SURPRISING STUFF

Committee of the Whole.
At the last ‘Committee of the Whole’ (COW)meeting, Chris Brooks, with the Historic Preservation Commission along with Alderperson Peg Esposito, presented a wonderful new tool for saving Lake Geneva’s history and charm. This is the Historic Preservation Commission and Landmark Designation. Lake Geneva is full of wonderful history and the historic commission would like the community’s help in preserving it. Anyone or any group can now request historic landmark designation for any site or structure in the city that meets certain criteria and can then be designated.

There is an application process with instructions, or one can contact the Historic Preservation Commission of Lake Geneva for help. The public hearing has some prep work that needs to be done fifteen days before the public hearing date for it to be legit. A legal notice must be filed, a sign must be placed on the property being considered, and letters of notification must be sent by certified mail to owners and neighbors of the property. The Historic Commission will review applications and there will be a public hearing at a Lake Geneva Historic Preservation Commission meeting. At the public hearing, the applicant will present why the property is worth preserving as a historic landmark. This is a great new tool for the community and history lovers to preserve buildings and places of note.

If this were enacted long ago the grand old Lake Geneva Train Station near the power company location, or the iconic Frank Lloyd Wright Hotel that stood so proudly before it was dismantled to become the vapidly designed Towers at the edge of what is called the lagoon would still be here for all to enjoy.

Person of the Week

Sydney, the wonderful front desk clerk at the Ridge Hotel. Worth staying there just to meet her!