Fleet Farm shows an interest in Muskego
Document suggests plan for project in view of I-43
Fleet Farm, a century-old company that has grown from a rural-oriented shop to regional retailer that builds among the largest of the big-box stores, may have eyes on the city of Muskego.
The Appleton-based firm’s interest in Muskego was revealed in a wetland delineation report, a public document filed with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources concerning a parcel near College and Racine avenues on the city’s northern edge, well within view of Interstate 43.
However, the details of Fleet Farm’s plans, including the precise location of the parcel and the likely size of the store, remain out of view for now, including whether a store at that location could rival the sizable structure the company opened in Oconomowoc in 2018.
Muskego Mayor Rick Petfalski on Friday acknowledged the city’s awareness of the wetland study, conducted by Brookfield-based RA Smith and filed Jan. 12, but said that’s about all he could say about the development prospect as the city awaits other documentation.
“Nothing has been formally submitted yet,” Petfalski said. “Obviously, you have developers coming in and out all the time. Until they formally submit their (plans) to the plan commission, we typically don’t comment on them.”
He said he also couldn’t comment on any development timeline, including when those plans are expected. It’s a nod to developers’ concerns about what effect the information could have on specific elements, including financial transactions, he added.
“Things can get fragile with their negotiations for land at that point,” Petfalski said.
But he acknowledged the prospect would draw the attention of local residents. “I think the community would be very receptive and excited by it” if it materializes, he said.
The wetland document itself, a preliminary step necessitated by any application that involve wetlands regulated by the state DNR, was requested by Fleet Farm and provides some sense of scale and location.
According to the introduction to the 85-page document, the study area consists of about 16 acres southeast of College and Racine avenues — two of the city’s busiest and most critical roadways. “The purpose of the wetland delineation was to identify the proximity and extent of wetlands within the Study Area for the purpose of potential future development,” the report explained.
The site includes three wetlands and a 6,000-square-foot waterway, according to the report. It does not specify the footprint of any potential Fleet Farm development.
But based on recent developments, particularly the relatively new store in the Pabst Farms area of Oconomowoc, that footprint could be sizable.
The company opened its 218,000square-foot store Oconomowoc store in August 2018 just off I-94 and Highway 67, nearly 18 months after plans were first publicly announced.
Fleet Farm officials declined to confirm the chain’s potential plans for Muskego.