The mobile sauna industry is a craze that has traction nationwide, but it’s one that caught the Shawano Plan Commission by surprise when it met Dec. 3.
With the possibility of building an in-home sauna only possible by those who can afford, companies nationwide are offering to rent mobile saunas at an hourly rate, and now someone in Shawano wants to bring the business locally to see if there’s a market for it.
Mobile saunas are portable and can be transferred to most places via trailer. They can be heated by wood-burning, propane, electric and infrared, and they can accommodate two to six people with on-demand heat therapy in a world seeking portable wellness solutions.
Tentative plans are to house the mobile saunas at 214 W. Fifth St., which was originally built as a drive-thru for BMO Bank but until recently had served as a bait shop. 8Pine currently owns the building, according to Zoning Administrator Dave Moesch.
With mobile saunas being relatively new, the city does not have any zoning rules specifically regarding them.
“I look at the zoning, and I consider it personal or professional services, which is permitted at this site,” Moesch said. “I really can’t find anything else that would restrict this.”
Moesch told the commission the company would charge by the hour for the rental of the saunas. The saunas would be heated by propane, as Moesch noted wood-burning saunas would likely not be allowed under the zoning.
“We just wanted to bring it up for discussion to see if there are any concerns,” he said.
City Administrator Eddie Sheppard noted the saunas would remain on the site at present and not be hauled to homes or businesses, although there’s the possibility of them being rented out for parties.
“Apparently there’s a market for people that just want to drive to someplace, jump inside a mobile sauna, and then go home,” Sheppard said.
Mayor Bruce Milavitz noted that mobile saunas have already gained footholds in other communities across the United States.
“You’ve got to look this up,” Milavitz said to the commission. “It’s huge around the country. It’s popping up all over the place.”
Commission member Terry Hilgenberg expressed concern about whether there would be restroom facilities on site when people rent the saunas.
“When we have places that do these kinds of things, they seem to cause issues for restrooms,” Hilgenberg said.
Sheppard said the city would address the restroom situation with the business owner and added it might be possible that restrooms in the existing building might be utilized. He noted that the saunas would likely be subject to the state health code in response to a question from commission member Rachel Bleser about sanitary concerns.
Moesch noted that nothing has been decided, and that other issues could come up. He said he’s got calls into the cities of Wausau and Stevens Point, where similar businesses have put down roots, to see what regulations they have in place, if any.
“This is just a first inquiry,” Moesch said. “They wanted to find out what they needed to do to make this happen.”
Milavitz saw the idea as a good thing for Shawano.
“I think the benefit to the city is the business is going to be commercial, and the city doesn’t necessarily regulate commercial at all,” Milavitz said.
Alderman Brad Keuschel also expressed interest in the business developing in the city.
“It can’t be any uglier than the pontoon and other stuff they’ve got there,” he said.
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
