| 2/5/2024 | 0 |
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
| HELD IN COMMITTEE
Minutes note: Mr. Stern said that 5 buildings are proposed for the district. The area was initially rural, but then became the location for grand mansions.
3127 W. Wisconsin Ave. was the William Simpson House, owned by a superintendent of a fuel company and was built in 1889. It is currently used as office space. It has a projecting turret on the front facade, with an open-air porch and was designed by Edward Townsend Mix.
3111 W. Wisconsin Ave. was the Rudolph Stafford House, owned by a fruit and fancy grocery seller. It was constructed in 1892 and is currently used as office space. The house is of cream city brick and has 14 rooms, in Queen Anne style with a projecting tower on the front facade.
3121 W. Wisconsin Ave was the William H. Meyer house who was one of the owners of a tugboat company and other maritime pursuits. The house was built in 1889 and is also used for offices. It is in the English revival manner. The central bay was modified.
Apartment buildings began to be built.
3133 W. Wisconsin Ave. was built in 1915 on a vacant lot and is the La Lenore Apartments. It has two projecting front bays and the windows are all vinyl. The integrity of the building was lost with the recent modifications.
3035 W. Wisconsin Ave. is the Millerand Apartment Building, which replaced a mansion. It still retains a lot of its historic features. The only modification is a new entry. The building was designed by Martin Tullgren and later his sons became part of his company and the business designed many buildings in Milwaukee.
Staff recommends that the standard for a historic designation is not met for 4 of the buildings. Staff recommends designation only of the Millerand Apartments. The MIllerand meets f-5 and f-6 of the designation.
Ald. Bauman moved to open the public hearing.
Atty. Richard Donner - attorney for 3133 and 3035 W. Wisconsin Ave. - he has the same concerns relating to the procedures as voiced in the last meeting. He doesn't know if an application can be amended to focus on just the one building. The windows are not original, except for a few lead ones that were not replaced in the 1980s. The windows from the 1980s do need to be replaced. He thinks it's a historic structure, not a historic site. The facade is historic and needs to be protected, but doing wood windows from 1925 would result in higher costs being passed along to the tenants; there are at least 300 windows. Staff is willing to discuss this with the owner. Staff said that designating the site allows the Commission to have landscape control and the large front yard is historic.
Ann Devitte - 3112 W. Kilbourn Ave. - resident of the Historic Concordia neighborhood and she supports designation of the Millerand. She thinks not designating the Millerand will hurt the neighborhood.
John Hennessey - he did a historic renovation at 31st and Kilbourn and he manages that property. Rents increased about 2% every year, but more these past few years.
Alyson Nemec - architect - she has spent her entire career in historic preservation and adaptive re-use, many for low- and moderate-income tenants. Historic preservation tax credits and low-income tax credits can be used.
Barry Weber - President of the Historic Concordia neighborhood. The neighborhood unanimously supports any designation the Commission supports. The designation would protect the property for the future.
Mark Roeker - owner of William H. Meyer home - his concern is if a property is designated and it's in a semi-blighted area, with numerous vacant buildings, it will not be financially feasible. These vacant buildings in the area have been vacant since at least 2014. He would like to have conversations with owners, instead of attacking them.
Robert Witke - lives in McKinley Blvd. neighborhood - he has seen other properties on which Mr. Berrada removed historic features and installed non-historic features, destroying the character.
Matthew Morrisey - owns 3127 W. Wisconsin Ave. - he opposes the historic designation. He and his wife are new owners and intend to rehab the property. He feels the process was rushed and they weren't properly notified.
Tom Fritz - 929 N. 33rd St. - he supports the designation and also fears how insensitive Mr. Berrada is to his properties and the neighborhood, as well as poor changes to the landscaping.
Eric Snowbush - one of the owners of 3121 W. Wisconsin Ave. - opposes the designation. He thinks Berrada properties does an okay job as otherwise those buildings wouldn't be purchased and would just end up being torn down.
Brian Quincy - he owns a home in Wauwatosa that could be designated, but if he did that he would lose many potential owners. He is also a partner at 3121 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Ald. Bauman moved, seconded by Ms. Peltz, to close the public hearing.
Ald. Bauman moved to hold with the expectation that an application will be filed to designate only The Millerand and a second nomination of Grand Avenue homes will be submitted for 5 homes on Grand Avenue. Seconded by Ms. Keating Kahn.
| Pass | 6:0 |
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