Oconto Falls’ commercial properties move forward

OCONTO FALLS – The City of Oconto Fall’s Plan Commission and Main Street Committee are recommending the city’s common council approve several improvements landowners and commercial tenants have made.

The recommendations suggest the city’s efforts to combat “blight and slum” are paying off, as two properties cited a year ago for “unsightly or dilapidated conditions” have been significantly cleaned up.

Besides this, the city also is making headway with its desire for more retail businesses on Main Street. The Main Street Committee is recommending the council approve a permit application from a Main Street landowner who successfully found a retail tenant and made improvements to his building.

At a May 29 plan commission meeting, the former Mobil station at 710 County B received the commission’s recommendation to remove the slum and blight designation, after the new owner Ben Holtger made a significant effort to improve the property, according to Fire Chief Tim Magnin.

Magnin offered his recommendation that the slum and blight citation be removed and said he would do a complete fire inspection of the property in June. City Administrator Peter Wills said a public hearing needs to be held before the common council could vote on the recommendation to remove the designation. It will likely be held in late June or July.

With old tires, leftover paint and debris on the property when Holtger purchased the property months ago, the unsightly appearance was detracting from the property’s value, Wills said earlier. If Holtger plans to do any financing in the future, it will be to his advantage to have the slum and blight designation removed, Wills said.

In a separate slum and blight item, the owner of an Appleton food company discussed his plans for opening a manufacturing facility at the former Hardees location, 782 North Main St.

Pat Evans, owner of Malcore Foods Inc., said he has a lease from landowner Edna M’s LLC to use the property at 782 North Main St. but is still working on a business plan for the location.

Malcore Foods operates a cheese processing facility in Appleton that does business under the name Arthur Bay Cheese Company, according to public documents.

“The challenge is to not make a mistake of rushing into something,” Evans said. The company makes cheese spreads at another facility and has considered moving its plant to Oconto Falls, he explained. It also is considering making a meat product at a manufacturing facility that will have employees, he said.

The location won’t be a retail establishment, he said. “I hate retail, so I’m going to go against it. We had retail cheese stores. They’re really fun. They’re a blast as a matter of fact, but they’re not profitable.”

Evans said he has been in business since August 1998, but it was challenged during COVID-19. Since then, the company has grown. “We’re not going away,” he said.

The building “is going to look a lot nicer in a month,” he said. Evans said he once worked for Hardees, has worked with the property owner on other businesses and is from the area.

In a separate item, the Plan Commission rejected an application to rezone a 23-acre property at 627 Sheridan St. from R-1 residential to Ag-1 agriculture. The owners Derek and Anna Behnke requested the change because of requirements and restricted uses for properties zoned R-1.

The large lot, located near the dump, has about 15 acres of trees and prairie grass, which isn’t conducive to mowing, Derek Behnke said. He also would like more flexibility in how the property can be used in the future. A city ordinance limits the number and size of accessory buildings to two and 1,000 feet, Wills said.

Several years ago, the owners requested a zoning change so they could keep a horse on the property, but this request was denied. This time, they said they no longer are interested in keeping a horse on the property, but could use the property more fully if it were zoned Agriculture. A zoning change also would likely reduce the property tax bill, a meeting participant said. The owners said when they purchased the property, they were given the impression it had been zoned agricultural.

Several commission members said they sympathized with the owners, but they did not recommend a zoning change.

At its May 21 meeting, the Main Street Committee recommended the common council approve Bill LaBrosse’s permit application for an apartment in back of a retail storefront at 211 Main Street.

The recommendation was a welcome step forward for LaBrosse and the city’s revitalization efforts for Main Street, where storefronts had been converted into apartments and often detracted from the charm of Main Street.

LaBrosse, 77, operated an insurance agency at 211 Main Street until he retired and brought in a new retailer when he leased the storefront to Becky and Joey Couillard for their store, Couill Custom Creations.

The Couillards’ new store opened Dec. 3, she said. “We love being part of the small town and community. Everyone has been very welcoming and supportive of us,” she said. Besides running the storefront, Couillard said she attends farmers markets and other events. The company also is building out its website to offer online sales.