By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
ASHWAUBENON – Plans for a 33,602-square-foot building addition for Straubel Paper at 1515 Partnership Dr. were approved Tuesday, Sept. 15, by the village’s Site Plan Review Committee.
Community Development Director Aaron Schuette said the Straubel Paper expansion would take place along the rear of the property and perpendicular to the existing building with the addition used primarily for product storage.
Schuette said the exterior materials would be similar to the current building with a masonry wainscot and metal panels.
Though the addition plans submitted to the village call for semi-concealed fasteners for the metal panels, he said the village code requires all metal wall panels to use concealed fasteners.
David O’Brien of Bayland Buildings appeared before the committee to request semi-concealed fasteners be allowed for addition’s metal panels, instead of concealed fasteners, because metal panels on the existing building are the semi-concealed type and concealed fasteners would cost more.
“It looks the same, and that building is 500-plus feet off the road, and you’re not even going to notice it,” he said. “And it’s a substantial cost to produce the concealed panel, so I don’t understand why the building addition can’t match the existing as it sits, because the profile is totally different from a semi-concealed to a concealed panel.”
O’Brien said he wouldn’t have a problem with requiring concealed fasteners for a new building, rather than an addition on an existing building at an extra cost.
Village President Mary Kardoskee said allowing exceptions to the village code would result in never having the necessary building standards.
Other committee members agreed with Kardoskee.
“As far as the fasteners, that building, we probably didn’t have the code for concealed fasteners at that time when that building was built,” said Trustee Gary Paul. “Through that, we’ve redone the ordinances to make sure that we have concealed fasteners, and we’ve had other companies try and seek that through…”
The committee approved the site plan with staff conditions that include requiring concealed fasteners for the addition’s metal wall panels.
Sign approval
In other action, the committee approved three sign requests to allow a third wall sign for Stadium Shell at 1221 Lombardi Access Road, a third wall sign for Spectrum at 2763 S. Oneida St. and temporary signage for Halloween Express at 2763 S. Oneida St., Suite 104.