Sheboygan planning commission approves Seared Korean & Karaoke at 723 New York Ave

The Sheboygan City Plan Commission on a voice vote approved a conditional use permit for Seared Korean & Karaoke to operate a two‑story Korean barbecue restaurant with private karaoke rooms and a full‑service bar at 723 New York Avenue. The motion to approve was moved and seconded and passed after commissioners heard staff, applicant and public comments.

Elise, a city staff member, said the property is a vacant former retail building and outlined the proposed use. Commissioners focused much of their discussion on parking and site access. Commissioner Braden summarized the city’s most recent parking study (2017), saying the downtown has "over 3,100 off‑street spaces, 1,000 on‑street spaces" and that peak occupancy is usually below 50 percent, though he cautioned the numbers are dated and that availability can be constrained in specific blocks. Director Zener noted a nearby city lot is owned by the redevelopment authority and that there is no zoning parking minimum in the Central Commercial district for this site, limiting the commission’s ability to impose new parking requirements.

A public commenter representing nearby businesses urged caution and asked the commission to "table this so we can better understand exactly what we're voting on," arguing an independent third‑party parking study could clarify impacts on existing downtown businesses. The applicant told commissioners she expects the restaurant’s full capacity is under 200 and that much of the nearby parking is within walking distance; she said renovations are underway with an optimistic May opening but that the date could slip to June.

After weighing those points, the commission approved the conditional use permit by voice vote; the chair also indicated support. The approval allows the applicant to proceed with the project subject to any standard permitting and inspection steps that follow.