Waukesha Landmarks Commission Meeting - April 8, 2026
Waukesha Landmarks Commission Meeting - April 8, 2026
The Landmarks Commission convened on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers of Waukesha City Hall. Five members were present (Mike Chrisien, Marty Larson, Carmen De La Paz, Tony Lanza, Andrea Dorantes); two members were absent (Matt Retzak, Linda Gourdoux). The meeting included updates on paint and repair grant funds, review of several certificates of appropriateness, and selection of the 2026 Landmarks Awards.
Paint and Repair Grant Funds Update
- Staff reported that $25,000 is available for 2026. A new federal standard requires that projects must be designated as preventing "spot slum or blight" (i.e., essential structural work not purely aesthetic). Leftover funds of $6,432 from two incomplete 2025 projects are expected to be completed soon. Approvals are conditional on county and SHIPO compliance. For the first time, properties in the Cables Park Historic District are eligible for these grants.
New Business
Certificate of Appropriateness – 245 N. Barstow St. (Carroll University)
- Carroll University requested approval to demolish the existing non-contributing one-story physical therapy building and construct a three-story Sullivan School of Business, Engineering and Technology within the College Avenue Historic District. The proposed building features tan brick siding, a red asphalt shingle roof, and a stepped-back massing inspired by adjacent historic campus buildings. The project had previously been approved by the Plan Commission in 2024 but was brought back due to material changes (siding changed from stone to brick, roof from slate to shingles). Groundbreaking is planned for June 2026 with completion by August 2027. A motion to approve carried 5-0.
Certificate of Appropriateness – 225 W. Laflin Ave.
- The applicant sought a consultation for repainting the stucco siding of the Nina and Richard Roberts House (contributing Craftsman home) using historic color options. The property owner was not present. Commission members agreed to hold the item until the applicant can attend. Motion to hold carried 5-0.
Paint and Repair Grant – 225 W. Laflin Ave.
- Held in tandem with the above COA. Motion to hold carried 5-0.
Certificate of Appropriateness – 1315 E. Broadway
- The homeowners requested to replace the original concrete front porch (deteriorated) and the non-historic railing (replaced in the 1960s) with a new concrete porch of matching dimensions and a black metal railing (either Tuscany or Riviera style). The homeowner stated a preference for the Riviera style. The commission approved the COA with the note that the homeowner may select either railing style and that a building permit is required. Motion carried 5-0.
Paint and Repair Grant – 1315 E. Broadway
- Staff recommended a grant for the porch replacement (estimated project cost $20,000 excluding landscaping). Motion by Marty Larson to approve a $3,000 grant carried 5-0.
Certificate of Appropriateness – 510 McCall St.
- The homeowner requested replacement of deteriorated wood storm windows on the front first floor and second floor with new wood-frame windows made of ipe (a durable tropical wood) to match existing dimensions and color. Custom arched windows will be built to match the original openings. Motion to approve carried 5-0.
Paint and Repair Grant – 510 McCall St.
- Staff noted two estimates totaling approximately $8,500 for the storm window project. Motion by Marty Larson to approve a $1,500 grant, with the rationale that storm windows protect original windows, carried 5-0.
Discussion and Action on 2026 Landmarks Awards
- Staff proposed three candidates: Darron and Mary Lou Lillian of 323 McCall St. (multiple projects, generosity with grant funds); James Mathie of 242 N. Hartwell Ave. (significant built-in gutter repair); and Julie Stockinger of 132-134 W. Laflin Ave. (window replacement and porch addition). After discussion, a motion was made to award the John Schoenknecht Spirit of Preservation Award to the Lillians of 323 McCall St., and Certificates of Merit to James Mathie of 242 N. Hartwell Ave. and Julie Stockinger of 132-134 W. Laflin Ave. Motion carried 5-0.
Alderman's Report
- Alderman Mike Chrisien noted that the April city election resulted in a new mayor and two new alderpersons. He thanked the commission for their work, noting that his appointment may end soon as he currently serves on five committees.
