Sides clash over landmark designation decision

In the anticipation of a discussion about the possible designation of the Fort Sidney Museum, the Post Commander's Home and the Powder House as local landmarks, the Sidney Historic Preservation Board had a full audience of interested citizens at its meeting on Wednesday.

Currently owned and maintained by the Cheyenne County Historical Association, the buildings have undergone some recent structural alterations – the replacement of windows at the Commander's Home, in particular – that alarmed some local citizens.

In 2011, the CCHA contacted Jill Dolberg, the review and compliance coordinator of the Nebraska State Historical Society, to receive guidance about how to address the aged, wooden windows in the Post Commander's Home located at 1153 6th Ave.

The association had considered the windows to be irreparably damaged, compromising the safety of the artifacts housed in the building.

According to an Oct. 8, 2014, letter written to the City of Sidney by Dolberg, the CCHA member who had contacted her in 2011 indicated the windows had deteriorated enough to allow water to leak into the building, causing plaster ceilings to fall and wooden floors to warp.

Dolberg wrote in the letter that she had informed the CCHA member of what kind of windows would be the best replacement for the historic ones, if indeed they required replacement rather than repair.

Dolberg also wrote that she "was pleasantly surprised when he described in general terms a double-hung sash replacement system that would be wood, but allow the existing frame to be retained. It's a product that I have recommended many times, and was pleased that he had found it."

However, modern vinyl-clad windows were ultimately installed rather than wooden windows, causing consternation among citizens who feel the historical integrity of the building had been harmed.

Proponents say that designating the buildings as local landmarks will supply an additional safeguard against actions that could degrade, even inadvertently, the historical accuracy of them.

"Landmarking does not impose a complicated or expensive set of rules, and it should be celebrated rather than objected to, because it goes directly to the heart of preservation," said Tamara Nelsen during the public hearing. "Those who object to this landmarking are rejecting the importance of preserving historic architecture, opting instead to choose modern maintenance methods that are inappropriate and compromise the historic integrity of these properties."

Several opponents to the designation of the buildings as landmarks expressed that the push toward that conveys a lack of faith in the CCHA and their stewardship, and that the replacement of the windows was a single mistake outweighed by the solid management they've demonstrated otherwise.

"It seems to me that it's broad-sweeping action being taken as a result of a single anecdote," said Jim Korth, attorney representing the CCHA. "What I'm talking about are the windows at the Commander's house. This was a big issue that came up, and a lot of letters went back and forth on it.

"That was a single incident that occurred at one of the three properties that are proposed for landmark, and that particular property, the Cheyenne County Historical Association has owned for over 50 years and has taken care of it without complaint."

Korth noted that the vast majority of people who wrote letters to the Historic Preservation Board about the proposed landmarking were opposed to it, and that a petition with about 90 signatures of people further demonstrated opposition.

Others also came forward to commend the performance of the CCHA over the years and to express their disagreement with the proposal to designate the buildings as landmarks, including Lois Hart, Audrey Buhrdorf, Gordon Wilkins and Glen Johnson.

"If we go forward with a landmarking, I believe there's going to be some heels dug in," Buhrdorf said, "simply because of what this board has done in the past, and how they have worked to preserve what we have."

However, Nelsen expressed that her concern about the performance of the CCHA did not stem solely from the windows incident.

"I would like to point out that the best indication of future behavior is past behavior," she said. "This isn't about what has been done in one incident, but a habitual and systematic disregard for nationally recognized preservation standards.

"Several people, including members of (the Historical Preservation) board, and historic architects have spoken to the (CCHA) board and asked them to adopt preservation standards, and they have refused. So this is not an isolated incident."

City Attorney J. Leef told those present that, according to the city ordinances, designation as a landmark only affects changes made to the outside of a building and has no effect on alterations made to the interior.

"If a property is designated as a landmark, the city's Historical Preservation Board has no input regarding any decisions about that property – its daily maintenance, anything like that – unless work is planned on the outside of the building," she said.

Leef clarified that "work" was defined as structural alterations, demolition, construction, restoration, remodeling or other material changes in the external appearance of the structure, visible modifications or additions to the public areas, including street furniture, light fixtures and paving materials. Non-structural changes, such as holiday decorations, would not fall within this definition.

"So we're definitely dealing with only the outside of the building," she said.

She added that any work in this regard that is planned on the landmarked property would require a permit, which would be granted after the city Historic Preservation Board issues a certificate of approval.

"I don't think there's anybody on this board that questions your board's integrity, your passion, your hard work," said city preservation board member Bruce Leypoldt. "But since this board is responsible for the oversight of external features of all the buildings, and it was through an accident or whatever (that historical accuracy) was violated, we felt that it was necessary that we take the necessary steps so this doesn't happen again."

The Historic Preservation Board voted to recommend approval of a landmark designation for all three buildings, and the recommendation will be passed on to city council for final decision.