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Public raises concerns as city prepares resubmission to change Senator William Blair House boundary
Summary
A resident told the Waukesha Landmarks Commission that a proposed boundary alteration for the Senator William Blair House would be treated as a new National Register nomination under federal rules and could eliminate the home's historic view; staff said the city hired a consultant and plans to submit revised documents to the state by late November or early December.
Lisa Sald, a Waukesha resident, urged the Landmarks Commission on Nov. 6 to follow federal procedures in a pending application to change the National Register boundary for the Senator William Blair House.
"A boundary alteration shall be considered as a new property nomination," Sald said, citing 36 C.F.R. §60.14 and warning that a proposed developer plan to place a four‑story apartment would effectively cut the property and block historic views from the house.
The concern echoed a July 10 email from Mary Emery, president of the Waukesha Preservation Alliance, which Sald said contends "there is no loss of historic integrity" and that the four standard justifications for altering a boundary do not apply.
The commission received that public comment during its opening public‑comment period. Staff later briefed commissioners on the city's next steps. The city retained a consultant after the State Historic Preservation Officer advised that the matter requires a full new National Register nomination rather than a simple boundary administrative change, staff said.
"We are expecting the consultant to complete the work by the end of November," staff reported, and the city plans to submit the materials to the SHPO immediately thereafter so the item could appear on the state's February agenda. Staff said the planning commission already approved the site's plan and architecture; the project still requires final approval by the city council. If SHPO determines an "adverse effect," mitigation measures by the city or developer could be required.
Commissioners asked how the landmarks commission would review and comment. Staff said the city will submit the application before the commission's formal comment period but that commissioners should expect the item on the December Landmarks Commission agenda for discussion; if commissioners want to oppose the submittal, the commission will need a member to draft and forward that comment to the state because staff cannot draft a dissenting comment on the commission's behalf.
Why it matters: changing a National Register boundary can alter what aspects of a property are protected or considered in federal and state historic reviews. The commission will have a chance for formal action in December, and the state's review schedule could place the issue on the February agenda.
Next step: staff expects to deliver the consultant's resubmission in late November or early December and to place the item on the commission's December agenda for possible action and a formal comment to SHPO.
