Square owner fences off parking lot

By Adam Tobias of the Daily Times staff
Thursday, December 4, 2008 2:14 PM CST

The owner of the former Watertown Square has placed temporary fencing on the property to block off the access points to the parking lot.

E J Plesko & Associates in Madison, the owner of the 10.5-acre parcel on the corner of South Church and Bernard streets, has closed off the parking lot because of concerns with snow removal and liability insurance issues, according to Watertown Mayor Ron Krueger.

“They don't want to plow it this winter,” Mayor Ron Krueger said. “It's very expensive to plow and there's really no reason to plow because there is nothing in there.”

Krueger said E J Plesko & Associates does not want to be liable for vehicles that were being parked on the property. He added some semi drivers were using the parking lot for rest breaks and others were using the space to sell vehicles.

“People were pulling in cars with for sale signs on them and leaving them stand there,” Krueger said. “It was also starting to be a site for carpooling where a bunch of people are meeting to go to a Badger game or a Packers game or whatever and they pull in there and meet and leave the cars parked and carpool to wherever they are going. Some of the cars weren't being moved out of there and they could be sitting there for three or four days at a time.”

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Steven Blaschke, vice president of E J Plesko & Associates, did not return phone calls before press time today.

E J Plesko & Associates had originally installed the fencing in front of the parking lot entrances on South Church Street and Bernard streets, but the fence on Bernard Street has since been moved closer to the parking lot because it was blocking one of the access points to Calico Cottage/Rock River Winery.

Before the fencing was recently moved, customers could still gain access to Calico Cottage/ Rock River Winery by using the cross easement through the parking lot at Rose Garden Cafe and Pizzeria, Krueger said.

“My customers would have had to come through the Rose Garden restaurant and the mailman went to the mayor and he said he would not deliver mail there anymore because it is not safe,” said Edna DeWitt, owner of Calico Cottage/Rock River Winery.

DeWitt said she was not told in advance about the fencing, but after some discussions with E J Plesko & Associates she was able to get it moved.

“What would you do if you came to your house and found a fence across your driveway and couldn't get your car out to work?” DeWitt said.

As the property owner, Krueger said E J Plesko & Associates has every right to close off the parking lot.

“By property rights, they have every right in the world to close it off,” he added.

Originally constructed in 1979, the Watertown Square Shopping Center was formerly anchored by a Kohl's Department Store, a Kohl's Food Store and a Walgreens.

Most of the existing complex has been vacant since April of 2002 when the Kohl's Department Store closed and a new location was constructed just south of Interstate 94 on state Highway 26 in Johnson Creek. The Kohl's Food Store has been closed since March of 2001.

Several other business that were located on the property, including Burger King and George Webb have closed. Mimi's Hallmark has moved its location from the Watertown Square lot to O.R. Bisbee Center on the corner of South Church and Stimpson streets. Stein Optical Center moved its patients and files to its office in Oconomowoc.

Krueger said E J Plesko & Associates is looking to demolish the former Watertown Square in spring of 2009, but he could not provide further details.

On several occasions Steven Blaschke has declined to give information on his company's plans for the site.