Historic Preservation Commission approves LumberJax BakeHouse façade renovation with conditions

The Historic Preservation Commission on June 8, 2026 approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for exterior renovations at LumberJax BakeHouse, 230 Main Street East, contingent on two conditions: the parapet wall caps must slope inward and the proposed knee-wall facing material is excluded from this approval and must be resubmitted. The motion to approve was made by Commissioner Melissa Kneeland and seconded by Commissioner Tim Dotseth; the measure carried unanimously by voice vote.

City Staff summarized the application from John Goetz, noting the scope includes repair and refurbish of the east party wall adjoining 244 Main St E, brickwork repair, repainting and residing, replacement of north storefront windows, addition of an air-lock door, and repainting of the north brick wall; signage was not part of the application. As recorded in the meeting minutes, “City Staff recommended one modification: the parapet wall cap is proposed to slope outwards; it should instead slope inwards to accommodate potential redevelopment at 224 Main St E.” Contractor Robert Jensen described additional work: raising the east wall three inches, shoring to meet fire code, sourcing matching bricks for chimney stack and columns, flattening the north doorway, removing platforms behind the storefront windows, replacing reeded glass with modern flat windows for better alignment with pillars, and replacing storefront doors with an air-lock. The commission expressed concern about the proposed LP Smart Siding particle board for the north-facing knee-wall because of exposure to salt and moisture and suggested a more durable material or that the knee-wall be resubmitted separately.

The approval was explicitly made contingent on the two conditions to preserve redevelopment flexibility at nearby properties and to avoid approving a potentially short-lived knee-wall material. The commission set no specific timeline for the resubmittal of knee-wall materials; the knee-wall proposal was excluded from the motion and must be returned for separate consideration. The next regular meeting was scheduled for July 13, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. in City Hall Room 58.