By Scott Froehlich sfroehlich@gazettextra.com February 2, 2022

MILTON

Residents can expect a new lot of classic cars to come rolling into Milton in the near future after the Common Council approved two resolutions for a land purchase by a prominent car dealership owner.

Clapper Properties was given the go-ahead Tuesday night to purchase a 1.16-acre parcel at High Street and Gateway Drive for the purposes of building a 10,000-square-foot antique car storage facility in Milton.

Board members during Tuesday’s council meeting approved the sale of the vacant lot, located in a commercial district near Kwik Trip, Dairy Queen and Charter NEX Films not far from the Highway 26-Highway 59 interchange on Milton’s east side.

Bob Clapper, who operates the Bob Clapper Automotive car dealership in Janesville, said the site will eventually house his personal collection of classic cars, which includes relics such as a Ford Thunderbird, a 1947 Cadillac and multiple 1950s-era Chevrolet Bel Airs.

“I’m just busting at the seams at home,” he said of the need to move from the current location at his residence in Milton.

In order to secure the parcel, Clapper said he had to acquire a commercial building to maintain his Wisconsin dealer’s license, and while he said he has no intentions of making the facility a full-fledged dealership, he is leaving the door open to selling some of his vehicles to “keep him busy” during his eventual retirement.

In addition to the classic cars he presently owns, Clapper plans to use the warehouse to continue his hobby of restoring cars. He did not shut the door to the future possibility of offloading his inventory should he choose to sell vehicles in Milton.

“I do buy cars and do some work on them (to) resell them,” Clapper said. “I’m not planning on retiring immediately, but when I do, I have to have something to do.”

The purchase of the land, which is part of Milton TIF District No. 6, did not include requests for TIF funding and, according to city manager Al Hulick, Clapper paid the “going price” for the property. No immediate construction is planned until the board receives a site plan for the facility.

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