Springs Report
- Staff tentatively set the next Springs Cleanup for May 30, 2026, pending coordination with the Parks Department for a volunteer trailer and work on Hobo Spring.
Communications and Publications
- Staff announced the Wisconsin Association of Historic Preservation Commissions (WAHPC) conference on April 23–24 in Sturgeon Bay, and a CAMP training event in Fond du Lac later in the spring.
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Certificate of Appropriateness for Carroll University (245 N. Barstow St.) – vote 5-0.
- Held: Certificate of Appropriateness and Paint & Repair Grant for 225 W. Laflin Ave. – vote 5-0 (to next meeting).
- Approved: Certificate of Appropriateness for 1315 E. Broadway – vote 5-0 (with railing choice and building permit required).
- Approved: Paint & Repair Grant for 1315 E. Broadway in the amount of $3,000 – vote 5-0.
- Approved: Certificate of Appropriateness for 510 McCall St. – vote 5-0.
- Approved: Paint & Repair Grant for 510 McCall St. in the amount of $1,500 – vote 5-0.
- Approved: 2026 Landmarks Awards – John Schoenknecht Award to 323 McCall St., Certificates of Merit to 242 N. Hartwell Ave. and 132-134 W. Laflin Ave. – vote 5-0.
- Note: Minutes of March 11, 2026 were held due to insufficient votes for approval (abstention).
Meeting Transcript
Good evening everybody. This is the City of Walkershaw Landmarks and Restoration Commission. We are celebrating Wednesday, April 8th. I'm going to call this meeting to order. Marty Larson. Andreantez. Carmen Della Paz. Mike Christine. Tony Lanza. I'll open it up for any public comments today. Nobody here? Great. Thank you so much. Moving on to the approval of minutes for item number two six-zero three one eight seven minutes of March 11th, 2026. I'll make a motion to approve. Thank you. A second. I'll second. I'm abstaining, so I wasn't here. So I wasn't here. I. I abstain. Perfect. So we will take this up again at next month's meeting. Perfect. Thank you so much. And we're moving on to landmarks commission paint and repair grant funds. All right. So as you know, uh paint and repair grants are approved at an increasing scale up to a maximum of three thousand dollars. Uh typically uh about uh fifteen percent of the cost of a project. Uh but the landmarks commission may use their discretion to change a board amounts based on project scope, overall impact, fund availability, or any other circumstances. Uh for 2026, we have 25,000 dollars available, and uh we have been told by the county that they do not expect to have a delay this year. We don't have the contract signed yet, but they've told us that it's certain enough that we don't have to delay approving paint and repair grants. Um so we we they're basically they're working on the contract now. So we we will uh have the money available this year, uh and you can approve grants as of this month if you if you choose to. Um we do have uh six thousand four hundred thirty-two dollars left over from two uh incomplete projects from twenty twenty-five. Uh I did talk to both of those applicants and both of them told me that uh they expect the work to be done uh in the near future. They said they're both on uh schedules with their respective companies for early in the spring. Um and one of them actually has some of the work done, and we may be able to get the get the grant out uh to him based on the amount of money that he spent so far. Um and you have not approved any grants yet, so uh you have the whole $25,000 available. Uh and uh just to note that approvals will need to be conditional on approval from the county and from the SHIPO compliance. Uh and as of this year, we have sort of a new standard uh for approving a grant, it'll have to be a spot slum or blight designation. Um which is does not mean that there is slum or bright blights that's currently existing on the house that uh the grant is for. It just means that the work is uh preventing or it can just mean that the work is preventing uh future condition of slum or blight. Um so in other words, it can't be for work that is uh that is purely aesthetic, but it can be for work that uh is something that's essential to the house. Um the I guess the uh positive uh for that is uh any property in that's uh historically designated can be eligible for a paint and repair grant. So the the uh we don't have any currently in the cables park historic district, but uh uh those ones would be eligible this year for the first time. I've got a question. When you said it's for cosmetic or not for cosmetic only. So is paint cosmetic only or not?
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