97-88 Resolution No. 97-88
RESOLUTION
ADOPTING THE ELGIN DESIGN GUIDELINE MANUAL
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ELGIN,
ILLINOIS, that it hereby adopts the Elgin Design Guideline
Manual prepared by Thomason and Associates and dated March,
1997 as the design guidelines for the determination of
issuance of certificates of appropriateness within a historic
district of the city.
s/ Kevin Kelly
Kevin Kelly, Mayor
Presented: March 26 , 1997
Adopted: March 26 , 1997
Omnibus Vote: Yeas 7 Nays 0
Attest:
s/ Dolonna Mecum
Dolonna Mecum, City Clerk
)i City of Elgin Agenda Item No.
frisk A4T(Df is
March 4, 1997
•
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Robert 0. Malm, Interim City Manager
SUBJECT: Approval of the Elgin Design Guideline Manual
PURPOSE
The purpose of this memorandum is to present the Mayor and
members of the City Council with information to consider
approval of the Elgin Design Guideline Manual (Attachment A) ,
modifications of Title 20 - "Designation and Preservation of
Historically and Architecturally Significant Property" of the
Elgin Municipal Code and approve Change Order No. 1 for
$3, 600 .
BACKGROUND
As part of the 1995 Community Development Block Grant program
(CDBG) , $30,000 was allocated for the development of
architectural design guidelines for Elgin' s landmarks and
historic districts . The contract was awarded to Thomason and
Associates, Nashville, Tennessee on January 24, 1996 at a
cost of $24,950 .
The Elgin Design Guideline Manual will serve as an
easy-to-follow guide to property owners, residents,
architects, contractors and anyone interested in undertaking
the rehabilitation of structures within Elgin' s designated
historic districts or individually landmarked structures.
Subjects of new construction, alteration and restoration are
clearly explained with the help of illustrations using actual
examples within the City' s historic districts . The process
for obtaining approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness
(COA) from the City is outlined as well .
The first draft of the document was received by the City on
May 31, 1996 . The Elgin Heritage Commission' s Guidelines
Review Subcommittee began review of the draft document and
requested initial comments from individuals and neighborhood
organizations associated with the historic districts . An
initial public information meeting, presented by Philip
Thomason of Thomason and Associates, was held to inform
interested parties on the document.
Elgin Design Guideline Manual
March 4 , 1997
Page 2
Meeting on a weekly basis, the Elgin Heritage Commission' s
Design Guidelines Review Subcommittee completed the review of
the draft document in January 1997 . Recommendations for
modifications, additional drawings and text were provided in
order to focus the document on Elgin ' s landmarks and
structures located within historic districts . The extensive
document additions were incorporated into the manual by the
consultant for an additional cost of $1,800 .
The document was also reviewed to conform to Title 20 of the
Elgin Municipal Code. The historic preservation ordinance
(Title 20 of the Elgin Municipal Code) was examined with the
assistance of the City' s Corporation Counsel and
modifications recommended. The modifications to the code do
not make the guidelines any more strict than the current
regulation, but clarify and specify certain definitions and
terms within the code. Recommendations of the City' s
Corporation Counsel have been included for consideration
(Attachment B) .
The Elgin Heritage Commission scheduled a formal public
hearing on February 17, 1997 to obtain the comments of
citizens and neighborhood groups on the final draft of the
document. A copy of the transcript of the hearing is
attached (Attachment C) .
eft-
Per the request of the City Council, the proposed document is
being translated into Spanish. The City has contracted with
the firm Spantech in Batavia, Illinois to translate the
document at a cost not to exceed $3, 750 . The translation is
nearly complete. Printed copies of both the English and
Spanish version will be concurrently released by April, 1997 .
COMMUNITY GROUPS/INTERESTED PARTIES CONTACTED
The Elgin Heritage Commission has carried out a detailed
review of the draft document. The Commission' s Guidelines
Review Subcommittee met at 31 separate meetings to review the
document. Representatives of the Gifford Park Association
and the Northeast Neighborhood Association have worked
closely with the Commission. Additionally, copies of the
draft were mailed to local area architects , local building
material supply stores, and other interested individuals for
their comments .
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The project is being funded by the Community Development
Block Grant program, Account No. 230-0000-791 . 30-99 , Project
No. 154107 .
Original Contract: $24 , 950 . 00
Change order:
Additional changes to the document: $ 1 , 800 . 00
Elgin Design Guideline Manual
March 4 , 1997
Page 3
Additional 100 copies in Spanish: $ 1,800 . 00
Total : $28, 550 . 00
The costs for incorporating additional comments and providing
an additional 100 copies in Spanish fall below the allocated
CDBG budget of $30,000 .
LEGAL IMPACT
None.
ALTERNATIVES
An alternative is to reject or revise the recommendations of
the Elgin Heritage Commission.
RECOMMENDATION
The following is recommended to the Elgin City Council :
a. Adopt the Elgin Design Guideline Manual
b. Approve the modifications to Title 20 of the Elgin
Municipal Code - "Designation and Preservation of
Historically and Architecturally Significant Property"
as recommended by the City' s Corporation Counsel
c . Approve the change order for additional modifications
and copies and final payment of $3, 600 to Philip
Thomason of Thomason and Associates .
Respectfully submitted,
(-% /'9'eP-44"'I'--
Clay Pearson, Director
Department of Code Administration
and Neighbor76od\ Affairs
,, • ''\ e -----7-----
Rol K. Dahlstrom, Director
P ing Department
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'ob-rt 0. Malm
Interim City Manager
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