The Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission voted to deny a combined Certificate of Appropriateness request to remove a corbelled chimney and add a third-floor balcony at 2015 North Lake Drive.

Staff recommended denial of the chimney removal and the bundled proposal because the corbelled chimney contributes to the building’s architecture, is highly visible from the right-of-way, and comparable removals in the past tended to involve utilitarian chimneys or chimneys not visible from the street. Staff advised applicants to return with a revised proposal that separates the two requests so each can be considered on its merits.

Applicant John Hambrick, who participated by phone, said he needs to remove the full chimney stack to install an elevator shaft to serve elderly family members and create exterior access on the third floor. Hambrick said he had consulted three elevator contractors who suggested the chimney location was the only viable place for a shaft; he also expressed concern about the feasibility of rebuilding an exterior veneer if the interior stack were removed and said previous similar-looking chimneys elsewhere had been approved.

Commissioners raised structural and code questions (the chimney stacks often tie into floor framing) and emphasized precedent: where chimneys were removed in prior approvals they tended to be plain, utilitarian stacks not large corbelled features. One commissioner noted the guidelines call for retaining decorative ornamentation including chimneys. After deliberation, the commission voted to deny the combined COA and invited the applicant to work with staff on separate, better-documented applications.

The denial leaves open the possibility of resubmission with a more narrowly scoped balcony proposal or additional structural documentation showing how an elevator shaft could be installed while preserving exterior character. Staff suggested options, such as retaining an exterior chimney facade while removing an interior stack, if structurally feasible.