New use for old Historical Society site a concern

A proposal to rezone the former Saukville Historical Society headquarters on North Mill Street for industrial uses, facilitating its sale to a village resident, was tabled last week after neighboring property owners objected during a public hearing.

The neighbors expressed concern that once the property at 200 N. Mill St. is zoned for industrial uses, anyone could establish that type of business on the property just feet away from their houses.

“I am very uncomfortable with the idea of manufacturing eight feet away from my house,” Meagan Schultz, 196 N. Mill St., told the Village Board on Aug. 5. “If some guy wants to store cars next to my house, OK. Work on them, no.

“Mill Street is a very busy street. People drive recklessly on the road. Having another business there is not going to be a benefit.”

Once the land is rezoned, the village really can’t turn down another industrial use for the property, Trevor Seitz, 255 N. Mill St., said.

“Johnson Brass could expand there,” he said, referencing the company at 270 N. Mill St., just north of the property.

Allowing an industrial use in an area with so many residential properties could set a precedent, Seitz added. 

“If you do allow this ... you’re opening the entire village to having M1 (light manufacturing),” he said.

Seitz told the board that 11 of the neighbors have said they don’t want to have manufacturing allowed on the .29-acre property.

Seitz also raised questions about setbacks and whether the village was following proper procedure in advancing the rezoning. 

The property has been the headquarters for the Saukville Historical Society since it was formed in 1988, but the organization recently dissolved and turned its assets over to the Ozaukee County Historical Society.

Society members said earlier this year that they plan to move the front third of the building, which once served as the village fire station, to Pioneer Village in the Town of Saukville in October.

The remainder of the property, they said, is expected to be sold to village resident Dieter Zenikel for $120,000. 

Real estate agent Troy Bretl said at the time that Zenikel plans to store his collection of cars there and perhaps operate a business from the building, depending on what the rezoning allows.

Zenikel was not at the public hearing to answer questions.

Trustee Bill Rudolph asked that the issue be tabled until the board’s Tuesday, Aug. 19, meeting “in light of the concerns raised” and because Zenikel was not at the meeting.