Mitchell City Council to readdress historic district issue

Talk about it

The Mitchell City Council will again discuss changes to the Historic Downtown Commercial District boundaries proposed by the South Dakota Historic Preservation Office during its meeting tonight.

Some properties and addresses currently in the district would be removed, and the district extended to include City Hall. The addresses that would be dropped either have been demolished, or have undergone such alterations that they have lost historical significance.

There was a great deal of discussion about this proposal at the Oct. 15 council meeting, with some concern expressed that if City Hall was so designated, it could prevent the city from making major changes to the building, or stop it from tearing it down.

With officials planning to relocate City Hall to a new downtown location, and the current city offices planned to be used as part of an expansion of the adjacent Corn Palace, the council and city staff debated the issue. The council agreed to table the issue and resume the discussion at its next meeting.

The South Dakota Historic Preservation Office will meet next month before forwarding its proposals to the National Park Service, which oversees historic designations.

The council meets at 7:30 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers, 612 N. Main St.

The council will also:

• Hear the Corn Palace Festival report from Corn Palace Director Mark Schilling.

• Consider an architectural/engineering agreement for the Mitchell Ice and Activity Center addition with Puetz Corporation as well as a construction management agreement with Puetz. No total cost was available in the dozens of pages submitted for the two agreements.

• Consider approving engineering design services with SPN & Associates for Capital Street utilities and street improvements, city Project 2013-6, for $134,000.

• Consider an application for a taxicab driver’s license from Party Bus Rock’n.

James Gibbs, of Mitchell, is the owner of the firm, and Jessica King, of Mitchell, is listed as the manager. The business is applying for a state alcoholic beverage carrier license. The company would be allowed to dispense alcoholic drinks to its passengers.

These “party buses” exist in other South Dakota cities and towns.

• Hold the first reading of Ordinance 2419, a supplemental appropriation of $2,006,040 for the Avera Queen of Peace storm drainage project.

Three-quarters of the money, $1,504,530, is from a federal grant, with the city and the hospital each kicking in $250,755.

• Consider Resolution 3047, contingency transfers of $10,000 for the North Ohlman/Sawgrass storm drainage project, and $4,000 to the Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village.

• Set a Dec. 17 date to receive and consider sealed bids at 1:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers for surplus city property. The city appointed a three-man appraisal board that set the value of the land at $110,000.

It is legally described as Lots 1-3 and 10-12, less the abutting vacated Davison Street and less H1 and H2, Block 49, Cooley & Guernsey’s Addition to the city of Mitchell, subject to easements, reservations and restrictions of record.

• Set a Dec. 17 date to receive and consider bids for Cemetery Hayland-City Project 2013-5 at 1:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers.

• Consider adopting Resolution 3045, a developer’s agreement for Tax Incremental Financing District 18, for the South Point Village Project.

• Consider Resolution 3046, the plat of Tract 1 of Rice’s Addition.

• Hold the second reading of and consider adopting Ordinance 2415, rezoning real property legally described as Lots 9 and 10, Block 92, Lawler’s Second Addition, city of Mitchell, from Single Family Residential (R-2) District to High Density Residential (R-4) District and amending the city zoning map. A structure from 112 N. Rowley St. is planned to be relocated to the property.

• Hold the second reading of and consider adopting Ordinance 2416, rezoning real property legally described as north 1,000 feet of Lot 8, except the east 14 feet thereof in the northwest quarter and except H2; Section 33, Township 103 North, Range 60 West, Davison County, from Urban Development District (UD) to Highway Oriented Business District (HB) and amending the city zoning map.

• Hold the second reading of and consider adopting Ordinance 2417, supplemental appropriations of $59,215 on bond principals and fees for TIFs 5, 9 and 15; $83,000 for a dump truck chassis; $20,000 for liability insurance; $1,400 for books and manuals for the Public Works Department; and $25 for construction, an expense to close out a Tax Improvement District 13 fund.

