WORKSHOP RECORDINGS
May 21, 2026
Lindsey J. Dotson
Historic Preservationist / Owner-Operator
Belle Tower of Petoskey / GD Placemaking
Lindsey Dotson is a historic preservationist, downtown revitalization consultant, and owner-operator of Belle Tower of Petoskey, a historic 1891 former Seventh-day Adventist church being rehabilitated as a community-centered venue, creative space, and preservation project in downtown Petoskey. Through GD Placemaking, Lindsey works with communities, downtown organizations, nonprofits, and property owners on historic preservation, grant writing, placemaking, planning, and community development projects. Her background includes hospitality and tourism experience at Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, more than a decade of organizing public events such as farmers markets and concerts in the park, and hands-on work helping historic properties find sustainable new uses. At Belle Tower, Lindsey is leading a phased rehabilitation effort that combines preservation planning, local partnerships, public programming, fundraising, and adaptive reuse to bring a long-underused historic building back into active community life.
Belle Tower of Petoskey is the adaptive reuse of a historic 1891 former Seventh-Day Adventist church at 224 Michigan Street in downtown Petoskey, Michigan. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the former Seventh Day Adventist Church, the building is a distinctive two-story frame Queen Anne structure known for its front-gable form, decorative wood detailing, prominent window treatment, and entrance tower with an onion-like dome.
This session will use Belle Tower as a case study in practical, community-centered historic preservation. The presentation will explore the building’s architectural and religious history, its connection to the broader story of Seventh-day Adventists in Michigan, and the challenges of bringing a long-underused historic property back into active public life. Michigan played a central role in Seventh-day Adventist history: Battle Creek became an important center of the Adventist movement in the 1850s, and the denomination was formally organized there in 1863. The project also connects Northern Michigan’s Adventist history, and one of America’s most significant historical figures thanks to a case of malaria.
Participants will learn how the Belle Tower project balances preservation standards, building code realities, public use goals, local approvals, financing tools, and phased rehabilitation. The session will also discuss storytelling as a preservation tool: how historic research, community partnerships, fundraising, and programming can help reintroduce a building to the public before restoration is complete. Belle Tower offers a real-world example of how preservation can move beyond saving a structure to restore civic purpose, local identity, and long-term community value.
1. Describe the historic and architectural significance of the former Seventh Day Adventist Church in Petoskey and its role within the city’s late-19th-century built environment.
2. Explain how the history of Seventh-day Adventists in Michigan, including the movement’s Battle Creek roots and Northern Michigan connections, adds interpretive value to the Belle Tower project.
3. Identify key preservation challenges involved in adapting a historic religious building for contemporary public, cultural, and community uses.
4. Discuss how phased rehabilitation, local approvals, tax incentives, partnerships, and community storytelling can support the reuse of a historic building.
5. Compare the practical realities of historic preservation work, including code compliance, accessibility, funding, and public expectations—with the broader goal of retaining historic character.
6. Integrate building history, preservation planning, and community engagement into a realistic adaptive reuse strategy for a small-city historic property.
April 30, 2026
Julie Jones
Senior Associate
Wiss, Janney, Elster Associates, Inc.
Julie Jones has a diverse background in construction and engineering as applied to the inspection, evaluation, and problem solving of new and existing building enclosure systems. She works on various projects, from facade evaluations and investigations to roofing assessments and replacements.
Before joining WJE, Ms. Jones was a project engineer and manager with firms specializing in building enclosure engineering. She has extensive experience in the investigation, design development, and construction observation of roofing and waterproofing systems. Her project management and construction contract administration experience on numerous building envelope projects ranges from the initial assessment stage through project closeout. Ms. Jones has also performed design reviews for new construction projects to assess for code compliance and to evaluate the design relative to long-term durability, as well as for manufacturer and owner requirements.
Originally founded by German immigrants in 1855, St. Joseph church was built in the Gothic Revival style between 1870 and 1892. Following the decline of the catholic population within the City of Detroit and damage to the steeple roof after a wind event in 2016, the future of the parish and church building were uncertain. At this time, the Institute of Christ the King took over management of St. Joseph Shrine and launched a restoration program of the church building and master planning for the community as a whole. This dramatically revived the parish which has recently swelled to large numbers and is becoming an increasingly influential presence within the City of Detroit.
When unexpected safety concerns were identified by WJE in 2023, the Shrine took on major facade repairs at the bell tower located directly above the main entrance to the church building. Though the magnitude of this restoration project was unexpected, the community at St. Joseph Shrine has embraced the call to preserve their bell tower for future generations and dubbed this important structure a ‘Beacon of Hope’.
