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Record of Proceedings

Janesville Historic Commission Meeting: Proclamation, Awards, and Zoning Rewrite (May 5, 2026)

Meeting Portal — Tuesday, May 5, 2026
BodyJanesville, Wisconsin
SessionMeeting Portal
DateTuesday, May 5, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

Good evening.

0:03

And welcome to the Historic Commission meeting Tuesday, May 5th, that is 5 p.m.

0:10

Call the meeting to order.

0:12

Roll call, please.

0:14

Griffa?

0:14

Here.

0:15

Kremers.

0:16

Here.

0:16

Gall.

0:17

Here.

0:17

Conrad?

0:18

Here.

0:19

Terrell.

0:20

Here.

0:20

Beard?

0:21

Here.

0:21

Quoral.

0:22

Absent.

0:24

Six present.

0:24

You have a quorum.

0:26

Thank you.

0:27

Moving on to item number three on our agenda is the presentation of proclamation in honor of Historic Preservation Month.

0:35

And I believe that's you, Nick.

0:42

Thank you, Mr.

0:43

Griffa, and good evening, Commission members.

0:45

My name is Nick Faust.

0:47

I have the pleasure of serving as the assistant to the city manager for the City of Janesville, and it is an honor to be back once again presenting this year's proclamation recognizing May as Historic Preservation Month in the City of Janesville.

1:02

Before I read the proclamation, I do want to take a moment to acknowledge you folks and the tremendous volunteer work you do.

1:09

It was a real point of pride for the city that this commission's work was recognized last month at WAPAC's spring conference.

1:20

I know later in the meeting, a commission member Goth and your staff liaison associate planner Mackenzie Wilcox will speak further to that and expound a bit.

1:30

But that is a well-deserved uh recognition by your peers by preservation professionals across uh the state, and it's something that this body should should be proud of.

1:42

And on behalf of the city manager's office, to that end, I want to thank you for the time and passion you applied to to this important work.

1:51

With that said, I'm honored to share this year's proclamation celebrating Historic Preservation Month.

1:57

Uh please bear with me uh for my verbatim reading skills, and then after I'm done, if you folks would be so kind as to uh come before the dais and we'll take a picture, uh that would be greatly appreciated.

2:09

So, a proclamation proclaiming May 2026 as Historic Preservation Month in the city of Janesville, uh, whereas historic preservation is a proven effective tool for managing community growth, revitalizing neighborhoods, and inspiring local pride and community character, and whereas historic preservation has been effective in urban and rural communities nationwide, and for Americans of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, and circumstances.

2:36

And whereas it is important to remember the role of history in our lives and honor the contributions of dedicated individuals from all walks of life that help preserve the tangible aspects of the heritage which shaped us as a people.

2:50

And whereas the community of Janesville possesses a wealth of historic resources, including 13 historic districts listed in the state and national registers of historic places, along with several more historic properties located outside those districts.

3:05

And whereas the month of May is annually celebrated as Historic Preservation Month, both within the state of Wisconsin and nationwide.

3:12

Now, therefore, I, Kevin M.

3:14

Laner, City Manager of the City of Janesville, Wisconsin, do hereby proclaim May 2026 as Historic Preservation Month in the City of Janesville, and call upon the people of Janesville to join their fellow citizens across the United States in recognizing and participating in this special observance, dated this fifth day of May 2026.

3:35

Thank you.

3:36

Thank you.

4:35

Okay, moving on to item number four on our agenda is the introduction of current and new commission members.

4:44

I guess I'll start.

5:00

And I became interested about wanting to participate in being a part of the historic commission due to one very important person.

5:08

And she's sitting in the front row, Jackie Wood, who encouraged me.

5:15

And I've enjoyed enjoyed my time.

5:18

This is uh now will be my fourth year on the commission, and um it's been an honor to learn so much more, even though I grew up here in Janesville, um, to learn all more and more about the history of what we have here and how special this place is.

5:37

So um and we welcome at least one of our one of our new members.

5:43

So why don't we start with you?

5:45

Thank you.

5:45

Uh my name is uh Robert Beer, and I was born and raised uh in Janesville.

