Cedar Community Campus expansion in discussion phase

The Town of West Bend Plan Commission and Big Cedar Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District discussed a proposed expansion on the Cedar Lake Campus on County Road Z by Cedar Community Campus.

On Wednesday night about 100 people turned out for the Big Cedar Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District annual meeting where a similar discussion took place as Cedar Community explores whether to build 42 single-family homes and two buildings with a dozen units each of independent/assisted apartments.

Cedar Community CEO Lynn Olson said they’ve been in “very preliminary talks with the Town Plan Commission about potential new housing on the Big Cedar Lake Campus” just west of County Highway Z. “This campus is all covered by a conditional use permit and every time you amend that permit it has to be done by the appropriate process,” Olson said.

The expansion plan was initially floated in May 2017 and then brought back again in June 2017.

Meeting minutes from June showed some concerns by the Plan Commission: A schematic of the campus detailing proposed dwelling sites was distributed to commission members prior to the meeting, as well as a record of past conditional use permits issued since 1967.

The presentation included facts and figures citing a 245-acre campus, 10 acres wetlands, 4 acres retention ponds, and 8.23 acres of building footprint.  The need for expansion was measured by forecasted increasing demand for senior housing in Washington County, as well as the need for increased revenue to offset losses due to Medicaid under funding, and subsidies for independent living residents who run out of money.

It was also noted that expansion would allow the ministry to reach more people. With Washington County as the seventh fastest growing Wisconsin county, forecasted trends in long-term care and senior living were then described.

It was maintained that the Cedar Campus offers existing roadways, utilities, a unique natural setting, highest consumer demand, and the broadest continuum of care including independent, assisted, skilled, home and hospice care.  A summary of the Cedar Community’s economic benefit to the overall community was described. This was followed by a description of the 15 year master plan in three phases.

Phase 1; 7 homes in Kettle Heights, 8 homes in new Lodge Lane Village, 6 homes in North Village, 3 homes in new Lakeside Village. Phase 2; 20 homes in Moraine Village East, 4 homes in Lakeside Village. Phase 3; 8 homes on extended Lodge Lane, 16 homes in Moraine Village West, 4 homes in Lakeside Village, 8 single or 24 hybrid homes in new Heritage Village.

Proposed are 84-100 new units.

Some discussion followed regarding sewer capacity both with the existing force main and the City of West Bend’s potential accommodation.  Moore indicated that within a 15-year window 170 homes would be sited on the property and expressed concern about precedent.

Moore also discussed the prospect of fire suppression in newly constructed dwellings. Some questions as to future plans to sell or subdivide were expressed. Concern about runoff to the south across German Village Road was also expressed. And, past experience with fire calls were discussed.

It was noted by Town Chairman Jim Heipp that the town annual budget approximates $950,000 with $550,000 dedicated to fire contracts and fire related costs with neighboring municipalities, and that about half of the annual fire calls are generated from the Cedar Lake Home campus.

This put forth in the context of the general property tax exemption. Noted also was that vehicular access to both German Village Road and Paradise Drive are not planned.

Todd Maclay asked about lake pier placement on the eight proposed lakefront dwellings, and indicated that the parcel’s primary environmental corridors need to be mapped. Maclay then read an excerpt from a letter dated 6/8/1988 written by Rev. L.C. Riesch to the West Bend Town Board indicating that the Cedar Lake Home had no intention to construct additional single family residential retirement dwellings upon the Home’s property in the Town of West Bend.

Maclay further noted the area between the existing villages and German Village Road had intended to be a buffer, and that the campus riparian lands are some of the last remaining substantial vestiges of open space/natural areas on Big Cedar other than those surrounding Gilbert Lake.

Some discussion followed regarding the intent of these proposals, and what is being presented is substantially different than that of a month ago. Further discussion ensued as to how the proposal might be modified in future meetings.

During Wednesday night’s meeting, neighbors on Big Cedar Lake and from the Town expressed mixed reviews on the proposal. Scott Rolfs, a lifelong resident on the lake, praised Cedar Community for being a “big asset to the community” but he had some concerns about it’s consistent desire to expand. “This is really now more of an adult-lifestyle community … and it concerns me this could someday be similar to the Lake Lawn Lodge Marina.”

Steve Simon also spoke from a property owners association position. “We have a tool that can protect green acres around the lake,” he said.

