Land Use

 - COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING ACTIVITY IN OCONTO COUNTY

The Comprehensive Plan (“Smart Growth”) Initiative enacted in the 1999-2001 state budget bill is a landmark effort by state officials to encourage sound land use planning by local communities.

The state’s first attempt to curb urban sprawl and promote better land use, Smart Growth creates financial incentives for municipalities to devise and follow land use plans that meet state guidelines.

Those state guidelines to be considered when local officials write land-use plans include:

• Conservation of farm land and natural resources, including groundwater, forests, floodplains, wetlands, wildlife habitat, parks and recreational resources.
• Future development of utilities and community facilities, including sewers, water supplies, waste disposal, water treatment, recycling, parks, telecommunications, power plants and transmission lines, cemeteries, health care, police and fire services, libraries and schools.
• Future transportation needs and how they will relate to regional and state transportation plans.
• Existing housing stock and programs to promote development of a range of housing choices.
• Economic development goals, including an analysis of the community’s existing labor force, ability to attract and retain businesses and provisions for promoting redevelopment of environmentally contaminated sites.
• 20-year projections for future development and redevelopment of public and private land.

Under “Smart Growth” Wis. Stats 66.1001, a total of $2 million has been budgeted this year to help local governments pay for developing a land use plan. Preference will be given to communities that:

• Address the interests of neighboring communities.
• Identify “Smart Growth” areas where development or redevelopment can occur adjacent to existing development.
• Provide opportunities for public participation throughout the planning process.

The pool of state grant funds may be added to in future years, but the grant program will end July 1, 2010.

In Spring of 2006 Oconto County received a Dept Of Administration grant to conduct a county plan.

Comprehensive Plans Adopted…

City of Gillett
City of Oconto
City of Oconto Falls
Town of Abrams
Town of Chase
Town of Doty
Town of Gillett
Town of How
Town of Lakewood
Town of Little River
Town of Little Suamico
Town of Maple Valley
Town of Morgan
Town of Mountain
Town of Oconto
Town of Oconto Falls
Town of Pensaukee
Town of Riverview
Town of Stiles
Village of Lena
Village of Suring
Town of Underhill

Pre-Planning Preparations Underway…

Town of Bagley
Town of Brazeau
Town of Breed
Town of Lena
Town of Spruce
Town of Townsend

COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING

Oconto County in response to Wisconsin’s Comprehensive Planning Legislation has begun a three year planning process. Wisconsin’s Comprehensive Planning Legislation (66.1001) requires that action relating to land use activities be consistent with the community’s comprehensive plan by January 1, 2010. The Oconto County planning process involves not only Oconto County, but twenty-three towns, two villages, and three cities. Of these 28 communities, thirteen towns, two villages and one city will be creating plans with funding assistance from the Department of Administration (DOA) grant program. The remaining communities will each be actively engaged in the planning process and be assisted with reviewing previously created plans and making necessary amendments. Complete county wide participation in the planning process indicates the significance of steps taken since 2002.

Oconto County Planning will serve as the administrative body throughout this project. Oconto County Planning, UW-Extension, and Bay Lake Regional Planning (the Planning Team) will facilitate at each level of the planning process in an effort to maximize public involvement.

The planning process is a bottom up approach, meaning that issue identification; goal, objective, and strategy development; and intergovernmental cooperation will begin at the Town, Village, and City levels. The result of local insight and planning is essential in developing a solid foundation for county plan development and implementation. In an effort to maximize meeting outputs and foster intergovernmental cooperation, the planning team has developed three planning clusters based on the common borders, similarities and diversities of the communities. Cluster meetings will allow for presentation of information, general discussion, and local recommendations during county plan development and implementation. These planning clusters will not overshadow local planning efforts.

The planning process is broken into four phases: Phase I: Issue Identification; Phase II: Data Compilation; Phase III: Plan Development; Phase IV: Plan Review & Adoption.

For more information on the comprehensive planning process in Oconto County please contact the Planning and Zoning Office or County Planner.