5:50

I enlisted in the Air Force in 1984 and retired in Washington DC in 2005, and then transitioned into Homeland Security and around 2015, because I've always liked history and I was born in 65, so I remember when downtown still used to be a thing before the mall was out.

6:09

And uh the buildings like that just captured my attention.

6:12

And because I was always into history, I knew at some point I'd be researching something, and as it turned out, uh became involved with the brewery project and recently retired from Homeland Security last October, and the opportunity came to uh return home and become involved in this and hopefully many other efforts uh trying to preserve Janesville's history.

6:32

So that's me in a nutshell, and I'd like to thank everyone for allowing me here.

6:38

Nancy.

6:39

My name is Nancy Kramers.

6:41

Um I did not know about Janesville until about three years ago after I retired.

6:48

Um I was driving cross-country.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Historic Preservation█████████████████████████████████████████████68%
Procedural█████████13%
Public Engagement█████8%
Zoning And Land Use█████7%
Community Engagement███4%
Summary of Proceedings

Janesville Historic Commission Meeting: Proclamation, Awards, and Zoning Rewrite (May 5, 2026)

The Janesville Historic Commission met Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers. Six members were present, establishing a quorum. The meeting covered Historic Preservation Month, officer elections, approval of minutes, a certificate of appropriateness, two preservation awards, a state conference report, and continued zoning code rewrite discussion. The meeting adjourned at 5:40 p.m.

Proclamation and Introductions

  • Nick Faust, assistant to the city manager, read a proclamation from City Manager Kevin M. Laner declaring May 2026 as Historic Preservation Month in Janesville. The proclamation cited the city's 13 historic districts listed on state and national registers, plus additional historic properties outside those districts.
  • Commission members introduced themselves, including new member Robert Beer; continuing members described their backgrounds and service.

Officer Elections

  • Dale Griffa was re-elected chair by voice vote, with one abstention noted.
  • Mitch Goth was elected vice chair by voice vote, with one abstention noted.

Approval of Minutes

  • The commission unanimously approved the minutes of the April 21, 2026 regular meeting as presented.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments or written comments were submitted.
  • During the certificate of appropriateness discussion, applicant Alan Bates, husband of property owner Jessica Southworth Bates, answered questions from the commission.

New Business

Certificate of Appropriateness 2026-02, 219 Jackman Street

  • The proposal was for a natural cedar privacy fence on the alley side of the property, spanning both sides of the garage to the property line. Existing shrubbery and evergreens would remain; the fence would sit inside the lot line and outside the arborvitae, with possible trimming.
  • The commission found that the project met the criteria for a certificate of appropriateness and approved it unanimously.

Historic Preservation Awards

  • North Side Brewery: The site operated from 1857 until 1939, was later demolished and overgrown for about 80 years, and has had original brick walls rebuilt since 2022. The agenda listed Michael Palmer as the award recipient.
  • 403 N Pearl: The agenda identified Margret Delaney and Jackie Wood as award recipients, but the spoken ceremony appears to present the award to Brian Schweigel on behalf of himself and wife Mary, with Delaney and Wood having nominated them. This discrepancy is noted.

WAHPC/WAPAC 2026 Spring Conference Report

  • Staff liaison Mackenzie Wilcox reported on the conference in Sturgeon Bay, including sessions on bathhouse preservation collaboration and maritime archaeology, and an update that the Wisconsin State Historic Preservation Office website is being redesigned.
  • The agenda uses WAHPC for the Wisconsin Association of Historic Preservation Commissions; the transcript repeatedly says WAPAC.
  • Mitch Goth reported that Janesville received two state awards: an Award of Excellence in Advocacy for historic district street signs, and an Award of Excellence in Identification and Designation for listing Adams, Roosevelt, and Washington schools on the National Register, all three on April 1, 2025. Janesville was the only commission in the state to receive multiple awards among the nine awards given.

