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La Porte preservation commission proposes "most at-risk" properties list to spur action
Summary
The commission proposed creating a periodic list of five at-risk properties in La Porte to raise awareness, encourage purchase or rehabilitation, and prompt city council advocacy; commissioners asked members to bring candidate properties to the next meeting.
The La Porte Historic Preservation Commission voted informally at its July 15 meeting to begin compiling a "five most at-risk properties" list for the city, aiming to publicize threatened historic buildings and encourage preservation investment.
Commission chair Sally Larocco proposed the list as a press-release-style tool to draw attention to properties that could be saved or reused. "I would like us to develop a, form a committee that is just producing the the 5 most at risk properties in La Porte list," Larocco said, adding that she wanted at least three properties on the list to be available for purchase.
Commission member Peter Steele responded that prioritizing properties on the market reduces the chance of antagonizing owners who may have plans, and later said he was "actually kind of okay with antagonizing someone that is sitting on some of our, historic inventory and letting it decay. I'm okay with poking them." Commissioners discussed doing the list once or twice a year and focusing on properties where publicity could lead to community investment or direct purchase.
Larocco suggested 322 Lincoln Way as an example and said commissioners should bring one candidate property each to the next meeting. The group discussed including properties that are empty or for sale and agreed the initiative should generate public conversation and council advocacy rather than serve as a regulatory action.
No formal vote or formal designation process was recorded; commissioners said staff would take the lead on how to present the list and that they would prepare short write-ups for proposed properties. The commission plans to forward the compiled list to city council to request advocacy and to stimulate community interest in preservation and rehabilitation opportunities.
Commissioners said they expect the list to be used as an outreach and public-awareness tool, not as a legal designation, and proposed publishing it once or twice a year to spotlight preservation needs and potential projects.
