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West Bend committee votes to advance renewal of Oak & Hog reserve liquor license
Summary
The citylicensing board voted to recommend renewal of a reserve liquor license for the Oak & Hog property, after the applicant and contractor outlined multi-year construction delays caused by unexpected structural work and state plan reviews.
The West Bend Licensing Board voted May 5 to recommend renewing a reserve liquor license for the Oak & Hog site and advance the item to the common council consent agenda on May 19.
The recommendation follows a presentation by the applicant and his contractor explaining why the business has not opened since receiving a reserve license in 2022. Chad Gaiman, the applicant, and John Shemitas, principal of Rayland Contractors, told the board the project encountered significant structural problems that halted construction and required deep foundation work and additional engineering.
The board heard that Gaiman paid the $10,000 fee for a reserve license when it was issued in August 2022 and later received a WEDC bounce-back grant to assist with that cost. Gaiman and his contractor said construction began with an estimated project cost of about $900,000, but crews discovered foundation instability that required driving piers, delaying work more than a year. Shemitas said crews completed major stabilization and that the project could be finished in October or November 2025, depending on crew scheduling. The presentation said the owner has spent in excess of $380,000 to date, including about $165,000 for the foundation work, and that roughly $622,000 remains to complete the job.
City staff recounted that the license was renewed previously in 2023 and that the city had worked with the applicant on permitting when state review was required. The board discussed the city's limited number of reserve liquor licenses and the council's past practice of requiring follow-up if a licensee is not operating after an agreed interval. Several board members said the city wants projects to open but cannot hold scarce licenses indefinitely if there is no progress.
After the presentation, a board member moved to recommend renewal and another seconded. The motion passed and the item will appear on the council consent agenda on May 19.
The board did not set conditions in the May 5 motion beyond advancing the renewal; members asked the applicant to notify the city if his plans change so the license could be made available to others.
Votes at the licensing board: motion to recommend renewal — passed (mover and seconder not specified on the record).
