Historic Preservation Commission

MINUTES CITY OF MINERAL POINT HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEETING Thursday, April 24, 2025 – 6:30 PM City Hall Community Room CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order by Chairman Flesch at 6:30 PM. Erik Flesch, Chair Present Steph McKeon Present Mark Hogan Absent Tim Freeman Present Gary Cisler Present John Spady Present Matthew Payne Present Others Present: Matt Honer - City Administrator, Ulrich Sielaff, Margaret Garrity APPROVAL OF MINUTES – February 27, 2025 MEETING Motion (McKeon/Cisler) to approve the minutes from January 23, 2025. Motion carried, all voting aye (5-0-1), Payne Abstained. PUBLIC HEARING – CONSIDERATION OF LANDMARK DESIGNATION OF THE HARKER-MARR- GORDON GARAGE, 114 FOUNTAIN ST. Motion (Spady/Payne) to open the public hearing at 6:34. Motion carried by roll call vote, (6-0). Margaret Garrity, 411 N. Wisconsin St., stated that she believes the building should have local landmark status. Ulrich Sielaff, 32A Fountain St., stated that he believes the building should have local landmark status. Motion (McKeon/Freeman) to close the public hearing at 6:36. Motion carried by roll call vote, (6-0). DISCUSSION AND CONSIDERATION OF LOCAL LANDMARK DESIGNATION OF THE HARKER-MARR- GORDON GARAGE, 114 FOUNTAIN ST. Spady asked if the prospective owners are in favor of landmark status. Honer explained that from his conversations with the prospective owners, local landmark designation would not change their intentions with the building. Payne asked about the benefits associated with local landmark status and it was discussed that the prospective owners are not pursing tax credits and there are not local grants associated with local landmark status. Chair Flesch expressed that one of the roles of the Commission is to nominate buildings as local landmarks. Flesch stated that he believes the building has a significant history in the community related to Commerce, Industry, and Transportation and that local designation offers the greatest protection to historic buildings. The Commission discussed the buildings location within the existing historic district, already offering the same protections that local landmark status provides. Spady stated that he believes it is appropriate to designate the building after the prospective owners have completed their work on the building and that designating the building at this time would send mixed messages to the prospective developer that was provided approval for changes to the existing building at a prior meeting. Payne stated that he feels the potential landmark status and significance of the building is not generally related to the physical form of the building but rather to its relationship to an area of the city and that area’s relation to the transportation industry. Flesch stated that previous surveys have identified that individual buildings should be designated according to criteria that includes transportation and industry. Cisler stated that he has no issue with designating the building but feels it should be after the proposed development is complete. McKeon expressed that she does not feel that it should be designated if it creates or appears to create a barrier to future development of the building. Motion (Flesch/Freeman) to designate the Harker/Marr/Gordon Building as a local landmark. Motion fails by roll call vote, (2-4). Erik Flesch, Chair Yes Steph McKeon No Matthew Payne No Tim Freeman Yes Page 1 of 2  Gary Cisler No John Spady No DISCUSSION AND CONSIDERATION OF CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS (2024-25) REQUESTED BY BOB OBERHAUSER FOR 163 WATER STREET FOR DEMOLITION. The Commission discussed the timeline of this application and the letter from an architect that accompanied the application. Motion (Spady/McKeon) to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for the demolition of 163 Water St. above the foundation. Motion carried, all voting aye (6-0). DISCUSSION OF RECENT 2-PERSON COMMITTEE DECISIONS AND CONSIDERATION OF THE 2- PERSON COMMITTEE FOR APRIL, MAY, AND JUNE. Cisler and Payne volunteered as 2-person committee members. Flesch stated that he would help as needed. DISCUSSION OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. Flesch stated that he intends to step away from the Commission in the coming months. ADJOURNMENT Motion (McKeon/Cisler) to adjourn at 7:55. Motion Carried, (6-0). Page 2 of 2