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Commission follows staff and rejects exterior gas‑lamp installation at 611 N. Broadway
Summary
The commission voted to follow staff’s recommendation and deny a certificate of appropriateness for exterior gas lamps installed at 611 North Broadway; the applicant said staff correspondence occurred in 2022 but the current representative was newly assigned.
The Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission voted to follow staff’s recommendation and deny a certificate of appropriateness for gas‑lamp fixtures installed on the primary façade at 611 North Broadway in the Eastside Commercial Historic District.
Staff told the commission that the building’s historic architectural fabric — terracotta, metal cornices and cast stone — should not be altered to add entrance lighting that historical images show the storefronts lacked. Staff recommended denial because installation of the exterior gas lamps required changes to the historic façade and because the building type was not one that historically had entrance lighting.
A representative for First MKD LLC said she had not been the company’s contact in 2022 and that the lamps were installed in August of the prior year; she said an earlier project manager (Adam) had corresponded with staff in 2022. She explained the applicant’s intent was to reference historic interior gas fixtures and to create an entrance presence for a restaurant tenant, and described efforts to route utilities to minimize harm to the façade.
Commissioners pressed applicants on why the work had proceeded without a current certificate of appropriateness. Staff acknowledged a permitting error had allowed a trades permit to issue without a COA. The commission noted it retains authority to require removal if the installation is found inappropriate.
A motion to adopt staff’s recommendation (deny the COA) was made and the commission voted in favor. The motion carried; the commission recorded the denial and instructed staff to follow up on options to mitigate façade impact, including alternative mounting or routing of utilities.
