Possible Wittenberg wedding venue in works

Local resident Joe Quance appeared at the Wittenberg Village Board meeting on Dec. 5 to discuss possible uses for the New Horizon Church that he recently purchased.

Quance explained to the board that he was hoping to use the church, at 400 E. Front St., as a wedding venue for people in the community or for those willing to travel to Wittenberg to get married.

“There is nothing really in the codes to say yes or no to that,” said Quance. “I know churches do that, so I figure it might work.”

Wittenberg Village Board member Barb Buchholz asked Quance about his plans for parking. He replied that he is going to talk to Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Meats about using a parking lot that the business owns near the church.

“That parking lot that is there can probably do 10, maybe 15 (cars) if we squeezed it in,” said Quance. “We would need a little bit more than that. If we can work out a deal with (Nueske’s), that could solve the problem there.”

Buchholz said that she likes the concept but once again warned that parking still may be an issue.

“Unless you do make arrangements that you can use that parking lot behind you, it’s going to be street parking,” said Buchholz. “I have seen sometimes when the church had street parking that it gets to be a mess because (Front Street) isn’t very wide.”

“It becomes a one-lane road (with street parking on both sides),” added board member Theresa Gatz.

Gatz, who lives near the church, said that children younger than 10 years old live in the area; an influx of cars coming and going is something that Quance needs to think about, she said.

“We don’t want to have events and things like that. We just kind of want to do receptions,” said Quance. “No weird parties, like bachelor parties or anything like that. That is not really the idea at all.”

Gatz also noted that the church is in a residential area of the village. She asked what the plan is if a party extends into the late hours of the night.

“I think we are fine to adhere to any requirements,” said Quance.

“It would be the same thing that we do with this community center, with a residential area across the street. It is in the contract that they sign for the community center that everything has to be brought indoors by 11 p.m., and the (noise) level needs to go down,” said Wittenberg Village Clerk Traci Matsche. “We do have a noise ordinance in the village, especially in residential areas.”

Village board member Dave Timm expressed his thoughts, saying that he thought it was a good idea as well.

“You are still within the spiritual idea with the church,” said Timm.

Because Quance came to the meeting just to discuss the board’s thoughts on the concept, no vote was taken.

lreimer@newmedia-wi.com