public.

5:00

I represent a lot of people who feel that there is no point in showing up in front of the heritage preservation commission because nothing happens, we're losing our properties and our heritage all the time, especially as Mayo's going.

5:14

Now, you heard Barry mention that Assisi Heights is on our inventory list.

5:19

Well, Mayo has just bought Assisi Heights, and so our likelihood of landmarking that is slim to none at this point.

5:28

So I would encourage you as you talk about your roles and responsibilities and your priorities, that you have a plan.

5:35

And that means not just yes, we need to list priorities.

5:40

I hear this every year in January, that you're gonna make a list of priorities, but you never do.

5:46

And when you do decide that you're going to have a priority such as Indian Heights Park, which was last year's priority in January, nothing happened because we had Peel Hill, because we had the uh the downtown historic district had some challenges, and we're still not getting to what your main objective is is to preserve the heritage and uh history of Rochester.

6:13

So I would encourage you to have committees, perhaps, on the awards uh that you would give out for people who want to take care of our uh historic uh preservation.

6:25

Uh that would be part of your role as uh public education and information that would go a long ways to get to um identify that.

6:36

And if you're gonna make priorities, have a group if if you can't decide at your meetings here uh during the monthly meetings, perhaps have a committee for that as well.

6:46

So there's a lot of things that can be done.

6:49

You can't just have a goal without a plan to get to that goal, and that's what I'm asking for you tonight, not for myself, but for the people of Rochester.

6:58

Thank you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Historic Preservation█████████████████████████████████████████████73%
Procedural████████████19%
Fundraising██3%
Public Transportation█2%
Transportation Safety█1%
Economic Development█1%
Budget Equity Analysis█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Heritage Preservation Commission Meeting - January 27, 2026

The Rochester Heritage Preservation Commission held its 2026 kickoff meeting, welcoming new member Ryan Tater and appointing officer leadership. The meeting focused on public comments regarding the need for increased productivity and priority setting, the approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness for 822 4th Street NW, and a strategic discussion on 2026 priorities, including the potential landmarking of Assisi Heights and funding strategies for inventory evaluations.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Mr. Skolnick: Expressed hope that the upcoming City Council study session on the downtown historic district study will occur before the next HPC meeting and urged that the report be shared with the public and commission before City Council action. He stated a strong desire for the commission to prioritize reviewing the nine-year-old pending inventory list, citing specific properties like the Cavalry at Episcopal Church, Charles H. Mayo residence, Great Western Depot, Dairy Queen, Falwell School, IBM property, Mayo Ballfield, St. Francis of Assisi, Cali Grands, Sisi Heights, and Stone Silo. He emphasized the need to prioritize the heritage preservation awards, noting that waiting until May would delay the process by a year.
  • Barb Hudson: Representing public sentiment, she expressed a position that there is "no point in showing up" because "nothing happens," citing the loss of heritage properties and specifically noting that the purchase of Assisi Heights by Mayo Clinic makes landmarking that property "slim to none" at this point. She encouraged the commission to move beyond listing priorities and to create actionable plans, including committees for awards and prioritization.
  • John Creasel: Stated a firm position in support of establishing priorities, specifically focusing on properties "in harm's way." He voiced concerns regarding the potential development on the old criminal property affecting Assisi Heights and visual entities. He expressed a desire for action on Assisi Heights and urged the commission to consult with elected officials regarding trust issues with Mayo Clinic, specifically regarding artifacts promised by Mayo for the neighborhood at Leeward High School.

Consent Calendar

  • Unanimously approved the December 16th meeting minutes, a Roberts Rules quick sheet, and the 2026 meeting calendar via block motion.
  • Unanimously elected officers for the 2026 term: Commissioner Astro as Chair, Commissioner Poyer as Vice Chair, and Commissioner Schable as Secretary.

Discussion Items: Certificate of Appropriateness (822 4th Street NW)

  • Project Description: A request to replace the bottom portion of a character-defining non-movable window with two operable casement windows on an American Four Square contributing property.
  • Staff Position: Coordinator Patterson Lundgren recommended approval, stating the alteration meets Secretary of the Interior standards by preserving the distinctive leaded glass transom window, maintaining the existing opening, and being a minimal change to the secondary facade. The change allows for code-required egress for a rental bedroom.
  • Commission Deliberation: Commissioners questioned the applicant's intent (determined to be for egress compliance) and the potential for conflict between historic preservation and code requirements. No commissioner expressed opposition to the proposal.

Discussion Items: Historic Landmarks and Inventory Lists

  • Commissioner Poyer: Expressed a position that Assisi Heights should be "high on" the priority list given Mayo Clinic's recent acquisition.
  • Commissioner Kessler: Expressed curiosity regarding the lack of triaging within the current inventory list of 68 properties and suggested creating a clear list of expectations or moving properties off the list if ineligible, rather than just waiting.
  • Commissioner Schable: Expressed a personal preference to focus on landmarking properties rather than simply removing items from the inventory to demonstrate the community's commitment to heritage.
  • Staff Response: Coordinator Lundren confirmed that while staff resources are limited (approx. $10,000 per evaluation, 2-3 evaluations per year), the commission can prioritize items. She noted that the historic context committee, led by Commissioners Astro, Mutchler, and Lundren, is testing a new collaborative process. She also addressed Commissioner Schable's question about Mayo Clinic, confirming she was unaware of the specific ownership transfer but noted that businesses typically view historic designation as a cost and potential slowdown, though she remained open to collaboration for adaptive reuse.

