Code violations stop renovation of former Clearwater Paper mill in Fox Crossing

Duke Behnke, Appleton Post-Crescent
·3 min read
Clearwater Paper Corp. closed its plant at 249 N. Lake St. in Fox Crossing in 2021.
Clearwater Paper Corp. closed its plant at 249 N. Lake St. in Fox Crossing in 2021.

Reader question: Do you know why work on the redevelopment of the Clearwater Paper site in Fox Crossing has come to a standstill?

Answer: Fire code violations have all but stopped the redevelopment of the former Clearwater Paper mill, 249 N. Lake St.

The Fox Crossing Fire Department issued a stop-work order for the property on May 2, and it remains in effect until the owner, KK Integrated Logistics, a Menominee, Michigan-based warehousing company, can rectify the violations.

The stop-work order is posted on pink paper at every entrance to the facility. It reads: This premises has been declared unsafe and unfit for continued construction or demolition work until such time that plans have been approved and permits have been issued to bring this premises into compliance with village, state and administrative codes.

Fox Crossing Fire Marshal Mike Tedford said progress has been made since the order was issued.

"They're allowed to be in there if they talk to us," Tedford said. "They're doing a little minor cleanup in there right now. From what they're telling me, they'll have their state-approved plans in the next couple of weeks. Once that happens, we're going to pull the stop-work order."

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The findings that led to the stop-work order include:

  • The premises is noncompliant and unsafe for reasons defined in the International Fire Code and fire marshal’s report.

  • A change in existing use occurred without proper authorization, contrary to the village's municipal code.

  • Firefighters responded to four fires within a nine-month period as workers were dismantling the old paper machines.

  • A break-in occurred in April due to improper security measures. "We had some kids trespassing after hours, riding skateboards and driving around forklifts inside the building," community liaison officer Dan Wiechman said. Another break-in occurred in June after the stop-work order was posted.

  • A high number of hazardous deficiencies exist in the fire-suppression sprinkler system due to unauthorized and unsafe construction and demolition work performed to the sprinkler system.

A stop-work order issued by the Fox Crossing Fire Department remains in effect at the former Clearwater Paper mill, 249 N. Lake St.
A stop-work order issued by the Fox Crossing Fire Department remains in effect at the former Clearwater Paper mill, 249 N. Lake St.

KK Integrated Logistics announced in January 2022 that it had purchased the Clearwater property and would renovate the warehouse on the west side of Lake Street to accommodate a new tenant, Little Chute-based Trilliant Food & Nutrition.

The mill on the east side of Lake Street was being examined for additional warehousing and, with frontage on Little Lake Butte Des Morts, conversion to apartments.

Clearwater Paper closed the mill in July 2021. It employed 290 people at the time.

Before Clearwater, the facility operated as Cellu Tissue-Neenah, American Tissue Mills and Kimberly-Clark Corp.'s Lakeview Mill.

Post-Crescent reporter Duke Behnke answers your questions about local government. Send questions to dbehnke@gannett.com or call him at 920-993-7176.

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This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Safety issues stop work at former Clearwater Paper mill in Fox Crossing