TOWN OF LAWRENCE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Georgia-Pacific has withdrawn plans for a warehouse in the town of Lawrence – and will look for another location in the metro area.
A public hearing was scheduled for Wednesday night, and the town board was set to vote on the matter Thursday – but both have been canceled, said town administrator Patrick Wetzel.
The paper company planned to combine multiple facilities into one location, but the proposed site near Hemlock Creek Elementary School drew opposition from neighbors.
“We still hope to acquire a site in the greater Green Bay area that is suitable for constructing the warehouse, which is essential to the success of our manufacturing operations,” said Mike Kawleski, public affairs manager for Georgia-Pacific.
He cited two reasons:
“Rezoning is the first necessary step for the project to begin. At its October 7 meeting, the Town of Lawrence Planning and Zoning Board recommended that the Town Board not rezone the property. Though this recommendation is advisory to the Town Board and not binding, it created uncertainty about the property being rezoned,” and “Because we value mutually beneficial relationships with the communities in which our facilities are located, Georgia-Pacific made significant changes to the proposed warehouse plan to specifically address concerns expressed by the community. However, after several public hearings, plus meetings with potential neighbors, it is apparent that there is still considerable opposition to the project, even though there is also substantial support.”
The company currently leases several sites, but wants to own a single facility.
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