Maureen Wallenfang
Post Crescent
Published 7:47 AM EST Feb 18, 2020
Little Chute’s Village Board could pave the way for construction of a new hotel downtown, just west of the village’s windmill, with a rezoning vote Wednesday.
Some neighbors, however, plan to voice their opposition to the project at a public hearing before the vote.
The proposed hotel site currently includes a commercial building, Jet’s Pizza on Main Street, and five adjacent houses on Madison and Monroe streets.
Rezoning would change the houses’ status to central business district, and allow the hotel developer to raze them and build at the site.
Twenty neighbors signed a petition opposing the rezoning. Some plan to attend the public hearing at the board’s meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Village Hall’s board room.
The board could make the decision that night.
“We certainly oppose it,” said Robert DeBruin, co-owner of an apartment building at 710 Monroe St. across the street from the proposed hotel. “We don’t believe it’s the proper thing to put in that neighborhood.”
DeBruin said tenants in his building don’t want the “additional traffic and additional activity late at night” that a hotel could bring.
Village officials, meanwhile, are in favor of the hotel project for what it could do to stimulate activity downtown and bring “more feet on the street,” said Jim Moes, community development director.
The village’s Plan Commission has already recommended approval of the rezoning.
“We do find that this would definitely fit in the downtown,” Moes said. “Ultimately, it’s up to the village board to decide.”
Moes said the signatures on the petition represent 25 percent of the neighbors within 100 feet of the site. Because of the petition, three-quarters of the board must approve rezoning, instead of a simple majority. The board has seven members.
“No more than one can vote against it,” Moes said.
The hotel’s developer, Jerry Van Dyn Hoven, believes the hotel would be a great asset in the village.
“Towns and villages are trying to get people to their downtowns,” Van Dyn Hoven said. “The more people you can get downtown, the more vibrant the community can be. We have this authentic $3 million Dutch windmill. If this hotel goes up next to it, it helps the community. People will stay in the hotel and they’ll tour the windmill and the downtown.”
Van Dyn Hoven purchased seven adjacent houses in the block west of the windmill plus the Jet’s Pizza building.
“It took many years to get those properties together,” he said.
He has torn down two houses and said two others are vacant. The remaining three are month-to-month rental properties, and he said he’ll offer relocation assistance to those tenants.
Because the project is still in its formative stage, a number of questions remain.
The value of the hotel project hasn’t been determined, Van Dyn Hoven said.
The hotel would be in the village’s tax incremental financing district No. 8, making it eligible for incentives. That amount has not yet been set.
In past TIF agreements, Little Chute has typically given developers back 15 percent of the increment value of each project.
“We’ve never done one above 20 percent,” said Moes. “It depends on the project and what it brings to the community.”
On this development, “We’re in negotiations for a possible development package. Nothing has been signed or approved by the village board yet,” he said.
Tim Verstegen, owner of Jet’s Pizza, did not comment on potential relocation plans.
Contact reporter Maureen Wallenfang at 920-993-7116 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @wallenfang.
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