MILWAUKEE COUNTY

Permits were required — but never pulled — for roof work on Trinity Lutheran church

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A company working on the roof of the historic Milwaukee church severely damaged in a fire last week failed to get the required permit for the job, city officials say.

The sun shines through during the fire investigation on Milwaukee's historic Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church on Thursday, May 17, 2018. A fire broke out at the church on Tuesday, near the corner of West Highland Avenue and North 9th Street. The Victorian Gothic church, in the shadow of the Pabst Brewery complex, was built in 1878 and is one of the oldest in the city. It is a state and Milwaukee landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

"A building permit(s) was required for roofing work being done on the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church," Christina Klose, spokeswoman for the city's Department of Neighborhood Services, said in an email. "Our records indicate that there are no permits on file."

The contractor, Langer Roofing, did not immediately respond to a request for an interview Tuesday.

A four-alarm fire ripped through the Victorian Gothic building — one of the oldest churches in Milwaukee and the local Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod — last week, sending black smoke billowing into the air and one of its steeples crashing into the building.

Fire officials have said the blaze may have been started by heating tools that had been placed on adjacent scaffolding and ignited the roof of the church, which is located at 1046 N. 9th St.

The estimated damage to the structure is $13 million, with an additional $4 million in damage to its contents, officials said.

"We are currently investigating the building conditions to make a determination of what type of orders are appropriate to issue," Klose said. "This can sometimes take up to several weeks."

Langer Roofing previously issued a statement to media outlets saying, “Roof repair or replacement projects — as opposed to new roof construction — have generally not required a permit from the City of Milwaukee. However, the city has been a trusted partner for years, and if they believe a permit was needed in this case, we will work with them immediately to determine if a mistake was made.”