The former Kmart building could soon be home to a new business, thanks to a decision by the Town of Ripon’s Zoning Board of Appeals last Wednesday.
A decision by the Town of Ripon Zoning Board of Appeals last week on Wednesday cleared the way for a new business to move into the old Kmart building at 1200 West Fond du Lac St.
The decision involved a parking lot boundary discrepancy on the west side of the complex, across from what was the old Kmart building. A new business, brokered by the building’s current owner, Justin Krueger, will fill 40,000 square feet of retail space out of the total 90,000 square feet available in the building.
Krueger, who bought the building from Tom Rogers last year, was unable to discuss the nature of the business because of a nondisclosure agreement he has with the prospective business, but signs point to a retail store of some kind.
Islandtree Discount, which had occupied the front of the old Kmart building for about the past year and a half, noted on Facebook that in early October it “was given a 30-day notice to terminate the lease to leave room for a large commercial tenant”. Islandtree Discount’s last day of business in the space was October 12, but it plans to buy a property in Ripon to continue serving its customers. Details will be shared at a later date.
While the new tenant will be looking for Islandtree Discount to move in, City Administrator Adam Sonntag noted that the city of Ripon is pleased to see new life being brought to the west end.
“Over the past year, we’ve had ongoing discussions with the property’s owner, Justin Krueger, to find a tenant that can not only utilize such a large space, but also add value to the community,” Sonntag said. . “I believe we are on track to achieve that goal, which is very exciting for Ripon.”
Standing in the way of the new business’s entrance was a city ordinance that requires a retail business to have one parking stall for every 200 square feet of space. Currently, the former Kmart side of the property has less than the required amount of parking spaces, and the variance request would remedy that situation.
During the discussion at the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, Rob Webster of Webster’s Marketplace, along with Hy-Vee Vice President of Real Estate Phil Hoyt were present to represent their interests, concerned about parking availability. It was announced last week that Hy-Vee had purchased Webster’s Marketplace from the Webster family, a change that will take effect early next month.
“From what I understand, they’re really great retailers, and having a great neighbor as a retailer is a great thing,” Webster said of the future business. “But my concern is not only that they come with their square footage, but now the rest of the space would be opened up and then everyone’s parking would be burdened more. What we’re looking for is some kind of change for the property, the parcel that wants to come in, but limit the rest of the space to be used for storage and other things that won’t put pressure on parking.”
That kind of control is beyond the board’s authority, according to Sonntag, but it can make certain provisions part of any decision they make. The bottom line is that without variance, the new business cannot move in its space.
“As Rob pointed out, yes, we want to make sure our words aren’t misconstrued,” Hoyt added, noting his business is concerned about parking issues that may arise down the road. “We want to be a good neighbor. We were excited to join the community. … The last thing we’re going to do is show up at your door and try to put up a big stop sign, because the development next door only helps us as well.”
Mayor Ted Grant spoke in favor of the applicant during the public hearing portion of the meeting.
“In the early 1990s, when there was a bustling Kmart, a Walgreens, video rental store, Cost Cutters and Pick ‘n Save, probably the peak activity of that development, there was never a shortage of parking in that section, from what I remember,” Grant said. “So if the whole thing goes retail again, I don’t think there will be any problem.”
This map shows how parking is divided between two lots on West Fond du Lac Road. Parking was the topic of a Zoning Board of Appeals meeting last week.
He pointed out to the board that parking requirements have changed over the years and referenced the more than 2,500 communities across the country that have removed parking requirements and replaced them with recommendations.
“So considering modern zoning and some of these 2,500 communities, it’s working for them. Maybe it will work for us. I am in favor of approving the zoning variance,” he said.
Board member John Splitt also favored approving the change to get business into the building, but was concerned the board would give a blanket approval to anything entering the building after the current occupant, possibly causing parking overflow issues.
“Without knowing what business is going to be on the parcel, I’m still inclined to approve the variance to put a business in there,” Split said. “It could be retail, I don’t know. It might be something you’ll only have every hour, maybe six people coming and going.”
In an email to CommonWeath On Friday last week, Sonntag noted that “I believe it would be wise to revise certain sections of the zoning code to address regulations that may be unnecessary or overly burdensome. The parking ordinance discussed at the Zoning Board of Appeals will likely be revised to ensure it meets modern standards and provides flexibility for development.
The entire commercial development area, from the old Kmart to the grocery store, would likely not meet the current requirement of one stall per 200 square feet of customer floor area as defined by code. In 2022, the city revised a similar ordinance in residential districts and lowered the number of required parking spaces per unit. So revising parking regulations is not an uncommon practice, Sonntag said.
After asking if the board could specify that the parking lot be used only for parking and not for outdoor sales or storage, Zoning Board of Appeals Chairman David Sakrison was ready to ask for a vote on the change.
Board member Jon Roy needed extra time to decide, but he finally told the chairman he agreed with the decision, making it a unanimous vote to approve the variance, with the condition that the parking lot be used for parking only.