Historic Preservation Commission Meeting - September 14, 2026

The Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission met on Monday, September 14, 2026, at 3:00 PM in City Hall, Room 301-B, and adjourned at 4:57 PM. Chair Jordan Morales led the meeting. Present were Ann Pieper Eisenbrown, Matt Jarosz, Patricia Keating Kahn, Sally Peltz, Nicholas Hans Robinson, and Jordan Morales; Ald. Robert Bauman was excused. Commissioner Jarosz left at 4:50 PM, so votes on later agenda items were 5-0.

Consent Calendar (Staff-Approved Certificates of Appropriateness, Items 7-22)

• The commission approved all 16 staff-approved Certificates of Appropriateness in one motion (6-0, Bauman excused):
  • 260558: chimney flashing, tile roof repair, and tuck pointing at 2401 N. Grant Boulevard.
  • 260559: replacement of a damaged storefront at 1025-1027 W. Historic Mitchell Street. Note: this file number also appears as item 3, and the commission voted on it in both places.
  • 260560: stucco repair and in-kind cedar shingle replacement at 2421 N. Terrace Avenue.
  • 260561: re-facing an existing monument sign and installing a rear wall at 2133 W. Wisconsin Avenue (Grand Avenue Congregational Church).
  • 260580: masonry and gutter repair at 2857 N. Grant Boulevard.
  • 260581: HVAC installation at 2546 N. Summit Avenue.
  • 260585: wood replacement fences at 3022 W. State Street.
  • 260600: landscaping, roof repair, and temporary window removal at 2359 N. Wahl Avenue.
  • 260601: wood fence at 834 N. 26th Street.
  • 260602: roof shingle replacement at 2717 E. Bradford Avenue.
  • 260614: metal driveway gate at 2585 N. Summit Avenue.
  • 260624: spot siding repair and replacement at 1814 N. 1st Street.
  • 260669: roof repairs at 3107 W. Kilbourn Avenue.
  • 260685: landscaping modifications at the Milwaukee Auditorium (High Life Theater) and Milwaukee Arena (Panther Arena), 400-500 W. Kilbourn Avenue.
  • 260687: reconstruction of the tennis courts in Lake Park, 3233 E. Newberry Boulevard.
  • 260689: roof replacement for shed dormer and dormer repair at 2635 N. Terrace Avenue.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Rese Schneider and Bob Schneider, Stella's parents, testified in favor of the Kilbourn/Reservoir Park playground. They described their daughter's disability after brain tumor surgery and her statement that 'playgrounds aren't for me,' which inspired the project. They expressed strong support for creating an inclusive play space where all children feel they belong.
• Katherine Hannah, owner of properties on North Bremen Street, said she supports accessible playgrounds and praised the investment, but said neighbors were taken aback by the scale of the development. She raised concerns about changes to the hill, tree preservation, swing sets, bathroom maintenance, concession viability, and parking congestion during concerts and events.
• Christine Privetti, of North Booth Street, said she supports the park and donated to Stella's Playground, but raised long-range concerns about bathroom maintenance, past drug use and safety issues, picnic shelter reservations, night-time pressure, marketing the park as a national attraction, and increased trash.
• Nicole Heinle, of North Bremen Street, supported the concept but worried about parking, noting that streets around the park currently have no restrictions and asking whether new restrictions or meters might follow.
• Gerald Roesch, vice president of the congregation and a member since 1944, testified in favor of designating the English Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Incarnation. He said designation would help the church qualify for grants, including those for historically Black congregations, to fund an interior elevator and roof repairs.

