City of Bozeman, MT - Library Board Minutes 7/24/03

Bancroft and Meister informed the Trustees that the Planning Department had denied the depot demolition permit on June 19^th as there is Section 18.42.090 in the Zoning Ordinance in which “the demolition or movement of Conservation Overlay District principal and accessory structures or sites, which are designated as contributing elements by the Montana Historical and Architectural Inventory, and all properties within historic districts and all landmarks, shall be subject to approval by the city commission, through a public hearing. Notice of the public hearing before the city commission shall be provided in a accordance with section 18.52.055B. Prior to holding the public hearing the city commission shall receive a recommendation from ADR staff and the Design Review Board.” Even though the City Engineering Department had put specifications for the depot demolition in Envirocon’s contract which were then approved by the City Commission on May 27^th of this year, the City Planning Department figured to deal with the depot demolition at site review plan formal hearing. Thus the public hearing is scheduled for Monday, August 4^th, at 7:00 p.m. At the Design Review Board (DRB) meeting on July 23^rd, Administrative Design Review Staff (ADR) recommended that “the Depot be the last phase of the remediation. This allows Missouri Headwaters Preservation Trust approximately 4 weeks to find funding and implement the moving, stabilization and securing of the building.” Originally ADR had recommended that the “demolition permit shall not be signed until two (2) months after City Commission approval to allow local organizations time to explore the options and costs associated with moving and securing the structure,” so the addendum by Historic Preservation Planner Hillary Hertler allowed a month’s less time than originally recommended. After a lengthy meeting , the DRB voted 4 to 2 to pass on the Certificate of Appropriateness application to allow disassembling of the Milwaukee Railroad Depot to the Commission, which has the authority to delay work for up to two years. The Trustees discussed the August 4^th meeting and how best to use the ten minutes allocated to the Board after the ADR presentation. Gutzman and possibly Davis if available will do the presentation with Carpenter as the representative from Overland Partners. It was decided to have RTI compile cost estimates for Envirocon’s delay at different intervals of time from four weeks to two years and distribute them as hand-outs to the Commission. Concerns were expressed about amending the Voluntary Cleanup and Redevelopment Act (VCRA) if the depot were not dismantled. The Trustees would also need a site plan review if the Depot were moved elsewhere on the property. Other cost ramifications might include: new site plans; bonding the mover; the possibility of impact fees; parking space considerations; landfill costs; liability concerns; foundation costs; and the possibility of losing promised grant funding. And there is still the huge cost of reconstructing the depot once it is moved, so it does not sit empty as a public health hazard on the property. There was discussion about Missouri Headwaters Preservation Trust’s (MHPT) ability to raise the required money and the need to have it in escrow by an established date before Envirocon demobilizes. The amount raised needs to be demonstrated immediately. The Trustees agreed that our recommendation should be to disassemble the depot now as originally planned due to the costs incurred if we change our plans mid-stream. Johnson suggested that MHPT put up non-refundable earnest money for Envirocon’s costs if there is a delay. Interior pictures of the depot were recommended for the presentation to the Commission. Brown suggested the Library Board clarify the agreement with the Bozeman Historic Preservation Advisory Board about them becoming “stewards of the palletized bricks” and exactly what that entails.