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Keeper upholds Blair House boundary; Waukesha landmarks commissioners praised for opposition
Summary
The National Register of Historic Places keeper declined a city-requested boundary decrease for the Blair House after the Waukesha Landmarks Commission opposed the change and submitted a report to the state review board and National Register.
Good evening. On June 4, 2025, public commenter Lisa Salvo told the City of Waukesha Landmarks Commission that the National Register of Historic Places keeper had refused a city-requested reduction of the historic Blair House boundary, and she praised the commission for its review and opposition.
Salvo, a resident who addressed the commission during public comment, outlined a timeline showing the issue began in spring 2024 when the city submitted an application to decrease the National Register boundary for the Blair property. She said the commission was not notified initially and later was asked to waive a 60-day notice requirement for local historic-review input; the commission declined that waiver, Salvo said.
Salvo summarized the commission’s subsequent actions: in December 2024 the Landmarks Commission voted to draft an opposition letter to the boundary-decrease nomination, and in February 2025 the commission voted to approve the opposition letter. She said the commission’s written opinion was forwarded to the State Historic Preservation Review Board (SHPO) and that the SHPO denied the proposed decrease in May 2025. Salvo said the city’s mayor then appealed that denial to the Keeper of the National Register at the federal level.
Quoting from the Keeper’s response read at the meeting, Salvo said the National Register found the land where a parking lot sits was deeded to the city by Senator Blair and remains part of the listed Blair House property, and that the information submitted “does not adequately document a lack of integrity” for the portion proposed to be removed. Salvo told commissioners, “I want to say to you congratulations. You should be commended on doing your job and on doing it well.”
Commission staff previously advised the commission that when a certified local government receives a draft National Register nomination, the local historic preservation commission is required to review the nomination and send a report to the SHPO; that report is considered during state review. Salvo said the commission’s report was sent and considered by the state review board.
Why it matters: The Keeper’s decision preserves the Blair House’s National Register boundary as listed, maintaining the federally recognized footprint that can affect future development review, tax-credit eligibility and review obligations by the SHPO. Commission members did not take additional formal action at the meeting beyond hearing the public comment, but the decision is the culmination of local review, state denial and a federal-level determination.
Meeting context: Salvo’s remarks came during the public comment portion of the Landmarks Commission meeting. Commissioners and staff had previously discussed the review process and the role of SHPO and the National Register; those procedural points framed Salvo’s summary of the timeline.
No formal motion or vote regarding this matter was recorded at the June 4 meeting; Salvo’s summary and the Keeper’s statement were entered into the meeting record.