Discussion Items

• Item 1 - Kilbourn/Reservoir Park Playground (260622): Staff planner Tim Askin presented a proposal by Milwaukee Water Works and MKE Parks. The plan would renovate the unused comfort station into accessible bathrooms with a potential concession stand, add picnic shelters set one foot from the building, and install a dragon-themed playground designed with KOMPAN and Kahler Slater. The playground would include about 25,000 square feet of playable surface, sensory areas, enlarged basketball courts, and a switchback trail up the hill. The City of Milwaukee contributed $200,000; approximately $1.5 million has been raised toward a $2 million goal through private fundraising and in-kind partners. The commission asked for a lower roof pitch on the shelters and directed that the proposed steel slab doors be replaced with a more historic design such as a five-panel door. Parks staff said there is no plan for off-street parking, but accessible on-street spaces are planned near Meinecke and Fratney, and that park topography would be preserved. The project was approved unanimously.
• Item 2 - Mothball Status at 2544 N. Sherman Boulevard (251648): Jennifer Luckett requested a six-month extension of mothball status for a non-compliant chain link fence. She said a neighbor will not allow tree removal on the shared property line, has been uncooperative and threatening, and she has a municipal court date on October 15. The commission approved the extension and suggested she contact the City Attorney's office.
• Item 3 - Storefront Replacement at 1025-1027 W. Historic Mitchell Street (260559): Staff described replacing a car-damaged storefront with dark anodized bronze aluminum, tile details, and spandrel glass in the transom. Staff recommended conditions requiring transom trim so only full squares of the spandrel glass pattern are visible, a different single-color tile instead of a gradient faux-stone tile, and replacement of all tile. There were no objections, and the commission approved with those conditions.
• Item 4 - Historic Designation of the English Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Incarnation (260608): Staff planner Tim Askin presented the cultural and social history. The church was founded in 1917 as an English Lutheran tent mission, and the current Neo-Gothic Lannon stone building was designed by architect Hugo Haeuser in 1923. The designation excludes the parsonage at 1510 W. Keefe Avenue at the applicant's request; the parsonage currently serves as a food pantry. The property was found significant for its role in racial integration in the 1960s under Pastor Charles Loon, the music school boycotts, anti-busing protests, community organizing after the 1981 death of Ernest Lacy, and its association with Reverend Dennis Jacobson, co-founder of MICA (Milwaukee Inner City Churches Allied for Hope). Staff recommended approval under criteria F1, F3, F6, and F9. After a public hearing, the commission recommended adoption and assigned the resolution to the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee.
• Item 5 - Rear Deck and Patio Doors at 2328 E. Back Bay Street (260613): Staff planner Andrew Stern presented a proposal for the Charles Sprague Forsythe House. The work would remove a non-historic bay window, add solid wood French doors, and build a cedar deck with turned balusters matching the house's existing design. Staff recommended approval with conditions to finalize door, baluster, and rail details. The commission approved unanimously.
• Item 6 - Detached Garage at 1060 E. Juneau Avenue (260623): Staff planner Andrew Stern presented a proposal for the George P. Miller House. The detached garage would be set back, mostly out of street view, and built of cream brick with wood carriage-style doors. Lot lines and access easements are being adjusted. Staff recommended approval with conditions on materials, door and light details, and roofing, including that no termination bars be visible from ground level. The commission approved unanimously.
• Item 24 - CLG Review of Greyhound Terminal and Office Building (260666): Staff planner Andrew Stern presented the National Register nomination for the Greyhound Terminal and Office Building at 633 W. Wisconsin Avenue. The nomination is based on mid-20th century transportation history, not architectural merit. The building, designed by Robert Lee Hall and Associates and developed by Bloomfield Building Industries, opened its bus terminal in February 1965 and served more than 200 buses per day. Greyhound operated there until 2017. Staff recommended supporting the nomination under Criterion A: Transportation History. The commission supported the nomination 5-0.
• Item 25 - CLG Review of Milwaukee County Department of Welfare Building (260718): Staff planner Andrew Stern presented the National Register nomination for 1220 W. Vliet Street. The building was constructed for Schuster's department store in 1910, expanded in 1923, and became the Milwaukee County Department of Welfare in 1963. The nomination is under Criterion A for social history, politics, and government, with a period of significance from 1963 to 1986. The site is associated with welfare program growth, civil rights activism, protests, and sit-ins, as well as later welfare reform controversies. A $9.3 million federal funding cut in 1983 and major renovation in 1986 mark the end of the period. The building is now being renovated by Gorman and Company into workforce and affordable housing. The commission supported the nomination 5-0.

Key Outcomes

• Approved unanimously (6-0, Bauman excused): Item 1 (Kilbourn/Reservoir Park playground), Item 2 (mothball status), Item 3 (storefront replacement), Item 5 (rear deck), and Item 6 (detached garage).
• Recommended for adoption and assigned to the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee (6-0, Bauman excused): Item 4 (permanent historic designation of the English Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Incarnation).
• Approved the consent block of staff-approved Certificates of Appropriateness (6-0, Bauman excused): Items 7-22.
• Approved the minutes from the August 3, 2026 meeting.
• Supported National Register nominations for the Greyhound Terminal and the Milwaukee County Department of Welfare building (5-0, with Jarosz and Bauman excused).
• Announcement: The Wisconsin Local History and Historic Preservation Conference is scheduled for October 14-16, 2026, in downtown Milwaukee.
• Meeting adjourned at 4:57 PM.