Minutes
City of Janesville Historic Commission Minutes
November 8, 2010
Community Development Conference Room 4th Floor
18 N. Jackson St., Janesville, WI
Present:
Dan Atwood, Britten Grafft, Bob Kimball, Tim Maahs, Janine Peterson, Susan Thompson. City
Staff: Gale Price
Call To Order.
1. Dan Atwood called the meeting to order at 5:14 pm
Introduction of New Members:
2. Dan introduced the new Historic Commission members and
welcomed them to the Commission. New members attending: Britten Grafft, Bob Kimball.
Comments From The Public:
3. Jackie Wood had three items for the Commission:
a.Dan Fletcher gave a presentation at the DDA meeting regarding the marketing report for the
Save the Gas Station campaign. It may be a good topic of discussion at an upcoming
Historic Commission Meeting.
b.Jackie Wood talked about replacing molding on the outside of her home. She stated she had
researched various moldings and had an excellent book on molding and alternative materials
and wanted the Commission to know it was available as a reference.
c.Jackie spoke about a family living in the Lannon Stone house next to the Lovejoy home and
wanted to know if we were aware of the situation.
Minutes of the September 13, 2010 Regular Meeting “C”:
4. A motion was made by Tim Maahs
and seconded by Susan Thompson to approve the consent agenda. Motion approved.
Update on State Historical Society Conference: Dan Atwood updated the Commission on the
5.
Conference in Lake Geneva:
a.The discussion on measuring the economic impact of historical buildings and historical
preservation was excellent and very beneficial. Items noted include:
i.Historic preservation helps property values to appreciate
ii.Money can be brought into communities
iii.There are tax savings for the property owner
iv.Downtown historic preservation is cost effective
v.Controls do not adversely impact property values since they result in protection of
the property which increases the value for all owners in the area.
b.The workshop on Commissions and how they operate provided good information.
Discussions on design guidelines validates our. Perhaps we should consider minor
alterations, fences, walls, garages, signage, etc.
c.Ideas for awards to be given out in your communities were discussed as well. Perhaps we
need to consider this for the May 2011 workshop. Ideas included awards for: contractors,
stewardship, maintenance, leadership, properties brought back from the brink, etc.
d.Donavan Richmen presented information on his book which featured 20 Wisconsin historic
homes.
Discussion of Downtown Overlay District Plan:
6.Dan Atwood distributed the final version. He
highlighted the map. The plan is to have downtown business owners’ support and adopt. Dan
stated he and Bruce Dennis had talked with the DDA a couple months ago and has not been back
for a follow up meeting. Dan stated Christine Moore’s position will end December 31, 2010 and
she had been the liaison between the DDA and Historic Commission. Dan stated we needed to
identify a formal group of downtown business owners to help promote the Overlay Plan. There
would need to have public meetings to explain the Downtown Overlay District Plan.
Jackie Wood stated the DDA was hoping to work with the Commission when scheduling their 3
Town Hall meetings. She stated there were three meetings: December would focus on 2-way
streets; January would focus on Overlay and Design Guidelines; and February would focus on DDA
funding. She also stated Christine Moore would be staying on the DDA as a citizen and could
continue to be the liaison for the Historic Commission if wanted.
There was additional discussion about co-hosting information meetings with the DDA. Gale Price
stated there would need to be two public hearings for the Historic Commission as well as public
hearings for any meetings with the Plan Commission and City Council.
The Commission discussed putting together a plan for discussion purposes that would include: the
plan; background; pros/cons; process; other stats and information from the conference; history of
the Commission; timeline; etc. Dan stated he would contact Christine Moore.
Discussion on Lovejoy House November 9 Deadline:
7.Gale Price stated the conditional use permit
deadline is November 9. There was a lot of discussion about the reality of the project moving
forward considering the situation with property leans, revenue, etc. Gale stated the Hall has damage
because of the hole in the roof. It looked like the brush had been cleaned and the retaining wall was
visible. There have been concerns about access to the building and foundation issues. Jackie Wood
stated she notices people coming into the building every day and also stated the Lannon Stone
house looks like it has been rented. She mentioned there was a lot of debris outside the house.
Matters Not on the Agenda:
8.
a.Jackie Wood has been working with Dan Atwood and Tim Maahs to help distribute
certificates for property owners in the Courthouse Hill District.
b.There was discussion related to the article in the Janesville Gazette regarding the Evansville
Historic District and commission. Tim stated he would look into the article.
c.A hand out on weatherization was distributed.
d.Gale Price discussed a request for a zoning variance for a home to install a solar panel in the
Jefferson Avenue Historic District. Work had been done prior to the Zoning Variance
request.
Next Meeting – Monday, November 22, 2010
9.
Adjournment:
10.A motion was made by Susan Thompson and seconded by Bob Kimball to adjourn
the meeting at 6:20 pm. Motion carried.