Discussion Items: 2026 Roles and Priorities

  • Grant Strategy Discussion: Commissioners and staff discussed leveraging state preservation grants to fund eligibility studies. Commissioner Wasmer suggested a partnership grant with the History Center to co-write proposals, while Lundren noted the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) indicated strong potential for National Register eligibility for Indian Heights and Assisi Heights.
  • Commissioner Kessler: Expressed concern that at the current rate, the 68-property inventory would not be processed before her retirement; suggested requesting additional staff or funds from the City Council, though staff noted current budget constraints.
  • Commissioner Poyer: Expressed concurrence with the proposed priorities.
  • Proposed Priorities: The commission tentatively agreed to prioritize Indian Heights (potentially applying for a grant), the State Hospital, Assisi Heights (via a partner grant with the History Center), and to initiate discussions regarding historic objects.
  • Awards Committee: Commissioners agreed to form a committee to organize the Heritage Preservation Awards in time for May. Commissioner Mutchler shared examples of award processes from Red Wing and Eden Prairie. Staff agreed to compile materials for a formal motion in the February meeting.

Key Outcomes

  • Officers Elected: Astro (Chair), Poyer (Vice Chair), Schable (Secretary).
  • Certificate of Appropriateness: Approved unanimously for 822 4th Street NW.
  • Priorities Set: Commission agreed to prioritize Indian Heights, State Hospital, and Assisi Heights, with a focus on securing grants to bypass current staff resource limitations.
  • Future Actions: A committee to plan Heritage Preservation Awards will be formed at the February 24, 2026 meeting. The Downtown Historic District Vision Plan will be presented for feedback at that same meeting following a City Council study session on February 23.
  • Adjournment: Meeting adjourned after a historical fact sharing regarding a survivor's account of the 1883 tornado.

Housekeeping

  • Commissioners reminded to notify the Chair and staff of absences to avoid unexcused absence counts, with three unexcused absences potentially triggering contact with the Mayor's office.

Meeting Transcript

Welcome everybody to the January 27th Heritage Preservation Commission meeting. Before we call to order, we start each meeting with a 15-minute public open comment period. This is an opportunity for the public to comment to the commission regarding items that do not have a public hearing on today's agenda. Each speaker has up to four minutes. The commission will not discuss or respond to any comments made during this time. Please be concise and mindful of your time during your remarks so that everyone wishing to speak has the opportunity to do so. Will the first speaker please step forward and state your name? It's nice to see a full house. We haven't had every single member Steve in a while. It's nice to see everybody. Number one, uh before the next HPC meeting, uh there's going to be uh a city council study session, at least it's on the agenda that way, where they're going to discuss the downtown historic district study, the one that the consultant was hired to uh work on. So because that's going to occur before the next HPC meeting, which I would like to sort of hear you find out in this meeting what it what that's going to involve, like what exactly it will be presented to the council during that. And in the future, I would hope that they would present it to you and the public before it goes to the city council so they can get your input before they act on it, not afterwards. So again, I there that's coming up the Monday before your next meeting. Uh the historical downtown um historic district um study report by the uh consultant. Um also I I'm hoping that you can work a little on the um all of the pending properties in in the inventory. Um this has been around for nine years now, undone. It's all all of the all of the we we originally had a list nine years ago of of different properties that we thought were going to be potentially historic. A lot of them are unworked on. Some of them were over the years, and you see that on our list, but a lot of them haven't been, and it's been a very a big disappointment to all of us because it's been the they've been there for so many years uh undone. So I'm hoping that you can have prioritize which ones you want to work on. Um, there's so many of them, Cavalry at um Episcopal Church, the Charles H. Mayo residence, the um the Great Western Depot, which is now the porch and cellar restaurant, the Dairy Queen, the Falwell School, IBM property. Already the City Council is talking about IBM for the future and looking at that site. I think it it calls for landmarking sooner rather than whether or not it's going to be landmarked sooner rather than later. Mayo Ballfield, St. Francis of Assisi, uh the Cali Grands, the Sisi Heights, um the uh uh all of the other ones, the IBI IBM, the Stone Silo, there's so many of these properties that have to be done. I was just giving you a scattering of them uh and uh smattering of them. And I I just think you you you should work on it. So I also was hoping you'd work on the awards. The awards are supposed to be theoretically, if you do, are given out in um uh the heritage preservation month, which is May. So you don't have that much time. It really should be started now rather than if you wait till uh May, you're gonna have to wait a whole year. And again, it pushes things back. And I'm just hoping for uh not a great amount of productivity, but a little productivity this year, so that we can actually get some of this stuff out. And with that, I'll I'll I'll leave. And I I wish you a good term and hopefully enjoy being on the HPC. I as everyone knows I was on it. Faith you have loved every minute of it, and hopefully you will too. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Skolnick. Will the next speaker please step forward and state your name for the into the microphone? Barry forgot his stuff. Hi, I'm Barb Hudson, and uh I'd like to talk a little bit about uh your agenda this evening. You're gonna be talking about uh priorities and what your roles and responsibilities are. Uh I can uh appreciate both both uh being on the dais myself and then being in the public. I represent a lot of people who feel that there is no point in showing up in front of the heritage preservation commission because nothing happens, we're losing our properties and our heritage all the time, especially as Mayo's going. Now, you heard Barry mention that Assisi Heights is on our inventory list. Well, Mayo has just bought Assisi Heights, and so our likelihood of landmarking that is slim to none at this point.

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