Still Waiting for New Fleet Farm in West Bend

West Bend Fleet Farm update.

You know when folks like me gripe about the terrible business climate in Wisconsin?  It’s stuff like this that we’re talking about. 

It has been more than eight years since Fleet’s owners, Stuart and Henry Mills, announced their intentions to build a new, larger store on the city’s west side.

   When completed, it was visualized to include a 274,000-square-foot main store with warehouse space – the biggest in the state – a screened storage yard, a separate convenience store/gas station and an automated car wash. In fact, the city Plan Commission approved a preliminary development plan back in August, 2004.

   Today, the approximate 70-acre site remains vacant.

   Phil Eckert is the West Bend lawyer hired by the Mills brothers for their legal work here – and there was much of it, including wrangling with city and town of West Bend officials over the placement of the store, as well as issues with the state Department of Transportation over access and the state Department of Natural Resources over wetlands problems.

   Eckert said he too has not heard from the Mills brothers for over a year.

   “Not a thing,” he said.

[...]

   It was long thought the development has been delayed because of the issues with the DOT and the DNR, but Capelle said it was his understanding the access issues with the DOT have been settled. However, he said, it was also his understanding wetlands problems remain with the DNR.

Eight.  Years.  And things still aren’t resolved.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the brothers have just given up on West Bend and we’ll continue to have to read the asterisks in their ads that say “not available in Waupaca, Clintonville, or West Bend.”  Seriously, it should not take almost a decade to get permission from the government to build a store.