ISLAND BUSINESS INCUBATOR PROJECT HALTED

Proposed Island Business Incubator in
architect's rendering, looking north.   Remodeled
cheese factory / chalet is in foreground.

Washington Island, Wisconsin -

Consider this scenario for Washington Island:

Your township’s population hasn’t changed by more than 25 residents, up or down, in over 40 years.   The main township industry is tourism, with a very small amount of fishing and farming.   Citizens and property owners have scratched their collective head to come up with business ideas that might infuse their community with jobs and help the local economy.  

Along comes a rather unique proposal made not by government, but by an island property owner, a seasonal resident with an architectural business in Chicago who would like to build an incubator for small business. 

Problems occur when this individual applies to get the required zoning permits, and even when he attempts to obtain straightforward, timely answers to his questions.  His proposal would cost the town citizens nothing, and as owner he hopes only that his model business incubator becomes self sufficient in order to pay property taxes and insurance, and sustain itself over time.

What community, especially an island community with maybe an even narrower set of economic opportunities than a similar mainland community, would not like to see such an effort, at no risk to its citizens?

What governmental zoning or planning code, through its respective administrators, would not accommodate such an idea by making every effort to assist in bringing it about?

Not a fictional proposal!

Scott Sonoc, along with his wife Marsha Williams, recently announced by letter to those who had shown support for their ideas, that they would be “…cancelling the Incubator Project for Washington Island…”   

In his letter, Scott cited reasons for cancelling their project that he says point to an ineffective county process for filing and obtaining necessary permits.

In August, Washington Island Ferry Line Board of Directors invited Scott and Marsha as guests in order learn more details about their project.  At that time, preliminary plans for an Island Business Incubator had been drawn to compliment a newly remodeled, former island cheese factory (also referred to as the Chalet after remodeling in the 70s by former owner Thorsten Williamson).  The project location is the property at the NW corner of Range Line and Town Line Roads, which is the physical center of Washington Island.  

The Ferry Line's Board expressed support for Sonoc's Business Incubator idea, believing it to be the best and most practical for island economic development heard to date.

The cheese factory/chalet had stood vacant and on the market for some 30 years prior to Sonoc's purchase.  It had several broken windows and the shake roof needed replacement.  Sonoc, who enjoys the challenges and satisfaction of remodeling and improving usefulness of old structures, making changes that reflect local culture, had remodeled the building to comply with Wisconsin commercial codes.  

Compliance includes elevator to second
floor of chalet, Washington Island's first lift.

While purpose and tenants for the remodeled building have not yet been fully determined, the cheese factory building can serve multiple purposes including small conferences and catered events such as weddings.   Office and display space will also be provided.  

Sonoc then examined the possibility of providing further space, small workspaces that might encourage new businesses, to be made available to artisans, to producers of locally grown/made products that could then be marketed regionally, nationally, or internationally.   He used as a model the excess space in the building his architectural firm owns in Chicago. There, artisans are tenants, and their synergy has further led to individual success stories with expanded business in new locations.

Sonoc’s vision was to build a second structure adjacent to the cheese factory and divide it into suites for multiple occupants, thus providing a variety of businesses with reasonably priced space, a place for island artisans to work.   Advantages with such a building can be found in the access to shared equipment and space.   Examples:  a conference room for business meetings;  an approved commercial kitchen for food processing; common restroom facilities; common mechanicals along with building maintenance supervision.   Such an incubator could bring projected activities, including those who may be artists, from private kitchen, garage or basement into a public space where they might share ideas and grow as businesses.

Rendering of remodeled chalet as viewed SE toward Town Line
and Range Line Road intersection.  As island property owners
for fifteen years, "We are willing to risk our own money to try out
this (incubator) idea," Sonoc stated.

Sonoc's plan comes from a sincere desire to see people succeed and improve their lives.  In its details were many positives. 

From the onset, however, Sonoc said he ran into roadblocks at Door County zoning and planning, and in the end, his frustration ultimately ended pursuit of the project, citing Door County’s negligence and incompetence, where the Planning Department works as "enforcers" rather than "encouragers."  

The following are some of the problems Sonoc ran up against, condensed, as outlined in his letter to interested supporters:

1.          *   Letters were sent, Planning Department personnel were contacted, but responses to questions were slow in coming and when they were received, answers were simply not forthcoming, “…even after six months from our first meeting.”

2.          *   Construction drawings were prepared by Sonoc by the end of June 2011, but due to the need to rezone, issues of parking could not be addressed.  The parking issues were never resolved.

3.     Sonoc could not obtain answers as to “…what is permitted and what is not in an MC zoning district and what the requirements will be.”

