The Historic District Commission on June 17 asked the owners of 20 Main Street to return with a clearer drawing and a formal exhibit after months of debate over a proposed pool and surrounding fencing.

Staff recommended a type‑2 white picket fence with plantings on both sides, noting that most yards along the nearby streets already rely on hedges for screening. The Wisconsin Old Historic District advisory group had filed repeated objections to a pool in this location and wrote that the amenity was “unnecessary, unneighborly, and certainly not historic.” Commissioners said their review focuses on visibility and context; several said they saw little public visibility from the main way but asked for a precise exhibit showing the fence, gate, and planting configuration.

Commissioner Val noted the property’s substantial hedges and suggested the fence could be natural to weather if heavy planting flanked both sides. Commissioner Angus recommended replacing the board fence notation with a type‑2 picket on the site plan and asked staff to clarify the location of the fence relative to a neighbor’s existing wire fence. Several commissioners asked the applicant to show a detailed section of any fence, possible minor retainage at the base, and gate locations so the HDC could be certain the vegetative buffer remained intact along McKinley and would not create blank vertical faces visible from the public way.

After discussion, the HDC voted to hold the application for revisions and asked the applicant to provide an “Exhibit A” that shows the gate location, fence detail (type and finish), and the planting plan for both sides of the fence. The motion to hold passed with an instruction that staff review the clarified plan prior to issuing a COA.

Why this matters: The 20 Main Street plan has been reviewed multiple times because it sits in an individually significant property in the Wisconsin Old Historic District and because nearby neighbors and an advisory group consider swimming pools and tall opaque fencing to be out of character.

Next steps: Applicant to submit a clarified hardscape exhibit (Exhibit A) showing fence type, exact placement, gate details, and planting plans; HDC will re‑review the revised exhibit and consider conditions for approval.