Jimmy John’s cleared to come to Shawano

The Shawano Common Council cleared the final barrier for the Jimmy John’s sandwich shop to come to Shawano.

The council approved a conditional use permit Sept. 11 for the company to have a drive-thru area. Jimmy John’s will be located at 811 E. Green Bay St., with plans to raze the current building and redevelop the street. The site is zoned as urban mixed use, according to Dave Moesch, zoning administrator, and any in-vehicle sales and service such as a drive-thru require a permit.

According to Cardell Potter, owner for Miracle 58, the limited liability company bringing Jimmy John’s to town, the building would be about 1,350 square feet on a half-acre of land. The smaller building would necessitate having a drive-thru, which was why he applied for the conditional use permit.

The property will also have a 6-foot fence, which had been a point of contention for residential neighbors adjacent to where Jimmy John’s is going due to the current issue of homeless people sleeping in the area. Neighbors had asked for the fence to be 8-10 feet, but that wasn’t recommended by the Shawano Plan Commission in August.

“There is a buffer yard which is between commercial use and residential use,” Moesch said. “They’ll be required to put in that buffer yard, which requires the 6-foot fence, so that will help with the situation, I’m sure.”

Mayor Bruce Milavitz expressed confidence that, once Jimmy John’s opens, the issue of homeless people sleeping there will be eliminated.

“What is going on there currently probably will not be happening once the restaurant is there,” Milavitz said. “That’s why there’s some cleanup that needs to be done.”

Demolition of the current building is expected to start at the end of September. It is unclear when the new Jimmy John’s will be open to the public.

lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com