Representatives from Cedar Community have met with neighbors along County Highway Z and those around the lake. “We’re still in the early parts of an exploratory process,” said Olson.  “We’re trying to listen, articulate our position and develop a plan we think works for Cedar Community, the neighbors and the town.”

 

Olson said neighbors are mostly concerned about nature and preservation and maintaining the lake appearance and the natural character. “We think we’ll be right in step of maintaining the character,” he said.

No formal presentation has been made to the Plan Commission yet. “One thing I can say is none of our proposals involves lakefront development,” said Olson.

Other concerns neighbors brought up during the PRD meeting included the amount of slips being proposed as compared to the amount of lake frontage Cedar Community owned. They also wanted to know what sewer and water systems they used (it was city sewer and well water).

During the Wednesday night meeting a copy of some key points of the Cedar Community proposal were passed out to the audience.

Olson said Cedar Communities Village Homes are “typically full with a waiting list.”

There are currently 85 Village Homes.

During a June meeting Town Chairman Jim Heipp had questions about emergency calls in the town and how that factored into the demand from the residents at Cedar Community.

A record search shows: The Town paid $519,913 for fire protection in 2016.

Cedar Community paid $5,100 for 6 fire calls from 2016. Cedar Community also made a $12,500 donation in 2016.

A document provided by the Town clerk shows the number of fire and EMS calls in the Town of West Bend and Cedar Community.

Olson said he is “just being patient through this process” and as soon as all the data is gathered a presentation will be made to the Plan Commission.

“We’re not pushing this at all we just want to make sure people are fully informed,” he said.  “We hope to present a final plan in the coming months that will reflect all of that input.”

Following Thursday’s Plan Commission meeting, Olson indicated they would be ready to again discuss the project near the end of September.

West Bend West senior auditions for Milwaukee Idol

A heck of a night for West Bend West High School senior Madelyn Koepp as she was one of the top 60 chosen to audition for WISN Milwaukee Idol.  Koepp, 17, spent much of the day on Thursday at auditions at the Mitchel Park Domes in Milwaukee. “I sang Everybody’s Got Somebody But Me by Hunter Hayes,” said Koepp. “I was a little nervous but more excited than anything. The girls I was grouped with were so nice.”

“I was not selected for a front-of-the-line pass for Chicago but I can still audition in Chicago,” said Koepp.

“Performing today was so amazing; I’ve wanted to do this since I was like 8 years old. It was a dream come true just to put myself out there and actually get this chance Being on camera was so crazy too; I felt so out of place but all the girls with me were so nice.”

Out of 60 performers five were chosen by celebrity judges and allowed to be first in line when American Idol debuts Sept, 11 in Chicago.

Second Kwik Trip for WB to be discussed at Tuesday Plan Commission

Designs and a layout for a second Kwik Trip in West Bend will go before Plan Commission next week Tuesday, Sept. 5.

On July 19, WashingtonCountyInsider.com was the only local news outlet to report a second Kwik Trip coming to West Bend.

Hans Zietlow, director of real estate for Kwik Trip, said they have a piece of property currently under contract and they’re working through the process. The property is the former Walgreens, 806 S. Main Street in West Bend.

According to the city:

-Kwik Trip will be leveling the building and removing all the asphalt in the parking lot.

-The new building will be smaller than the current Walgreens; the front of the building will face S. Main Street.

-There will be a canopy with five islands and 25 pumps running parallel to S. Main Street.

-The driveway on S. Main is 220.84-feet from Decorah Road.

-The driveways will remain the same with one entrance/exit onto S. Main and the same two driveways out the back onto Fifth Avenue.

-The proposed Kwik Trip building is 7,316 square feet, which is the same size as the Kwik Trip on Silverbrook Drive.

– The Walgreens measures 16,459 square feet, so the Kwik Trip building will be about half that size.

That location, according to the West Bend City Assessor’s office, has been vacant since late 2010 when Walgreens closed because its new store opened just south of Paradise Drive. Halloween Express did open in this location, but that was temporary and seasonal.

If this site plan is approved by the city of West Bend this would be the fifth Kwik Trip in Washington County. There’s one currently on Highway 60 in Slinger and another further up the road in Hartford, Germantown has a Kwik Trip on Maple Road and West Bend’s first Kwik Trip opened on Silverbrook Drive on Oct. 27, 2016.