Old Business: Zoning and Subdivision Code Rewrite

  • Staff reviewed current and proposed zoning code provisions for the historic preservation overlay, certificate of appropriateness process, and historic overlay district designation.
  • A major proposed change would rename the Historic Commission to the Historic Preservation Commission and the overlay to the Historic Preservation Overlay. Commissioners also discussed the title of secretary in the draft text.
  • Commission members asked for additional review time. Staff said the completed draft still needs vetting by the Plan Commission and the public, so further comment opportunities are expected.
  • The chair clarified that Janesville has 13 historic districts but only Courthouse Hill currently has the overlay, which requires approval for exterior work.

Announcements

  • Commissioner Jim Terrell asked staff about a Courthouse Hill commercial building's exterior air-conditioning units that were moved from a screened location to the roof, noting a neighbor complaint. Staff said they would check permit requirements and flag air-conditioning unit regulations for future discussion, while noting the year-old installation could be grandfathered.

Key Outcomes

  • May 2026 was proclaimed Historic Preservation Month in Janesville.
  • Dale Griffa was re-elected chair and Mitch Goth was elected vice chair.
  • April 21, 2026 minutes were approved.
  • Certificate of Appropriateness 2026-02 for 219 Jackman Street was granted.
  • Two Historic Preservation Awards were presented.
  • The zoning code rewrite discussion was continued with no final action.
  • The next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. And welcome to the Historic Commission meeting Tuesday, May 5th, that is 5 p.m. Call the meeting to order. Roll call, please. Griffa? Here. Kremers. Here. Gall. Here. Conrad? Here. Terrell. Here. Beard? Here. Quoral. Absent. Six present. You have a quorum. Thank you. Moving on to item number three on our agenda is the presentation of proclamation in honor of Historic Preservation Month. And I believe that's you, Nick. Thank you, Mr. Griffa, and good evening, Commission members. My name is Nick Faust. I have the pleasure of serving as the assistant to the city manager for the City of Janesville, and it is an honor to be back once again presenting this year's proclamation recognizing May as Historic Preservation Month in the City of Janesville. Before I read the proclamation, I do want to take a moment to acknowledge you folks and the tremendous volunteer work you do. It was a real point of pride for the city that this commission's work was recognized last month at WAPAC's spring conference. I know later in the meeting, a commission member Goth and your staff liaison associate planner Mackenzie Wilcox will speak further to that and expound a bit. But that is a well-deserved uh recognition by your peers by preservation professionals across uh the state, and it's something that this body should should be proud of. And on behalf of the city manager's office, to that end, I want to thank you for the time and passion you applied to to this important work. With that said, I'm honored to share this year's proclamation celebrating Historic Preservation Month. Uh please bear with me uh for my verbatim reading skills, and then after I'm done, if you folks would be so kind as to uh come before the dais and we'll take a picture, uh that would be greatly appreciated. So, a proclamation proclaiming May 2026 as Historic Preservation Month in the city of Janesville, uh, whereas historic preservation is a proven effective tool for managing community growth, revitalizing neighborhoods, and inspiring local pride and community character, and whereas historic preservation has been effective in urban and rural communities nationwide, and for Americans of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, and circumstances. And whereas it is important to remember the role of history in our lives and honor the contributions of dedicated individuals from all walks of life that help preserve the tangible aspects of the heritage which shaped us as a people. And whereas the community of Janesville possesses a wealth of historic resources, including 13 historic districts listed in the state and national registers of historic places, along with several more historic properties located outside those districts. And whereas the month of May is annually celebrated as Historic Preservation Month, both within the state of Wisconsin and nationwide. Now, therefore, I, Kevin M. Laner, City Manager of the City of Janesville, Wisconsin, do hereby proclaim May 2026 as Historic Preservation Month in the City of Janesville, and call upon the people of Janesville to join their fellow citizens across the United States in recognizing and participating in this special observance, dated this fifth day of May 2026. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, moving on to item number four on our agenda is the introduction of current and new commission members. I guess I'll start. And I became interested about wanting to participate in being a part of the historic commission due to one very important person. And she's sitting in the front row, Jackie Wood, who encouraged me. And I've enjoyed enjoyed my time. This is uh now will be my fourth year on the commission, and um it's been an honor to learn so much more, even though I grew up here in Janesville, um, to learn all more and more about the history of what we have here and how special this place is. So um and we welcome at least one of our one of our new members. So why don't we start with you?

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