PLANNING vs. ZONING - History and Structure

Planning and Zoning Structure in Waushara County

All of the villages and the city in Waushara County have a zoning ordinance.   The City of Wautoma adopted a zoning ordinance in 1969.   The villages created zoning ordinances in the 1980's and 90's.   The municipal staff person responsible of administering the zoning ordinances in all of the villages and the City of Wautoma is the village or city clerk.   The City of Berlin , which is partially in Waushara County , has a zoning administrator.

The oldest zoning ordinance in the county is that of the county.   It was adopted in 1967.   All of the towns in the county except one adopted county zoning throughout the next three decades. Six staff members in the County Zoning Department administer the county zoning ordinance.

Planning is still fairly new to Waushara County .   There is no planning staff anywhere in the county.   The first community to adopt a plan was the Village of Hancock in 1990.

Currently, 22 of the 26 municipalities in Waushara County are going through the planning process with the county.   The County pays for half of the local cost, and the municipality pays for the other half.   Each town has a Land Use or Comprehensive Plan Committee made up of volunteer citizens appointed by their municipal officials.   The County has a Land Use Committee that is a subcommittee of the Agricultural and Extension Education Committee.   They meet on a monthly basis to go over the activities of the various municipal land use committees and to share information. The UW-Extension Community, Natural Resource, and Economic Development Agent assists in the communication between the county committees, the municipal committees, and the planning consultant, the regional planning commission.   He also provides education programs to the citizen committees, local officials, and the general public through out the process from the beginning to the end.   The consultant from East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission facilitates the planning meetings, assembles the background materials in the plan, and writes the document.   The County Zoning Administrator, members of the County Land Use Committee, and the municipal officials review drafts of the document and provide written or verbal comment.

Minutes from the County Land Use Committee, dates of upcoming meetings, copies of the plans, and county zoning information are accessible from the web site: http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/waushara/cnred/planning/cntyplanminutes.html

History of Planning in Waushara County

The Village of Hancock adopted a Community Development Plan in 1990.   The Village of Coloma adopted a Land Use Plan and Open Space and Recreation Plan that was prepared with East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission in 1993.   These plans have not been comprehensively updated since their creation.

In 1994, the Towns of Wautoma, Dakota, Marion , and City of Wautoma began working on a Wautoma Area Land Use and Development Plan with the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission.   The City of Wautoma was the only one of the four municipalities to adopt the plan in 1995.   There has not been a comprehensive revision of the plan since its adoption.

Also in 1994, a subcommittee of the Waushara County of the Agricultural and Extension Committee was formed to look at creating a county development plan.   In 1996, a countywide land use inventory was begun.   It was completed in 1998.   In 1997, the committee decided to complete a countywide plan by working on clusters of three to seven municipalities beginning in 1998 and ending in 2000.   The county would split the cost with the municipalities.   East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission would be hired to facilitate and write the plans.   In the spring of 1999, 4 municipalities began planning with the county, with a new group in each of the following years.  In the fall of 1999, the State of Wisconsin passed what has been termed the Smart Growth or Comprehensive Planning Legislation. This legislation updated the 1928 and 1967 definitions of a plan.

The Towns of Coloma, Deerfield, Leon, Hancock, Mt. Morris, Plainfied, Poy Sippi, Springeater, and Village of Hancock have adopted plans that contain about 80% to 90% of what is required of a comprehensive plan in Wisconsin and will need to be updated by 2010. The City of Berlin adopted a comprehensive plan in 2003. They choose to create their plan without involvement of Waushara County. The Town of Warrren does not intend to make any decisions related to zoning, subdivisions, and official mapping, therefore they do not intend to create a comprehensive plan. The remaining municipalities without comprehensive plans according to the Wisconsin definition have apply with Waushara County for a Wisconsin Comprehensive Planning Grant to create or update their plans.

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STAFF

If you have any questions regarding Planning in Waushara County, please contact:

Patrick Nehring
Waushara County - UW Extension
Courthouse
209 S St Marie
PO Box 487
Wautoma, WI 54982-0487
Phone: 920-787-0416
Fax: 920-787-0425
Email: patrick.nehring@ces.uwex.edu