Historic District Commission recommends architect Nelson Nave for appointment

The Kalamazoo Historic District Commission voted unanimously to recommend the appointment of Nelson Nave to the Historic District Commission and will forward a memo and recommendation to the Kalamazoo City Commission for final action.

Nave, who said he is a licensed architect in Michigan and owns an antique mall downtown, told commissioners he has lived in the downtown neighborhood since 1999 and has previously served on the commission, including a term as chair. He described his interest in protecting historic resources and said he would recuse himself from votes on projects where he has a conflict: “If I have a job in the districts in the future, I will not vote on it,” he said.

Commissioners asked about the rules and practice for conflicts of interest. A commissioner explained that any commissioner with a conflict must state the reason before the vote and that simply abstaining without explanation is not appropriate. The commission confirmed that recusal would be expected in cases where a commissioner has a direct conflict.

A commissioner moved to recommend Nave’s appointment to the Kalamazoo City Commission; another commissioner seconded the motion and the roll-call vote recorded Katie, Christie, Dan and James as voting yes. The commission’s recommendation was approved unanimously and staff said they would prepare a memo to submit to the City Commission and notify members of the outcome.

The commission also noted that appointment to the Historic District Commission is a volunteer position. The City Commission will take the final appointment action at its next regular meeting once the recommendation is transmitted.