• Hold the first reading of Ordinance 2418, rezoning real property legally described as the north 800 feet of the east half of Lot Six and the north 800 feet of Lots Four and Five, except for those portions thereof contained in Lots A and B, Section 33, Township 103 North, Range 60 West, Davison County, from Urban Development District (UD) to Highway Oriented Business District (HB) and amending the city zoning map.

• Consider approving a work order for Project P3698(02), City Project 2015-1, East Fifth Avenue STIP with SDDOT and SPN & Associates for consultant services.

• Award a contract for competitive sealed proposal to Play & Park Structures for playground equipment for Cadwell and Hitchcock parks in the amount of $91,778.02. The firm is the low bidder.

• Declare two Henderson sanders, Model FSH-14, from the Street Division as surplus property and trade one in on a snowplow for the loader, which was purchased this summer.

• Consider automatic supplement to the General Fund-Economic Development in the amount of $107,500 for the MTIMitchell workforce equipment purchase from community development block grants funds.

• Consider an automatic supplement to the Enterprise Fund-Airport in the amount of $122,270 for the AIP-25 snow removal equipment building project from grant funds.

• Approve committee reports from the Traffic Commission and Finance Committee from their Oct. 15 meetings.

• Hear reports from the same two city committees, which are scheduled to meet before the council:

The Traffic Commission is scheduled to meet at 6:45 p.m. to hear two requests.

Earl Giedd wants to make the west side of 700 block of North Langland a no-parking zone.

County Fair is asking to have the no-parking zone on the east side of Edgerton Street just south of the walking path extended another 125 feet.

The Finance Committee is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. and Mayor Ken Tracy is outside speaking during the city Christmas treelighting ceremony.

It will hold a review of the 2013 budget, and hear a request from Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village for grant funding.

• Sit as the Board of Adjustment to:

Consider the application of Sheena Vawser for a conditional use permit to operate a child care center in her home at 211 W. Douglas Ave. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval.

Consider the application of Jason Carpenter for a back yard variance of 14 feet instead of 30 feet for a garage addition at 1709 Bridle Drive. The planners also recommended approval of this request.

Consider the application of Margaret Bollack for a front yard variance of 22 feet instead of the mandated 30 feet for a garage extension at 1215 W. Fifth Ave. That was also recommended for approval.

Consider the application of Lois Swenson for a front yard variance of 18.5 feet instead of the required 30 feet to install a carport at 720 W. Sixth Ave. It was recommended for approval.

• Approve September reports from the Finance Department and Airport Board, and October reports from the Police and Fire divisions, Mitchell Regional Ambulance, the Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department, the Lake Mitchell Advisory Committee, Palace Transit, the Water Department and Mitchell Regional Airport, as well as October building permits.

• Review two raffle requests: American Red Cross with the drawings to be held on Dec. 18, and My Fishing Pond Inc. with the drawing to be held on May 24.

• Approve these pay estimates:

WWTP service pumps and controls, Project 2011-41 contracted to SPN & Associates. Pay estimate 8 in the amount of $1,600.

Ash and Langdon sidewalk, Project 2012-4A contracted to Colwell Concrete Inc. Pay estimate 10 in the amount of $2,392.08.

Paving and overlay, Project 2012-15 contracted to Commercial Asphalt. Pay estimate 8 in the amount of $102,331.94.

Norway lift station, Project 2012-33 contracted to SPN & Associates. Pay estimate 7 in the amount of $7,600.

North Ohlman storm sewer extension, Project 2012-39 contracted to Winter Brothers Underground. Pay estimate 1 in the amount of $103,073.92.

Airport SRE building, Project AIP ’25 contracted to Helms & Associates. Pay estimate 4 in the amount of $7,488.05.

• Heard an invocation from a Trinity Lutheran Church representative.

Tags: city council, historic preservation, news, updates, local, mitchell