March 4, 2020 – West Bend, WI – The West Bend Plan Commission, minus two members, at the Tuesday night meeting unanimously moved forward with Kwik Trip No. 5. The latest proposal is for a Kwik Trip to be built at 1613 and 1637 W. Washington Street at the former location of Fleet Farm.
A rendering of the design was submitted to Plan Commission and Kwik Trips Troy Mleziva walked us through what the layout will look like.
“The store will face north toward Washington Street and the fuel canopy will be closest to Washington Street. It’ll be built pretty much where the Fleet Farm building sat along with the old Tri Par,” he said.
“We’re taking a bunch of green space and adding it to the south of the property to create a buffer with the neighbors on Concord Lane.”
The space on the hill to the east of 18th Avenue will have some green space added and some will remain paved as there’s a possibility for more development, possibly a restaurant. “We don’t have anything determined yet, or the zoning but current zoning is commercial,” said Mleziva.
There will be shared-access driveways on 18th Avenue and three entrance/exit on W. Washington Street.
If you drive past the location there is quite a drop off in elevation on the property. Mleziva said that is going to be changed. “The grade change between the old Fleet Farm base elevation and the new Kwik Trip is about four to five feet,” he said.
Only one neighbor, Lois Biron, spoke during the public hearing. Biron has lived on Concord Lane for 20 years. Concord abuts the western edge of the new Kwik Trip.
Biron was concerned with the development design that would remove a 50-foot tall line of Evergreen trees and how the new store would be about 60-feet off the property line.
She said another concern was there would now be ongoing traffic since the store would be open seven days a week and the reports to the Plan Commission showed a 75% increase in traffic to the area and even more if a restaurant will be built.
“Kwik Trip is a 24-7 operation and we’ll no longer have holidays with no noise or quiet at night and with added development there are added concerns,” said Biron. “From 15th Avenue and 18th Avenue there are other businesses coming in and our concern is this will be another Paradise Drive. This will directly impact the enjoyment we have along with the four other neighborhoods behind us.”
Biron was primarily concerned about the noise and how they would be able to hear things in the summer when their windows would be open.
“We accept Kwik Trip,” said Biron. “But still have concerns about a number of things.”
Plan Commission member Jed Dolnick expressed concern about the exterior speakers. Initially the plan said the speakers would be turned off from 10 p.m. – 6 a.m.
Representatives from Kwik Trip quickly complied with his request that the speakers be turned off from 9 p.m. – 7 a.m.
Dolnick also put to rest rumors about how City government worked with regard to who could open a business and what the alternatives would be concerning the possible reuse of the old Fleet Farm building.
The timetable on development of Kwik Trip No. 5 has yet to be determined. Mleziva said the old Fleet still needs to be razed but the early thought is they’d like to have the store open “some time next year” in 2021.
Other details from the Kwik Trip:
– There will be 56 parking spaces and 6 handicap parking spots at the W. Washington Street location
– There is a car wash at the W. Washington Street location
– Construction will start this year, 2020, on the Kwik Trip No. 3 and No. 4 locations in West Bend. Mleziva said the two projects may be “staged at the same time” but he was not aware which will be started or completed first.
I feel for those neighbors. It’s going to be noisy from car traffic, they’ll have more light pollution from the station, and then the smell from the dumpsters that will be collecting refuse.
I’m disappointed that the Plan Commission approved this.
What’s the alternative? Another vacant building in West Bend?
I live just up from the Walgreens on N 18th Ave and will welcome a new kwik trip with open arms and what ever else is planned to come this way. I do however see the concerns people have and I agree that it could be a mess but west bend is growing and not all things stick
Around but at least this is something.
Now we will have the fifth Kwik Trip, when will it end. Gas prices are very high in West Bend and a few other brands would provide some competition. I purchase my gas outside the area for 6 to 12 cents less per gallon.