Zietlow said he likes this location for several reasons, but primarily because it’s the center of town.  “West Bend by any stretch of the imagination doesn’t have a bad part but this is a central location,” said Zietlow. “Everything else is going to the edges such as Highway 33 and Paradise Drive so this leaves us a little bit of gap in the center.”

On more of a neighborhood note, folks on Decorah Road will appreciate it because they’ve been without a convenience store since Pat’s Jiffy Stop closed in November 2016.

A couple other notes about the proposed Kwik Trip site on Main and Decorah:

– the 2017 property assessment for the empty Walgreens is $2.52 million.

– Zietlow’s comment about being welcomed in West Bend. “I don’t think we’ve ever been as warmly received in a community as this one. I’m going to guess we’re going to be even more well received the second time around.”

– The first Kwik Trip in West Bend opened Oct. 27, 2016 in the 1700 block of Silverbrook Drive just about a half-block north of Paradise Drive.  Zietlow it’s doing “very, very well.”

-The lot size on Main and Decorah is about 1.4 acres. The lot size on Silverbrook is about 3.02 acres.

-The gas station/convenience store on Silverbrook is 7,000 square feet with 26 gas pumps on five islands and a car wash. Zietlow said plans for the station/convenience store on Main and Decorah will not have a car wash.

-Questioned if there will be two Kwik Trips in West Bend could there be three? “Well there’s room for three but we don’t have any other plans for anything else,” said Zietlow.

-If this Kwik Trip would get approved it would build it in 2018.

-Zietlow said Kwik Trip is looking at building about 50 new stores in 2017 and having several acquisitions as well. “We’re actually looking at building 50 new stores a year for the next five years,” said Zietlow.

On Tuesday, Sept. 5 the Plan Commission will make a recommendation to the common council on the zoning amendment and they will be asked to approve a site plan and conditional use permit for the gas station.  One of the questions may be about the traffic impact on the adjoining roads.

 

Cultural campus south of MOWA to be reviewed by WB Plan Commission

During the Sept. 5 West Bend Plan Commission meeting there will be discussion for a Cultural Campus located on the two acres of vacant land just to the south of the Museum of Wisconsin Art. Some of the plants for the area on Veterans Avenue and Water Street included in the design are white oak, flowering pear, sugar maple, hydrangea beds and an aspen grove.

There will be lit railings, a translucent glass screen wall, and expanded parking. The Plan Commission meeting gets underway at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall on Tuesday.  Other items on the agenda include the review of a proposed Kwik Trip on the corner of Decorah and Main Street.

Rally Time Sports Bar 

Scott and Dan Festge, a father-son team, will be reopening the former Bagg End Tavern on Sept. 11. The new establishment will be Rally Time Sports Bar and Grill.

“We’re cleaning it up and making it look prettier,” said Dan Festge. Contractors have been at the tavern, 1373 N. Main Street, West Bend, the past few weeks refinishing the hardwood floors in the back area by the pool tables and fixing up the outdoor deck by the volleyball court.

“We’re going to have dart and volleyball leagues, but a lot depends on the weather,” Festge said. “We plan on squaring up the fence in back and also putting up a couple horseshoe pits. We’re also working on a behind-the-bar kitchen so we can do full-service food.”

The family already has a successful Rally Time Sports Bar in Saukville.

Funeral services Saturday for Rev. James Strupp

Rev. James A. Strupp, 77, of West Bend died on Wednesday, August 30, 2017 at St. Joseph’s Hospital. He attended and graduated from Holy Angels Grade School. After graduating from West Bend High School with the Class of 1958, began his priestly formation at St. Francis Minor Seminary. He completed his studies at St. Francis de Sales Major Seminary during the period of 1960 -1967.

On May 20, 1967, he was ordained to the Priesthood by Archbishop William E. Cousins at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Milwaukee. Rev. Strupp celebrated his first Mass on May 21, 1967 at Immaculate Conception Church in Saukville. His first appointment was as curate to serve Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Milwaukee. He later went on to serve as associate pastor at St. Mary’s Parish in Menomonee Falls, Holy Redeemer Parish in Milwaukee and St. Francis Borgia Parish in Cedarburg from.

On November 28, 1978, he was released for studies in Clinical Pastoral Education, and on March 27, 1979, he was appointed Director of Chaplain Services for St. Joseph’s Community Hospital in West Bend.

For many years, he served as a chaplain for West Bend area health care facilities, retiring from active ministry on October 31, 1992.

