Greendale creates Historic Preservation Commission, designates Village Hall and Host Tower as locally historic

The Village Board approved ordinances to repeal Section 1.41 (Historical Commission) and recreate Section 1.41 as a Historic Preservation Commission (HPC), and to repeal and re-create Chapter 23 (historic preservation) to give the new commission clear authority and procedures.

Staff said the HPC will be a nine-member body appointed by the board, with staggered three-year terms and a preference for applicants with professional expertise in architecture, architectural history, planning, construction or archaeology. The HPC's principal responsibilities include reviewing requests for certificates of appropriateness for properties locally designated "H," recommending additional local historic designations to the village board, and advising on guidelines for rehabilitation and maintenance of historic properties.

The new Chapter 23 explicitly designates Village Hall and the Host Tower as locally H-designated properties. Staff and trustees emphasized the need to coordinate the HPC's public-education role with the active Greendale Historical Society to avoid overlapping responsibilities. Trustee Anger urged the commission to meet at least three times a year, recommended adding a vice president officer role and asked that agendas and minutes be published; trustees agreed staff would follow standard practices for agendas and minutes and would advertise openings for commission membership in the village newsletter and online.

The board moved and passed both ordinances; staff said appointment materials and a public call for applicants would appear in the upcoming Village Views newsletter and online application portal.