Heritage Commission

Meeting Time:

First Monday of each month, 6:00 pm at the Florence Township Town Hall, Highway 61, Frontenac Station, Minnesota.

Public is welcome and encouraged.

HAVE A GOOD STORY TO TELL ABOUT LIFE IN FLORENCE TOWNSHIP?

The Florence Township Heritage Preservation Commission is seeking folks who’ve had interesting experiences over the years in our township to join us this fall for an oral history project we’re conducting with the Goodhue County Historical Society.

Please contact us if you’re interested in participating or with recommendations of longtime residents we should talk to.

Thanks! Email florencetownshiphpc@gmail.com or reach out to Katy Beckman, or Pam Miller

Mission:
The mission of the Florence Township Heritage Preservation Commission is to protect and preserve the natural beauty, cultural heritage, and historic features of Florence Township designated Historic Districts.

Heritage Preservation Commission

Welcome to the Florence Township Heritage Preservation Commission web page!
The HPC, which under proposed new bylaws will have seven members, makes recommendations to the Florence Town Board aimed at protecting and preserving the historic and culturally sensitive areas in our beautiful township’s designated historic districts. Working with federal, state and local guidelines posted elsewhere on this page, we review permit requests to ensure that properties designated as historic are not destroyed or damaged. We also host occasional events focused on the township’s history.

If you live in the Old Frontenac Historic District and plan to modify your property, please use the Design Guide Resource and Goodhue County Zoning Regulations, listed nearby on this page. Print a copy of the Design Review Application, fill it out, attach the requested drawings, and bring at least copies to the next HPC meeting. You’ll need approval from the HPC and the township’s Planning Commission before you take your request to the Town Board for final approval.

Questions? Feel free to contact any of the commission’s seven members, each of whom has been appointed by the town board to serve a three-year term. You can reach HPC members at their email addresses listed at right, or at florencetownshiphpc@gmail.com.

After the storm, and other permit questions…

Do you have a question about completing a HPC Design Review Application for property maintenance?

You’ll need a building permit for a contractor to re-shingle your home, but if your roof repair is not altering the character or finish of exterior materials, such repairs/maintenance work does not require a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA).

A design review application and COA are required for

Construction
Alteration
Reconstruction
Moving
Demolition
Any other exterior change

(Note that this includes some work that would not require other permits from the local government. That is, the requirement for a building permit is NOT a test for whether a COA is required.)

Please refer to the Florence Township Design Guidelines Resource for Local Historic Districts for recommendations on exterior building materials, mass and scale, building heights, lighting, windows,fences, landscapes and demolition.

The Florence Township Board of Supervisors along with the HPC have approved the demolition of the residence at 29039 Wood Avenue (the “Old Post Office”).

The home has extensive structural damage, including extensive presence of black mold. Unfortunately due to its deteriorated state it cannot be saved and has become a public safety hazard.

Demolition will be completed this summer.

Township Board
3rd Monday of the
month at 6:00 pm

Planning Commission
2nd Monday of the
month at 6:00 pm

Friends of the Town Hall
2nd Saturday of the
month at 10:00 am

Heritage Commission
First Monday of the
month at 6:00 pm

Park Commission
1st Tuesday of the
month at 6:00 pm