He was a member of the Fr. Casper Rehrl Knights of Columbus Council 1964, Our Lady of Holy Hill Assembly 1677 Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus, the Washington County Ministerial Association, National Association of Catholic Chaplains, Apostolate of Suffering and was a co-founder and executive officer of Friends for Life, Inc.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, September 2 at 11 a.m. at Holy Angels Catholic Church with Most Reverend Jeffrey Haines presiding. He will be buried alongside his parents in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Port Washington. Visitation will be at the church on Saturday from 8 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. There will be a reception following Mass in the church hall. The Schmidt Funeral Home of West Bend is serving the family.

Girls try hockey FREE Event at Kettle Moraine Ice Center

On Sept. 23 at 1 p.m. the Kettle Moraine Ice Center and Washington County Youth Hockey Association are sponsoring a Girls Try Hockey Free Event for ages 4-14. All gear will be provided; many coaches and older skaters will be at the rink, ready and eager to help. This is a great opportunity for girls to experience firsthand a featured winter Olympics sport with no monetary commitment.

Slinger Wrestling Team receives prestigious award                    By Ron Naab

The Slinger High School boys wrestling team was recognized prior to the start of the Owl’s varsity football game last week as it received the WIAA/Rural Mutual Insurance Sportsmanship Award.

Every team that participates in a WIAA state tournament is eligible. The selection process includes input from contest officials, tournament management, police and security personnel, crowd control, ushers, and WIAA staff.

Teams are judged on conduct and sportsmanship of coaches and athletes, cheer and support groups, mascots, bands, student groups and adult spectators. School administrators and chaperones are measured during the tournament as well, to keep team support positive and enthusiastic.  Officials from the WIAA may solicit input from hotels, restaurants and business people in the city where WIAA state events take place

The Rural Mutual Insurance State Tournament Sportsmanship Award is a community award. Gina Fritsch and Bill Dorrance of Rural Mutual Insurance presented the award.

Five veterans from Washington Co. on Sept. 16 Honor Flight

There will be five veterans from Washington County on the Saturday, Sept. 16 Honor Flight out of Milwaukee. Among the local veterans on the flight include: Korean War Marine veteran Henry Sausen Jr (Hank) of Hartford, Korean War Army Morse code interceptor Dennis Bingen of Kewaskum,  Vietnam War Army veteran Dennis Muench of West Bend, Army combat Erv Wicklander, and Navy veteran Thomas Gentz of Germantown.

Updates & tidbits

-Wheels on Main is looking for 20 volunteers for its event Sunday, Sept. 3 in downtown West Bend. Volunteers receive a free meal and beverages. Opportunities include registration, assistant in beverage tent, selling donuts and coffee, 50/50 raffle tickets, soda & water. New this year Bloody Marys and root beer floats. Contact anna@downtownwestbend.com or 262-338-3909.

– Popular Elvis impersonator Radney Pennington will be performing live for one show at the West Bend Moose Lodge on Thursday, Sept. 7. Come see this talented, amazing young man. He sings everything from Buddy Holly to Johnny Cash and of course Elvis.

-Cobblestone Hotels will host a ground breaking for its newest addition to the Cobblestone Family and Wissota Chop House in Hartford on Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 11 a.m.

– Archbishop Jerome Listecki will join honored guests for a 160th anniversary Mass and celebration Sept.10 at St. Mary’s Parish in Barton.

– Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (WELS) on the corner of Decorah and Indiana in West Bend will hold a ground breaking ceremony Sunday, Sept. 10 at 9:15 a.m. for its recently adopted building project.

-The 19th Annual Richfield Historical Society Thresheree is Sept. 16 and 17 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. There will be wonderful family-fun activities including a live auction, tractor parade, and kids can build a scarecrow.

-The West Bend VFW Post 1393 is looking for a bar manager, full-time and part-time bartenders. Please send resumes to PO Box 982 West Bend, WI 53095

– Classes at UW-Washington County get underway Tuesday, Sept. 5.

– Crossroads Music Fest is Saturday, Sept. 23. This year’s free Christian music event is being held at Hartford Town Hall on County Road K in Hartford. From noon – 7 p.m. there will be live music, food, a silent auction, and lots of family-friendly activities.

-The last big bash of the summer is Saturday night, Sept. 9 at the Boltonville Fire Department. The Street Dance starts at 5 p.m. with food and refreshments. There is an $8 donation at the door to see Rebel Grace. Proceeds benefit the volunteer Fire Department.