Wayzata City Council To Review Section Foreman House Preservation Site Designation Request

At Tuesday’s city council meeting, the council will review a preservation site designation request for the Wayzata’s Section Foreman House.

On Monday, Dec. 16, the Wayzata Planning Commission reviewed a request from the Heritage Preservation Board to designate the Section Foreman House as a Heritage Preservation Site.

The commissioners unanimously approved a motion to direct staff to prepare a draft Planning Commission report and recommendation for approval that the Section Foreman House be designated as a Historic Preservation Site to be reviewed and adopted at the next Planning Commission meeting.

According to city code, the designation requires a public hearing with the Planning Commission and approval by City Council.

The Section Foreman House was built in 1902 to support the section foremen and their families.

The section foreman was in charge of a section gang tasked with making sure the railroad tracks were in good repair.

The Wayzata Section Foreman House is believed to be the only section house in Minnesota still standing at its original location.

The Section Foreman House is located along the railroad tracks on Lake Minnetonka just east of where the Great Northern Depot stands. The depot was built in 1906.

With a Heritage Preservation Site designation in place, a site alteration permit will be need to be approved by the City Council.

The main reason for the site alteration permit  is to ensure that no changes will be made that will impair the historical integrity of the structure. The process allows for more public input and transparency around proposed changes to historic house.

Disclaimer: Dan Gustafson, owner of Wayzata.com, serves as chair of the Wayzata Heritage Preservation Board.