Plainfield Historic Preservation Commission Meeting - July 9, 2026

The Plainfield Historic Preservation Commission met on Thursday, July 9, 2026, at 7:00 PM in the Village Boardroom at 24401 W. Lockport Street. The Commission approved routine agenda and minutes, continued a windows/doors COA for a landmark house, held a public hearing and recommended a local landmark designation, and recommended approval of a carriage walk replacement.

Consent Calendar

• The agenda was approved unanimously.
• The minutes of the May 14, 2026 Historic Preservation Commission meeting were approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public offered comments during the public comment period.

Old Business: 23842 W. Main St. (Case 2127-070426.COA)

• Staff reviewed the deferred request for a Certificate of Appropriateness to replace two ground-floor windows and second-floor doors on the east elevation of the Jonathan Hager landmark house.
• Applicant and owner Dr. Steve Marvack testified under oath. He said the existing windows are 30-plus years old and deteriorating, the second-floor balcony doors are original to the approximately 1854 house, and the work needs to be completed before winter.
• The proposed Pinnacle/Titan vinyl products were estimated at approximately $6,000–$7,000, compared with an Anderson wood quote of about $35,000. Dr. Marvack cited budget constraints and also noted the house needs repainting.
• Commissioners explained that Secretary of Interior Standards require preserving historic materials to the maximum extent possible and evaluating compatible, historically appropriate replacement materials. Several commissioners asked the applicant to pursue wood windows and doors with true divided light from manufacturers such as Marvin, Pella, or Anderson.
• Commissioners disagreed on particular manufacturers: Commissioner Rapp said Marvin windows at the Masonic Lodge had not held up, while Commissioner Olson reported that Marvin windows at the Ingersoll house had performed well.
• No approval was granted. The Commission directed staff to send the applicant detailed specification language and contacts, and the applicant agreed to return with wood-window quotes and additional details.

New Business: 23837 W. Ottawa St. Landmark Designation (Case 2088-030325.HPC)

• The Commission opened and later closed the public hearing by unanimous roll-call votes.
• Staff presented the nomination under criteria D, F, and J, with a proposed period of significance of April 1887 to March 1896, tied to ownership and residency of William and Nancy McClaskey.
• Applicant John McLaughlin testified under oath that 14 windows had been replaced before the nomination with custom-size vinyl double-hung units; grids were added to the front windows, and the original windows were not retained.
• During discussion, commissioners noted the architectural description should be revised because a later cast-concrete-block addition appears to obscure the original T-plan. Commissioner Olson volunteered to walk the exterior and prepare an updated description identifying original versus replacement features.
• The Commission decided to add criterion C (significant persons) to strengthen the period of significance, citing the McClaskey family's hardware/grocery business and farm-implement agency and its role in Plainfield's growth.
• A motion to adopt the staff findings as the Commission's findings and recommend approval of the landmark designation, with a period of significance of April 1887 to March 30, 1896, passed unanimously by roll call. The final motion as read in the transcript listed criteria C, F, and J; the staff nomination had cited D, F, and J, and the earlier motion had included C, D, F, and J.

New Business: 15022 S. Bartlett Ave. (Case 2143-070726.COA)

• Applicant and former HPC Commissioner Leif Hendrickson requested a Certificate of Appropriateness for a replacement carriage walk and related improvements at his landmark home in the East Side Historic District.
• He described a red-brick paver walk, T-shaped and approximately 4 feet wide, connecting the sidewalk to a historically recognized hitching post in the parkway. The installation would be sand-set with concrete edging, without permanent concrete footings, and would match pavers already on the property.
• Mr. Hendrickson said the original carriage walk was removed during village street reconstruction. He recounted a prior meeting where village officials rejected restoration as "policy" and said he objects to signing a hold-harmless agreement/covenant. He asked the Commission to recommend the COA and communicate to the Village Board that the walk is a fabric element of the historic district.
• Staff clarified that village staff supports the COA and will issue a miscellaneous building permit, but requires a recorded hold-harmless covenant similar to those used for other private improvements in the public right-of-way, such as sprinklers and the awning at Barrell and Vine.
• Commissioners generally agreed that carriage walks are contributing streetscape elements that should have been retained or replaced during reconstruction, and some expressed concern that requiring a hold-harmless agreement for restoring a village-removed historic feature was excessive.
• A motion to recommend approval of the COA subject to execution of a Letter of Agreement among the HPC, applicant, and village staff passed unanimously by roll call. Mr. Hendrickson was encouraged to attend the Village Board meeting to address the covenant issue.

Key Outcomes

• Agenda and May 14, 2026 minutes approved unanimously.
• 23842 W. Main St. window/door COA deferred pending additional wood-window quotes and specifications.
• Public hearing closed and the Commission unanimously recommended landmark designation for 23837 W. Ottawa St.
• Commission unanimously recommended approval of the carriage walk COA for 15022 S. Bartlett Ave., subject to the Letter of Agreement and Village Board action.