RICHFIELD, Wis. — Noise complaints and a property zoning change in Richfield are causing frustrations for some neighbors who live near a local trucking business.
The Village of Richfield board voted in favor of changing a property from single family to business mixed use for Rollin' Transport, LLC, despite complaints from neighbors who signed a petition opposing the change.
Katie Bernard and Amy Jacobs live in Richfield and went to a public meeting Thursday night where the village board voted in favor of the trucking company. Both said this vote doesn't sit well with them.
Katie Bernard likes to garden and wants to live in a quiet place. She emailed me with concerns about her neighbor running a trucking company out of his home.
"It is the noise," she said. "We do hear the semi trucks beeping in the middle of the night when they back up, we hear the rev of the engines, and the lights shine right into our bedroom windows."
Watch: Richfield neighbors frustrated as village approves zoning change for trucking business amid noise complaints
She and nearly 30 other neighbors signed a complaint and filed it with the Village of Richfield, saying they should not change her neighbor's property from a single-family parcel to a mixed-use business because they believe he was already operating the company before getting village approval.
"When trucking companies and heavy industrial businesses can deceitfully move in, that really affects our country way of life," Bernard said. "I would really like neighbors to speak up and stand firm for our country way of life."
Vinnie Diorio is the neighbor and trucking company owner. He declined to speak on camera but sent TMJ4 News an email saying their proximity to Highway 175, a busy train track, and other businesses also contribute to the noise:
I’ve been a resident of Richfield for over 26 years. In 2021, my wife and I, along with our three young children, purchased 34.5 acres on Pleasant Hill Road. Our goal was to have more space for our children to play while staying within the town we love—Richfield.
I successfully operate a globally recognized trucking company, which currently runs four trucks operating over the road. We reside on and utilize about 14.5 acres of our property for our home and outbuildings. The remaining 20 acres are farmland, which is actively farmed by a local Richfield farmer. Just recently, our land was harvested for corn, which was hauled away.
The Town of Richfield has proposed rezoning 11 of our acres that border this future industrial area. I have agreed to this proposal. During a public hearing held last night, the town voted to move forward with the rezoning process.
The 11 acres in question align with the Town of Richfield’s long-term land use plan for Pleasant Hill Road, supporting the transition toward industrial development in this area.
I truly enjoy living in Richfield and am an active supporter of many local events. Each year, we bring our show trucks to Richfield Days, giving children the opportunity to see and sit in them. We also participate in the parade, pulling the Crown of Life School float, and have brought trucks to the Fire Department's open house. Additionally, we sponsor local racetracks for kids and contribute to various community events. We take pride in being deeply involved in the community, and it’s important to us to ensure that our neighborhood remains safe for everyone.
Our family enjoys the peacefulness of our road—our children ride their bikes down our road, and my wife walks daily. We value the privacy our road provides.
However, we have been dealing with ongoing harassment from Joe Mosgaller and Katie Bernard, both of whom live on state Hwy 175. Cameras have been placed pointed directly at our driveway, taking pictures of my wife and children whenever they walk down our driveway.
Some of the neighbors opposing the rezoning have raised concerns about noise. The neighbors who have raised this concern live on State Hwy 175, an alternate trucking route. Given this, we find it difficult to understand how they are attributing the sound of the backup beepers to our four over-the-road trucks.
We are happy to comply with the Town of Richfield's request to rezone the 11 acres. While it’s unfortunate that we continue to face ongoing challenges and scrutiny, this does not change how we feel about our community. We remain committed to supporting our neighbors and doing whatever we can to contribute positively, all while creating a safe and welcoming environment for our three children to grow up in.
Amy Jacobs lives near the home/trucking company. She doesn't take issue with Diorio, but does take issue with the village administration for making the zoning amendment.
“My problem isn’t with him, my problem isn’t with any of my neighbors, my problem isn’t with the noise of the trucks because, in my opinion, the trains are louder than the trucks are," she said. "My problem is with the precedent that the Village of Richfield chose to set last night and how other members of the community might take that.”
Village Administrator Jim Healy responded with the following statement:
“The Village had reason to believe that a business is being operated on the property. During a meeting with the property owner, he indicated his intent to bring the property into compliance. Before pursuing costly legal action, the Village strives to work cooperatively with property owners to resolve such matters, if possible and practical to do so”.
Bernard said she's researching if there are any other actions she can take, but for now, she's not sure how to move forward.
"They didn't want to spend the money to take him to court to enforce their zoning ordinances," she said. "That doesn't sit well with me. I see that as deceitful behavior being rewarded."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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