This session will discuss the unique challenges associated with accessing an occupied, bustling church building; the behavior of and failure mechanisms related to historic stone structures, particularly those with inaccessible elements; and examples of design challenges when incorporating modern building methods and technologies into existing structures.
1) Comprehend the challenges encountered with the bell tower facade elements and understand the methods of construction.
2) Describe the behavior of sandstone, dolomite limestone, historic mortar, and steel anchorage over 150 years in service.
3) Discss the design constraints, technological changes, and future in-service limitations of the building elements.
4) Explain the history of St. Joseph Shrine church and its continuing evolution within the City of Detroit.
March 26, 2026
Speaker:
Sara Holcomb, PE, QEWI
Director of Historic Preservation
Walker Consultants, NYC Office
Sara Holcomb, PE, QEWI is a Director of Historic Preservation and Building Envelope at Walker Consultants, bringing 18 years of experience in historic preservation, façade inspections, and building enclosure consulting. A licensed Professional Engineer and NYC Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector, she leads complex restoration and preservation projects for landmarked and architecturally significant buildings throughout New York City and across the United States. Her work focuses on the long-term performance of historic structures, material compatibility, and complex waterproofing systems. Sara partners closely with building owners and stakeholders to balance safety, constructability, regulatory requirements, and preservation goals. She is an active throughout the preservation and masonry repair industry and currently serves as Vice President of the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) Metro New York Chapter, supporting the advancement of restoration and preservation practices.
1) Understand primary recommendations discussed within selected Sec. Of Interior NPS “Preservation Briefs” to understand core concepts related to material preservation
2) Identify example materials in historic and landmarked exterior wall assemblies.
3) Examine how environmental exposures and deferred maintenance affect the durability of these materials over100+ years in service.
4) Assess the impact of original construction conditions and deferred maintenance on long-term performance of these assemblies and structures.
5) Discuss effective preservation and restoration strategies to maintain the integrity of the historic fabric through actual project case studies.
February 12, 2026
Cheryl Donaldson
PhD Student
University of Texas at Arlington – College of Architecture, Planning & Public Affairs
Cheryl Donaldson is a PhD student in Public Administration and Public Policy at the University of Texas at Arlington, specializing in historic preservation governance. She serves on the City of Arlington’s Landmark Preservation Commission and the Board of the Arlington Historical Society, where she actively supports Knapp Heritage Park and the Fielder House Museum. Her research applies Stakeholder Theory, Value-Centered Preservation, and Urban Regime Theory to explore how public engagement and intergovernmental coordination shape preservation policy outcomes.
After attending this program, participants will be able to:
- Describe how Arlington’s Planning Department, LPC, and City Council coordinate on historic preservation initiatives.
- Analyze the role of public records and meeting minutes in ensuring transparency and accountability in preservation governance.
- Identify practical strategies for aligning community engagement with formal preservation policy.
- Apply lessons from Arlington’s case study to strengthen resilience and collaboration in other local preservation contexts.
January 15, 2026
Elisabeth Knibbe
Retired Architect
Melissa Milton-Pung
Program Manager, Policy Research Labs
Michigan Municipal League
After attending this program, participants will be able to:
- Describe the legal framework for protecting historic buildings at the local state and federal level including historic districts, section 106 review and historic tax credits.
- Identify and describe the architectural styles Park housing in Michigan including properly naming character defining features.
- Evaluate how proposed changes to historic buildings meet or do not meet the Secretary of Interior standards for rehabilitation.
- Guide property owners in the maintenance of and design of improvements to historic buildings that respect and protect their character defining features.
December 18, 2025
2. Explain how heritage professionals can help communities shape future energy development as part of redevelopment or remediation projects, particularly involving underground assets.
3. Discuss how preservation laws, policies, incentives, and practices can be refocused as processes that facilitate community-based design.
4. Identify ways that agencies or companies can build collaborations with universities, colleges, and/or schools to facilitate these projects.
November 13, 2025
October 16, 2025
September 18, 2025
August 28, 2025
July 17, 2025
June 12, 2025
May 22, 2025
February 27, 2025
December 12, 2024
November 14, 2024
The FY25 CLG Grant Manual is a great resource for how applicants are selected for the grant. Page 14 of the manual includes a section titled “3. Grant Application Scoring and Selection.” Pages 15-16 include the scoring criteria for the FY25 selection process.
Preservation Through Partnership: an introduction to the Certified Local Government program brochure provides introductory information.