Burned Down, a lot of trouble
Double D’s Pub & Eatery, W1602 County Road J, East Troy, WI 53120; Parcel No.: PA 181800001 burned down on November 26, 2021, and remains a blighted property today.
Here’s what the property looked like before the fire.
Double D’s Property before the Fire.
Unfortunately, Double D’s Pub & Eatery ownership decided to relocate their pub to 5171 S. 108th Street, Hales Corners, WI 53130-1328. To date, this property has remained blighted and for sale. In July 2023 a local resident and developer showed interest in using the property for a May through October seasonal outdoor food, drink, and music venue promoting a ‘friends and family’ gathering space during the summer.
https://mywalworthcounty.com/news/east-troy/2021/12/04/fire-at-double-ds-closes-restaurant/
The 7/5/2023 Planning Commission meeting included a presentation by the entity 'Cash Bar Enterprises' and its architect, which included renderings and pictures of similar structures to those being proposed along with 2 letters of support to move forward with this venue.
Watch the Town Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjlG4Fc8acw; 00:26:36 to 00:59:08
72 people on the Informed Citizens Facebook Page were in support of the proposal and there were no people who spoke against the proposal. The venue would have 16 total employees but only 4 on staff at any given time. No fire pits. Pets only on a leash. The developer of Cash Bar Enterprises said "I am not asking for anything that has not already been done on this property as Double D’s and we are not asking for any variances. We are just asking for the conditional uses mentioned to be approved.”
The 7/19/2023 Planning Commission meeting started with a two-page summary of six issues presented by Supervisor Wucherer to the planning commissioners in an attempt to delay a vote. Most of the issues were county zoning regulated items subject to County Ordinances which the planning commission has no authority over and they were quickly dismissed.
Watch the Town Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L76zUN86x6M (the discussion for this Cash Bar Enterprise’s request starts at about 00:03:46 and ends at 1:06:29)
Supervisor Wucherer spent 37 minutes running through six areas of concern that were all considered county-regulated or not within the authority of the town planning commission. Supervisor Wucherer made a motion to table this conditional use request which failed for lack of a 2nd. By this 2nd meeting, lake Beulah resistance was present in the form of an unhinged lady from Illinois loudly professing possible Legal Jeopardy for the commission should they vote to approve this request.
A motion was made to approve advisory conditional use for a container bar, 2 food trucks, hours of operation from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., children allowed with parents/guardians until 9 pm, with light music and small bandstand, limiting noise to reasonable non-nuisance level per county statute, food and drink will be limited to the fenced area per the plan and food & drink for carry out allowed. Motion passed 5/1 with Supervisor Wucherer being the only NO vote.
At the 8/14/2023 Town Board Meeting Supervisor Wucherer made a big deal out of there not being enough public comments so the Town Board voted to push it back to the planning commission because they did not get enough public input. (The town video is impossible to hear.)
Based on the Town Board's recommendation to the Planning Commission they informed the applicant that he would have to attend the October 4 Planning Commission.
The September 6, 2023 Planning Commission meeting started with Supervisor Wucherer requesting numerous items be stricken from the July 19, 2023 meeting minutes including his failed motion and over 2 minutes of disruption by an unhinged woman from Illinois who opposed the proposal.
The commission declined to strike either item because he was actually suggesting that they change what happened at the meeting, which is against parliamentary procedure.
The Developer ‘Cash Bar Enterprises’ pulled the application before the October 4 planning commission meeting, inciting that he had enough of dealing with a Town that did not want him to spend 1 million dollars to improve a blighted property adjacent to Lake Beulah and offer a summer venue.
So we are left with the blighted lot and an eyesore still up for sale.
The blighted property left when Double D’s burnt building was torn down.