City of Sheboygan's failed Industrial Park in township has two new owners
A recent apartment building proposal was rejected by the Town of Sheboygan
TOWN OF SHEBOYGAN — One of the two new owners of farmland near Wigwam already has plans for their newly acquired property.
The Hayssen Family Foundation has owned the 99.59-acre property at the southwest corner of County Road Y and Playbird Road since July 2015. The City of Sheboygan had owned the land after the family donated it to the city for the purpose of creating an industrial park named after the founder of the Hayssen Mfg. Co.
Last month, the Hayssen Family Foundation sold a 35.40-acre parcel at the southwest corner of County Road Y and County Road J to Todd Haas, the owner of Lake Park Electric. The remaining 64.19-acres was sold to Troy Pietroske and Crystal Pietroske. The husband and wife are planning an organic farm. This now puts the land in the ownership of town residents.
The Pietroskes plan to partner with City Church on their organic farm idea. WKTS News was unable to reach Haas regarding his plans for the property. Currently, he operates his business on Saemann Avenue in the South Calumet Neighborhood.
In 1987, the Hayssen Family Foundation donated the farmland to the city. It was slated for future development as an industrial park according to Robert Peterson, the city's former Director of Planning & Development. Mayor Richard Schneider made it clear that annexation of the land was going to be pursued. It would be 27 years later when the city would get around to annexing the land.
However, the William A. Hayssen Industrial Park was never built. When the city finally decided to annex the land in 2014, the Town of Sheboygan sued the city to block efforts to annex the land. The town was successful and as a result, the ownership of the land reverted back to the Hayssen Family Foundation. In 2024, proposals to develop the land were unsuccessful and rejected by the Town Board after residents voiced opposition to the construction of apartment buildings.
Also in 1987, the city was attempting to buy 83-acres of land from Ruth Bartzen between Highway 42 and Interstate 43 north of Mueller Road. However, that effort was thwarted when the Town of Sheboygan purchased 79.6-acres for $375,000. Had the City of Sheboygan been successful in purchasing Bartzen’s property, the city limits would likely have extended as far north as Playbird Road along Highway 42.
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Thank you for detailing the history of this.