This is a 3D concept rendering of what the storage units on East Oshkosh Street could look like. Changes are expected as the project hasn’t been fully engineered.
Question:
Could a commercial warehouse be coming to Ripon’s East Oshkosh Street?
Answer:
Maybe.
The Ripon Plan Commission last week Wednesday approved a conditional use permit to allow a commercial warehousing/rental use development on a vacant 2.2-acre lot at 0 East Oshkosh Street, adjacent to Modern Pole Builders.
The conditional use permit request was from Cameron Butler and Brandon Butler of Self-Stor Commercial Warehousing for a property in a B-2 (highway business) zoning district.
The Butlers intend to build commercial warehousing on the vacant East Oshkosh Street lot.
Self-Stor has developed multiple commercial sites in Wisconsin communities such as Green Lake, Redgranite, Necedah and New Holstein.
“We have performed a market analysis and held multiple conversations with local businesses located in the city with regard to our plans,” developers wrote in a letter to city officials. “Per our research and conversations, Ripon has a significant need for additional warehousing to support the continued growth of local businesses in the community.”
Developers said Ripon has limited availability for commercial storage, causing many residents to travel to Green Lake, Oshkosh or Fond du Lac for storage.
Brandon Butler told the Plan Commission that the proposed Ripon project will happen in two phases.
The first phase would consist of 12 20-by-40 foot warehouses with electrical doors and lights and a middle building consisting of 26 15-by-30 foot units.
Brandon Butler said the units could be used by small businesses, individuals who work in skilled trades and the general public.
“We have been in touch with … several small businesses, trying to get an idea on who might be interested in this type of unit,” he said, noting that feedback was positive from business owners.
While the developers have a firmer idea of what the first phase will entail, they’re still determining what the second phase of the project could look like.
“That’s what phase two is all about, trying to figure out what exactly the need is,” Brandon Butler said.
Cameron Butler added that the duo has had conversations with individuals who would like a more commercial warehouse with heat, water and air conditioning.
He noted the warehouses in phase two would look like the units in phase one, but potentially with more amenities.
Neighbors who live at the Wedgewood Condominiums at 550 North Douglas St. raised concerns about noise, drainage from the lot and lights from vehicle traffic in and out of the proposed warehouse site.
The developers plan to put up fencing at the site to reduce the light issue and discussed installing a retention pond for stormwater.
“We haven’t fully engineered plans yet, so I can’t give you a hard and fast number on exactly how high that fence would be,” Cameron Butler said. “Generally speaking, based on the experience we’ve had, I would say it’s probably somewhere between 6 and 10 feet in height.”
Brandon Butler added developers want to maintain the open view from the condos.
Cameron Butler noted that, because the lot is vacant, other developers likely would be interested in building there.
Of possible businesses being built on the site, he noted a storage facility would be one of the “least intrusive.”
“If you were to have a gas station, for example, the noise and the traffic would be 100 fold what it would be for something like this,” he said. “[This is] something where an individual may access a unit as little as once a week, to once a month.”
What this means for you:
A site plan and stormwater management plan still have to be completed and approved for the project to move forward.
City Administrator Adam Sonntag noted community members near the development site may attend future meetings where the site plan and stormwater management plan will be discussed.
“We can certainly post that out on the city’s website and try to notify residents if they are concerned or if you sign up for planning commission agendas, just ask us and we can get you agendas so you are notified of when that meeting occurs,” he said.
How to submit:
If you have a question, the Commonwealth wants to give you an answer. Send a question, name and contact information to:
Mail: 303 Watson St., Ripon WI 54971, P.O. Box 262, Ripon WI 54971
Email: [email protected]
