Evansville preservation commission approves porch and wall repairs, backs Civic Center National Register nomination and will mail excluded-property notices

At a meeting of the Evansville City Historic Preservation Commission, commissioners approved a certificate of appropriateness for exterior repairs at a property on Southeast Riverside Drive, voted to forward the Civic Center Complex National Register nomination to the State Historic Preservation Office and authorized mailing outreach letters to owners of properties currently excluded from the Riverside Preservation Area.

The commission approved application 25_HP_COA_02702 for work on the front porch, sidewalks and a failing retaining wall at the Southeast Riverside Drive property, with one explicit change: the commission removed the proposed VersaLock block system from the approved materials and required restoration using materials that match the existing concrete appearance. The motion passed unanimously. Applicant David Laiascher described the project as largely concrete repair and said the changes were intended to "make it better." The commission noted the decision balances preservation of historic character with long-term durability of the wall.

The commission then voted to forward the Civic Center Complex nomination to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Timothy, the commission staff member working on the nomination, described the local commission's role in the National Register process and said the certified local government must sign off on nominations even when outside consultants prepare them. The motion passed in a roll-call vote: Commissioner Hayden, yes; Commissioner Stephanie Richards, yes; Commissioner Guthrie, no; Commissioner Bryant, yes; Commissioner Hooper, yes. The motion therefore passed 4-1.

Commissioners also approved sending letters to owners of properties currently excluded from the Riverside Preservation Area to solicit feedback about including contributing properties that were originally omitted. Staff said the outreach would go to roughly "40, 50-ish" properties and that results of the mailing would be reported back to the commission.

Commissioners briefly received an update on House Bill 1347. Commissioner Stephanie Richards summarized the portion of the bill of concern: "The portion of this bill that we were concerned with was that it would add requirement in residential property transactions to disclose if that property is in a preservation district." Staff confirmed the bill passed both chambers and was signed by the governor on May 1, 2025; the effective date was not specified during the meeting.

The commission completed routine business including approval of the April 2025 minutes and closed the item with instructions for staff to issue certificates of appropriateness and handle the SHPO submittal.

Votes at a glance - Approval of April 2025 minutes: passed (unanimous) - COA 25_HP_COA_02702 (Southeast Riverside Drive): approved with condition to replace proposed VersaLock block system with matching concrete-style materials; outcome: approved unanimously (5-0) - Civic Center Complex National Register nomination: approved for submittal to SHPO; roll-call: Hayden yes, Richards yes, Guthrie no, Bryant yes, Hooper yes (4-1) - Send outreach letters re: Riverside Preservation Area excluded properties (approx. 40'0 owners): approved (unanimous)

Commissioners emphasized visual compatibility and use of the Secretary of the Interior's Standards when considering historic materials and appearances, and staff was directed to provide certificate paperwork to the COA applicant and to report back on results of the excluded-property mailings.