- Saucy Kitchen owners worry about losing parking and access due to a planned turn lane on Winneconne Avenue
- City officials say the project aims to improve traffic flow and ensure safety near the business
- Construction is expected to begin in April, pending final land purchase negotiations
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
As construction on Neenah’s Commercial Street project is set to begin next month, another road project along Winneconne Avenue is raising concerns for a local business.
The owners of Saucy Kitchen, a restaurant near the intersection of Commercial Street and Winneconne Avenue, say they were aware of upcoming construction but didn’t expect it to come so close to their building.
“They're going to be putting in a turn lane at a 16-foot distance from the building, which they marked on the outside,” said Darren Kornowske, co-owner of Saucy Kitchen.
Jennifer Kornowske, who co-owns the business with Darren, said the project will cut into their parking lot.
“We kind of assumed that it would take about this much space, but it's going to be coming way over here and the ground is going to be sloping up, making that vehicle in a dangerous spot,” she said.
The city’s Public Works Director Gerry Kaiser said the project aims to improve traffic flow, particularly for right turns onto Highway 114.
“It provides more room because that movement is frequently obstructed with the current layout,” Kaiser said.
Despite the restaurant owner's concerns, Kaiser said safety will not be an issue.
“The actual turn lane is farther away than that because we have a grading area, we have a sidewalk, we have a narrow terrace, and then we have the turn lanes, so there's more distance there,” he said.
Jennifer Kornowske remains unconvinced.
“It's going to be a very tight turn for somebody to come around the building and exit,” she said. “I think some new planning ideas need to happen.”
The timeline for construction remains uncertain as the city is still in negotiations with the landowner. Kaiser said the city intends to purchase the land and hopes to reach an agreement soon.
“We're in the middle of that process at this point, working with representatives for the owner, and we hope to be able to come to an agreeable conclusion relatively soon,” he said.
Once the land purchase is finalized, construction is expected to begin in April and take just over a month to complete.
