Posted: June 16, 2009

While work continues between the city and a developer to preserve a historic farmhouse at a shopping center on Brookfield's north side, city officials and civic leaders are starting to talk about historic preservation citywide.

The city has no rules governing historic preservation, but discussion on the 1865 farmhouse at Stonewood Village has moved the issue to the forefront.

While a preservation ordinance would help protect the city's historic properties, some elected officials said establishing an ordinance would require balancing the interests of property owners and preservationists.

Topic is part of 2035 plan

A survey conducted earlier this year as part of the city's work on its 2035 comprehensive plan showed strong interest in historic preservation among respondents, and a Brookfield task force last week discussed the city's long-term approach to preservation.

The task force recognized the value historic structures have to the city and said civic leaders should educate residents and property owners about preservation efforts and potentially offer "incentive-based steps" to encourage preservation, Director of Community Development Dan Ertl said.

But the task force in its recommendation did not suggest regulations, such as a historic preservation ordinance.

Ertl said the task force wanted to make sure any steps taken toward historical preservation "should respect the rights of the private property owners."

City has tackled issue before

Fifth District Alderman Scott Berg, who last year introduced a legislative referral to study implementing a historical preservation ordinance, said the city in 1994 came close to establishing such an ordinance. The council at that time voted the measure down after property owners said they didn't want harsh restrictions on what they could do with their own buildings.

Since then, historic preservation has become more common in municipalities across the state, he said.

"Unfortunately, we've lost a lot of buildings," he said.

According to the Elmbrook Historical Society, more than two dozen antique buildings have been demolished in Brookfield since 1998.

Sheila Christiansen, Elmbrook Historical Society president, said an ordinance would give Brookfield some guidance on what steps the city and the historical society could take to preserve older buildings.

While the society's main focus is on the Dousman Stagecoach Inn at its historical park on Pilgrim Parkway, Christiansen said, an ordinance would protect some of the other important structures in the city, such as a handful of homes on Brookfield Road she said are "significantly important to the history of Brookfield."

Process starts with inventory

Berg said the first step toward any preservation policy would be to create and maintain an inventory of historic structures. The city completed inventories in 1993 and 2008, the second of which identified 61 properties of local or state significance.

The Siepmann home at the Stonewood Village shopping center - the building at the heart of the recent debate among the historical society, the city and developer 4S - was designated as "locally outstanding," meaning it could be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.

Berg said he wants to wait until the 2035 plan is completed before moving forward with any potential preservation measures so council members can get "all the information we need to make an informed decision."

He said the discussions will include a lot of important issues - such as who is financially responsible for repairs and maintenance - but they are an important step toward preserving Brookfield's history.

"If you build a bad intersection, you can always rebuild it," Berg said. "If you tear down a historical structure, it's gone forever."

AT A GLANCE

Brookfield properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

Dousman Stagecoach Inn

ADDRESS: 15670 W. Bluemound Road

LISTED: Jan. 15, 1979

Gredler-Gramins House

ADDRESS: 20190 Davidson Road

LISTED: Nov. 24, 1980

For information on the National Register, visit nps.gov/nr

 

BrookfieldNOW.com

Listen to reporter Alan Hamari's audio report on a possible historic preservation ordinance.