Community Planning

In 2006, the counties of Racine and Kenosha each began a multi-jurisdictional comprehensive planning process to address countywide and local land use issues. Both counties face similar challenges related to growth, including: loss of farmland and natural resources, conflicts along the urban/rural interface, urban redevelopment, transportation issues, affordable housing concerns, and increasing pressure on infrastructure and community facilities. The Quad Counties UW-Extension team identified growth management as a cross-county need, and consequently worked with the Planning & Development Departments in both Racine and Kenosha counties to hire a Community Planning Educator to provide educational materials and opportunities for residents and stakeholders to participate throughout the comprehensive planning process.

Public participation in Kenosha and Racine Counties has helped to identify issues perceived by community members, and input gathered through various outreach efforts was essential to the development of the overall goals and objectives, which provide the basic framework for the comprehensive plans.  In Kenosha County, these efforts have included a countywide visioning workshop and SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis, and an informational meeting in each of the nine local communities participating in the plan.  Racine County’s public input opportunities have included: a countywide opinion survey, four public informational and comment meetings, an informational booth at the Racine County Fair, and presentations to local groups, such as the local farm bureau and the Racine Board of Realtors.

For more information about the Kenosha County Multi-Jurisdictional Comprehensive Plan: http://co.kenosha.wi.us/plandev/smart_growth/

For more information about the Racine County Multi-Jurisdictional Comprehensive Plan: http://racine.uwex.edu/cnred/SmartGrowth.html