4.        *    The Zoning Administrator stated that “…we must obtain multiple zoning permits, one for each ‘use’ in the building, instead of a single zoning permit for one ‘Principal Use,’ as stated in the Zoning Ordinance.”  

This last point was appealed by County Board Supervisor Joel Gunnlaugsson on behalf of the project.  The decision was then reversed by the Zoning Dept.   Following this reversal, Door County wrote Sonoc to advise him that in the future he ought not to have anyone, including County Supervisors, intervene on his behalf.

Other points were made:

·      The County Manager informed Sonoc that “…we cannot submit our site/building drawings for a zoning permit, until our property is rezoned from Gen. Ag. to Mixed Commercial, for the Incubator.  This is contrary to common development practices, because it is necessary to determine the governmental requirements for a proposed building project, especially those requirements that affect the project costs.  In some cases, projects do not go forward once specific government requirements for the project are identified." 

·      A personal fitness-exercise training and dance instruction studio would require “Conditional Use Permits” because these have been decided to be “Fitness Center” uses, not ‘”Personal Service” uses.

·      Parking spaces, according to the Planning Director, for both the Incubator and the adjoining Chalet, may not be shared to reduce the overall size of the shared parking lot.  The Planning Director, according to Sonoc, used his/her discretion to make this decision.  

·      An intended Incubator business that would promote ‘Internet art/poster/book sales’ use needs a “Conditional Use Permit” because this use has been decided to be a “Wholesale” use, rather than “Retail” use. 

·      Sonoc said he was cautioned that “…the Zoning permit expires for any and every use in the building that is not established within the first year or any single use that is discontinued for more than 18 months, in which case a new zoning permit application must be re-submitted for each use that is not operating in the building. “     Supposedly, this determination is because the Zoning Ordinance does not specifically cover a single building with multiple uses, and the Planning Director has discretion to make this decision. 

·      Sonoc was informed that the Planning Director and the Zoning Administrator stated they would not correspond with him via email, but only by regular mail.  This, Sonoc noted, causes “…extended time delays between questions and answers…”    He added that normal response time he experienced from the Planning Department back to him was “…2.5 to 3 weeks…”

·      Sonoc outlined actual costs incurred for Planning Department permits related to the proposed Business Incubator for Washington Island, and the possible fees totaled $2,850.   These were aside from any legal, survey, architectural fees that he incurred along the way.

·      To appeal the “…at least 8 unresolved issues…” would require fees of $3,600, according to Sonoc, and that he might also be required to pay for additional island on-site visits by the Zoning Administrator, at a possible $134.30 per visit, based on mileage and ferry fee.   
     [As a personal note, I inquired about this fee in November with the Planning Department and was assured that although the ability to assess the fee exists, there is no intention ever to assess such a fee, nor has the Department ever relied on this fee.  Nevertheless, it exists.]

 

Will Door County provide clarification?   

It is hard to read such a letter as Sonoc's and not become upset, confused, and to want to ask further questions of our County government and its processes.   

We have no reason to doubt Scott Sonoc’s intentions or his sincerity.  He has shown himself in his dealings to be a man of his word, to be forthright.

As an owner of multiple properties, he is not a “developer” in the traditional sense, but instead he’s one who revitalizes old structures, seeking to improve what already exists.   He’s shown a deep understanding and respect for Washington Island’s past, as well as its future.   Through his remodeling and construction projects over a ten-year period of time - including fencing for pastureland - Sonoc has employed islanders and provided them with opportunity at a time when work has been scarce.

What happened to cause such a breakdown in County customer services?   Has this Island Business Incubator stalled through administrative entrenchment, the defense of institutional turf over public good?   Are there other, reasonable explanations for why this project cannot get approvals?

In follow-up correspondence, Sonoc wrote:

 

   “We believe that the County needs to revamp the way it … conducts its business with the citizens of Door County…We are fearful that with any project we undertake, including the Incubator, the County will come back and say something that will cause us to have to spend more time and more money whenever they choose to do so, simply because they can… We sincerely believe the County is an unsafe place to operate a business! …It is the sum of the bad experiences with Door County Government that has created our lack of trust in the County.”

Can common sense prevail for community advancement?   Will the sum of poor experiences cause others to shy away from progressive ideas?

We hope Sonoc’s project isn't dead and done.  But underlying his specific problems is the more confounding obstacle: the manner in which project planning is conducted within Door County.

Door County’s Zoning and Planning institutions, which citizens depend upon to be fair and consistent and lead to a positive future, require close examination by both its citizens and its elected officials.   Worthy projects, some greater, some lesser in scope than the Island Business Incubator will face a similar uphill climb if changes in process aren't considered.
    

Chalet exterior, remodeling in progress.  12/19/11

-  Dick Purinton    

Upper floor banquet / conference area indicates quality of chalet remodel.  12/19/11