Homelessness continues to be a troubling problem in Sheboygan and city officials appear to be unwilling to find a solution to the growing population.

Homeless encampments in the City of Sheboygan can be found on the grounds of the Mead Public Library with at least one male in a wheelchair camped out at the front door to the library or rotating around the building. Other encampments can be found between the U.S. Bank Tower and Elevate Yoga as well as between the Black Pig Restaurant and Sully’s Ride Shop. Depending on the weather, an encampment is visible during the night on the sidewalk at North 8th Street and Wisconsin Avenue.

Other encampments include the Workers Water Street Park, City Green, a city park across from the John Michael Kohler Arts Center and in the vicinity of the 8th Street Bridge. Homeless individuals have also taken up residency in their vehicles scattered throughout the city. According to Lakeshore CAP, 187 individuals were found to be homeless in July.

Downtown business owners and residents have voiced frustrations and concerns over the homeless encampments. Business owners have cited an increase of trash, unattended property, rats, cockroaches and other rodents. Residents and visitors have expressed safety concerns including several parents who no longer take their children to the library due to the behavior of the homeless individuals.

The Sheboygan County Warming Center provides shelter during the winter months at St. Luke United Methodist Church. The shelter will open this year on Monday, November 10th. However, the non-profit organization is looking at a year-round solution that could put transitional housing in the Kuehne Park Neighborhood but that plan is in the developmental stages. Other local non-profit organizations have looked at the feasibility of a homeless shelter in the downtown area but have been given the cold shoulder by Mayor Ryan Sorenson.

Community leaders discourage providing homeless individuals with cash and supplies. Instead, donations should be directed to the Salvation Army or the Sheboygan County Warming Center to encourage they are properly distributed. Giving money to homeless individuals creates a cycle of dependency.

To report problems relating to the homeless encampments, call Mayor Sorenson at (920) 459-3317. For those wishing to make a donation or to volunteer, call the Salvation Army at (920) 458-3723.

SHEBOYGAN — The man behind the insolvent SQRL convenience store chain is attempting to sell the abandoned car wash on Sheboygan’s southwest side.

The asking price is $650,000 for the 2,491-square-foot car wash, which is located at 3632 South Taylor Drive in Sheboygan. It was built in 1999 on a less than 1-acre property just south of the McDonald’s restaurant. According to Brian Brockman of Bang Reality, the sale marks an exciting redevelopment opportunity. But due to an easement agreement with McDonald’s, a new restaurant will not be built.

Omitted from the real estate listing, is the fact the out-of-state property owner has not paid property taxes since taking ownership of the car wash in October 2022. According to the Sheboygan County Treasurer, the current balance due is $56,320.42 and included in that amount is $763.22—for an unpaid water bill.

“No comment,” said Brockman when WKTS News asked him about the unpaid property taxes and slew of property maintenance issues.

As of Thursday morning, there are two overflowing trash receptacles on the property, multiple nests in the signs, weeds growing over a foot tall in some places, overgrown shrubs and the grass was not cut. The City of Sheboygan is aware of the condition of the property. Last summer, the city’s Building Inspection found the property in violation of city ordinance regarding property maintenance.

The Sheboygan-based Quality State Oil Company had constructed the two-bay automatic car wash in 1999. At the time, the company had operated two Q-Mart gas stations at the intersection of South Taylor Drive and Washington Avenue. The one immediately north of the car wash was located on land owned by the McDonald's Corporation. When Quality State Oil sold their gas stations to TravelCenters of America in 2016, the stores rebranded to Minit Mart.

In January 2022, the corporate owner of Minit Mart decided to end operations in Wisconsin. They ended up selling their Sheboygan area stores to various entities. In October 2022, Standard Development Company purchased the car wash. The owner of that company is Joseph Blake Smith, who was behind the failed SQRL convenience store chain. The only local remaining remnant of the venture can be seen at the vacant gas station at Calumet Drive and North Avenue, which is also for sale.

A dilapidated restaurant on Sheboygan’s Riverfront is being torn down as part of a plan to redevelop the property.

