Comprehensive Planning in Wisconsin
A Brief Overview
Wisconsin's Comprehensive Planning Law (Wl Act 9, as amended by Wl Act 148) adopted as law in October 1999.
Developed through a coalition of groups - Legislators, Real Estate, Environmental Groups, UW, etc.
Provides a definition of a "comprehensive plan" through the use of 9 planning elements:
1. Issues and opportunities
2. Housing
3. Transportation
4. Utilities and Community Facilities
5. Agricultural, Natural, and Cultural Resources
6. Economic Development
7. Intergovernmental Cooperation
8. Land Use
Prior to the law, Wl only had a definition of a "master plan" (1920) and a limited definition of a "county development plan."
Applies to cities, villages, towns, counties and RPCs.
Provides consistency - by 1/1/2010, all local units of government who want to engage in any program or action that affect land use must develop and adopt a comprehensive plan based upon the statues.
Promotes 14 planning goals:
1. Promotion of the redevelopment of lands with existing infrastructure and public services and the maintenance and rehabilitation of existing residential, commercial and industrial structures;
2. Encouragement of neighborhood designs that support a range of transportation options;
3. Protection of natural areas, including wetlands, wildlife habitats, lakes, woodlands, open spaces and groundwater resources
4. Protection of economically productive areas including farmland and forests;
5. Encouragement of land uses, densities and regulations that promote efficient development patterns and relatively low municipal, state governmental and utility costs;
6. Preservation of cultural, historic and archeological sites;
7. Encouragement of coordination and cooperation among nearby units of government;
8. Building of community identity by revitalizing main streets and enforcing design standards;
9. Providing an adequate supply of affordable housing for individuals of all income levels throughout each community;
10. Providing adequate infrastructure and public services and an adequate supply of developable land to meet existing and future market demand for residential, commercial and industrial uses;
11. Promoting the expansion or stabilization of the current economic base and the creation of a range of employment opportunities at the state and regional and local levels;
12. Balancing individual property rights with community interests and goals;
13. Planning and development of land uses that create or preserve varied and unique urban and rural communities;
14. Providing an integrated, efficient and economical transportation system that affords mobility, convenience and safety, and that that meets the needs of all citizens, including transit-dependent and disabled citizens.
Communities must adopt written procedures for public participation.
A comprehensive plan must be adopted, by the local governing body, in its entirety.
The legislation also made some changes to the composition of planning commissions to allow for greater discretion.
State funds have been made available, through the Wl Dept. of Administration, to assist with local planning efforts.
Requires that cities and villages with a population of at least 12,5000 adopt traditional neighborhood development ordinances similar to that being developed by UW-Extension.
Establishes a "Smart growth Dividend Aid Program" tied to:
a. new housing units sold or rented on lots no more than 1/4 acre
b. new housing units sold or rented at no more than 80% of the median sale price for new homes in the county
Prepared by Bill Rizzo, Community Resource Development Educator
Dane County UW-Extension