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Council approves conservation‑easement route to address Blair House designation
Summary
The Common Council authorized staff to finalize a conservation easement for a portion of city property at 130 Delafield Street and to pursue nominating the nearby Acme Spring as mitigation after state historic reviewers flagged an adverse effect for the Blair House site.
Waukesha — The Common Council voted April 3 to approve a draft conservation easement for a portion of city‑owned property at 130 Delafield Street and to allow the city attorney to finalize language with the State Historical Preservation Office.
Jennifer (community development staff) told the council the parking‑lot portion of 130 Delafield had been included in an earlier National Register nomination for the Blair House but that the city believes that inclusion reflected a legal description error. Because Wisconsin law requires a conserving instrument when a local government sells property that carries historic designation, the city has been discussing acceptable mitigation with state reviewers. The State Historical Preservation Office indicated it would accept nominating the nearby Acme Spring — a local landmark on city‑owned land — as mitigation because the Delafield parcel contains no historic structure to preserve.
Under the action approved, staff may finalize a conservation easement for the Delafield parcel and proceed with the application to nominate Acme Spring for National Register consideration as mitigation for the parking‑lot area’s removal from the Blair designation. Council members asked for confirmation that the Blair House owners do not have entitlement to the city parking lot and that the private Blair property already has its own parking; staff answered both questions in the affirmative.
Why it matters: The easement and the mitigation nomination are procedural steps tied to state historic‑preservation rules that can affect whether the city may convey or redevelop the parcel. Approving the easement and allowing the city attorney to finalize language advances the process so the city can pursue redevelopment while meeting statutory requirements tied to municipally owned historic properties.
Next steps: Staff will work with the state historic‑preservation office and the city attorney to finalize easement language and prepare the nomination for Acme Spring.
