July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Grant action tabled
Applicants seek portion of $50,000 pot
The city's inaugural Downtown Façade Funding Grant program seems to be off to a roaring start.
A total of 10 applications were turned in for the matching grant funds to improve the facades of properties located in downtown Portland, a city official announced at Wednesday night's Portland Historic Preservation Commission. This is the first year for the grant program, which is made up of a total of $50,000 in Portland's tax increment financing (TIF) funds and Portland Economic Development Income Tax funds.
Property owners were able to apply for up to $10,000 in matching grant funds. The deadline was Monday.
"Ten applications is fantastic," said Joe Jarzen of the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, who serves as an advisor to the commission. He said other communities only received one or two applications in the first round of façade grants.
Kristi Sturtz, who works as a consultant for the city and is an advisor to the commission, said she plans to review the applications with Jarzen today, and meet with the property owners next week. Historic preservation commission members decided Wednesday night to push back the date that the commission will meet to discuss the applications. Originally scheduled for March 3 - the meeting now is scheduled for March 17 at 5:30 p.m. in the Weiler building.
Sturtz declined this morning to release the total amount of grant funds requested in the 10 applications, saying the totals might change after she clarifies some issues with applicants.
Sturtz recommended that the meeting be pushed back to allow more time for the applications to be reviewed. She said the commission members will be given the applications about a week in advance of the meeting. They will issue the Certificates of Appropriateness for the projects. The projects will then move on to the Downtown Façade Funding Grant Committee.
Sturtz also announced Wednesday night whom Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier has appointed to the Downtown Façade Funding Grant Committee. This group will score the grant applications and decide which projects are awarded funds. She expects the committee to make a decision by the beginning of April.
Appointed from the Portland Historic Preservation Commission are Christy Corle and Pat Sheffer.
Brooke Aker and Joe Johnston, both members of the Portland Redevelopment Commission, will serve - along with Hosier. Their appointments took effect Wednesday and will expire Dec. 31.
The funds do not have to be repaid if the owner retains the property for at least five years. If the property is sold within that period, funds must be repaid on an annual basis, with 20 percent forgiven each year over the five-year period. If the property owner dies, the funds do not have to be repaid.
In other business Wednesday, commission members tabled a property owner's request to repair holes on the outside of his business.
Greg Franklin submitted a Certificate of Appropriateness application for his business Franklin's Electrical Service at 304 and 306 N. Meridian St. He submitted photos of the damaged part of his business, along with the name of the material he would like to use. A long section above the doors and windows on the side of the building that faces Meridian Street has several small holes.
Jarzen said he has tried several times to call Franklin to clarify how he plans to repair the damage.
He said Franklin initially indicated that he would like to temporarily fix the problem, and possibly change the façade of the business in the future. Franklin did not attend Wednesday's meeting.
"Everything he claims is that this is a temporary fix. It's setting a precedent, and what he proposes I don't think will be in line with the guidelines," Jarzen said.
"We can't rule on a temporary fix and we need more information," he added.
"Even if he did a temporary fix, even if it fits within our guidelines, he wouldn't be committing to the whole thing," said commission member Don Gillespie.
Jarzen said composite material that resembles wood, which the commission recently approved as siding for another property downtown, might be an appropriate material to use.
Also Wednesday, commission members learned that students from Jarzen's Ball State University graduate architecture class will be in Portland tonight to learn more about structures in the downtown.
The students will be creating drawings of possible ways to improve the facades of the buildings. The structures that will be studied include the Eagles Lodge, the Hawkins building, the Model Clothing building and Portland City Hall.
The college students also will meet with some city officials - including commission members - tonight to ask questions.[[In-content Ad]]
A total of 10 applications were turned in for the matching grant funds to improve the facades of properties located in downtown Portland, a city official announced at Wednesday night's Portland Historic Preservation Commission. This is the first year for the grant program, which is made up of a total of $50,000 in Portland's tax increment financing (TIF) funds and Portland Economic Development Income Tax funds.
Property owners were able to apply for up to $10,000 in matching grant funds. The deadline was Monday.
"Ten applications is fantastic," said Joe Jarzen of the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, who serves as an advisor to the commission. He said other communities only received one or two applications in the first round of façade grants.
Kristi Sturtz, who works as a consultant for the city and is an advisor to the commission, said she plans to review the applications with Jarzen today, and meet with the property owners next week. Historic preservation commission members decided Wednesday night to push back the date that the commission will meet to discuss the applications. Originally scheduled for March 3 - the meeting now is scheduled for March 17 at 5:30 p.m. in the Weiler building.
Sturtz declined this morning to release the total amount of grant funds requested in the 10 applications, saying the totals might change after she clarifies some issues with applicants.
Sturtz recommended that the meeting be pushed back to allow more time for the applications to be reviewed. She said the commission members will be given the applications about a week in advance of the meeting. They will issue the Certificates of Appropriateness for the projects. The projects will then move on to the Downtown Façade Funding Grant Committee.
Sturtz also announced Wednesday night whom Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier has appointed to the Downtown Façade Funding Grant Committee. This group will score the grant applications and decide which projects are awarded funds. She expects the committee to make a decision by the beginning of April.
Appointed from the Portland Historic Preservation Commission are Christy Corle and Pat Sheffer.
Brooke Aker and Joe Johnston, both members of the Portland Redevelopment Commission, will serve - along with Hosier. Their appointments took effect Wednesday and will expire Dec. 31.
The funds do not have to be repaid if the owner retains the property for at least five years. If the property is sold within that period, funds must be repaid on an annual basis, with 20 percent forgiven each year over the five-year period. If the property owner dies, the funds do not have to be repaid.
In other business Wednesday, commission members tabled a property owner's request to repair holes on the outside of his business.
Greg Franklin submitted a Certificate of Appropriateness application for his business Franklin's Electrical Service at 304 and 306 N. Meridian St. He submitted photos of the damaged part of his business, along with the name of the material he would like to use. A long section above the doors and windows on the side of the building that faces Meridian Street has several small holes.
Jarzen said he has tried several times to call Franklin to clarify how he plans to repair the damage.
He said Franklin initially indicated that he would like to temporarily fix the problem, and possibly change the façade of the business in the future. Franklin did not attend Wednesday's meeting.
"Everything he claims is that this is a temporary fix. It's setting a precedent, and what he proposes I don't think will be in line with the guidelines," Jarzen said.
"We can't rule on a temporary fix and we need more information," he added.
"Even if he did a temporary fix, even if it fits within our guidelines, he wouldn't be committing to the whole thing," said commission member Don Gillespie.
Jarzen said composite material that resembles wood, which the commission recently approved as siding for another property downtown, might be an appropriate material to use.
Also Wednesday, commission members learned that students from Jarzen's Ball State University graduate architecture class will be in Portland tonight to learn more about structures in the downtown.
The students will be creating drawings of possible ways to improve the facades of the buildings. The structures that will be studied include the Eagles Lodge, the Hawkins building, the Model Clothing building and Portland City Hall.
The college students also will meet with some city officials - including commission members - tonight to ask questions.[[In-content Ad]]
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