On Tuesday morning, crews from Scott’s Excavating began demolishing the former Pier 17 restaurant, located at 539 Riverfront Drive. As of Tuesday afternoon, the bar and most of the dining room has been demolished. Crews will work throughout the week to tear down the remaining parts of the building. The unannounced demolition drew a dozen or so onlookers along Riverfront Drive.

I reported last week demolition of the building was expected to occur in the near future. A clue that the 37-year-old building would be torn down was when Wisconsin Public Service informed the City of Sheboygan of their intent to disconnect natural gas service to the building.

The owner of the building is Paul S. Gottsacker, who lives in Sheboygan’s North Point Neighborhood. He has owned the property since 2020. He is the owner of Gottsacker Commercial Real Estate, which owns several commercial properties throughout the city. Under his ownership, the riverfront property has been racking up code violations from the City of Sheboygan.

After I published a report in April detailing the building’s rough shape, the city's Building Inspection performed a site visit several weeks later. Seven violations were noted during the inspection. Among the violations, the city instructed the owners to replace all broken windows. As of Tuesday evening, that has not occurred. The city also ordered the owners to remove green temporary fencing and remove graffiti from the building. Neither has occurred. Tall grass and weeds have also been a concern with the city receiving at least two complaints.

In 2022, Gottsacker paid $17,205.77 in property taxes on the building. In 2023, he paid $15,204.36. Last year, his property tax bill was just $9,015.81 — a significant drop from previous years. The 7,500-square-foot building was built in 1988 by visionary Madison developer John P. Livesey as part of the Sheboygan Riverfront Revival Project. He sold the building to Bill Dawson, who operated Brisco County Wood Grill after Randall’s Riverfront closed in 1998.

A person with direct knowledge of the plans confirmed to WKTS News that Gottsacker and Milwaukee developer Tom Schafer had originally intended to demolish the building and build condos with retail space on the first floor of the new building. However, those plans may have changed. City Administrator Casey Bradley has been informing developers that apartments need to be included in their projects. Developers have been finding it challenging to receive typical financial incentives from the city without including apartments in their projects. Bradley’s directive has been leaving some developers to modify or in some cases, abandon their plans to develop or redevelop properties in the city. WKTS News was unable to verify this with Bradley as he has been deliberately ignoring emails and phone calls.

Since 1999, a piece of land near Lakeshore Road and Playbird Road has been known as Waterworks Park.

That is about to change as the Town Board voted earlier this month to rename the 2.19-acre site the Town of Sheboygan Wayside. Last month, I published a story highlighting the four parks located within the Town of Sheboygan which spurred renewed interest in Waterworks Park. “Everybody has been asking why it’s called Waterworks Park and is it the right name,” said Supervisor Tim Winkel, who serves as Chair of the Parks Committee. “It’s not a park and it doesn’t really meet the requirements of the park.” His wife and neighbors think it is ridiculous that there is no water there and it is called Waterworks Park.

“That’s all it is, it’s just a wayside,” said Town Chairman Dan Hein. “That’s a great name for it.” The current sign will be replaced with a new one in 2026. The Parks Committee had discussed the possible names and considered a naming contest. “I think the Wayside is the best thing rather then trying to figure out a name and then the complications that could follow,” added Winkel.

Dedicated in 1999, the Waterworks Trailhead Park is located on Lakeshore Road just south of Playbird Road. There is ample greenspace along with two benches and a bicycle corral. The land was originally acquired by the town’s Sanitary District No. 3 with plans to build a well there. Due to municipal boundaries, the town ended up constructing the well further south of Waterworks Park in 2010.

In 1998, the Town Board approved construction of the wayside park in conjunction with Sheboygan County's bicycle route along Lakeshore Road. Gerald Sampson, the Town Chairman at the time, preferred the site be called Waterworks Park. When the park opened, the site contained a gravel drive and picnic tables. At the time, town supervisors had authorized funds to build restrooms there but were never built. There had been a porta-potty during the summer months but it was removed due to vandalism according to Hein.