Town Plan Commission agrees old building can remain standing until replacement barn is ready

Town of Saukville resident Dave Schwengel found himself facing a classic “chicken or the egg” conundrum when he appeared before the Plan Commission last week.

Schwengel, of 2658 Hwy. I, was looking to build a 2,430-square-foot storage building on his property to house sheep and ducks.

The value of the 30-by-81-foot shed, which will be erected by Walters Building of Allenton, is $24,000.

It will be behind the family home, screening it from traffic on Highway I.

Town officials conceded that the building would fit within the definition of an accessory structure on the agricultural parcel.

However, the zoning code made things a bit sticky for him with the restriction that no more than 2,500 square feet of accessory buildings are allowed on a property without a conditional-use permit.

Schwengel’s plan is to remove an old barn on the property once the new structure building is in place.

Until that building is standing, he told commission members he needs a place store his equipment and animals.

Commission member Tom Ravn said the dilemma could be resolved if the town allowed Schwengel to keep the old shed until the new building is ready.

“I don’t want to see the town being forced into pursuing legal action in a case like this and incurring all that expense,” Ravn said.

As a compromise, he said Schwengel should be granted 90 days to remove the old building once the new structure is standing.

That approach was even supported by Bill Hamm, a sales representative with Walters Building and former village president in Fredonia.

“I think it is a good idea to put some kind of time line on the removal, otherwise people tend to forget and you are stuck with the building,” Hamm said.

Town Chairman Barb Jobs supported the 90-day removal window, saying the demolition schedule should be linked to the final building inspection.

“I don’t think we will be setting a precedent with the 90 days. Each case is considered individually,” Jobs said.

The commission unanimously approved the site plan and demolition agreement.

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