Yes, in some cases. Depending on the zoning district, a property may include more than one use. For example, multi-tenant buildings in commercial districts often contain several different uses. Properties may also include a principal use along with accessory uses, if allowed, such as a home with a detached garage and a home occupation.
Yes. Zoning districts often include standards for building height, placement, and sometimes design elements.
In a zoning code, a land use describes how a property or building is used or intended to be used. Each land use is assigned a name and a short description that explains the typical activities included in that use.
For organization, land uses are grouped into categories (such as residential, commercial, or industrial) to make them easier to navigate. These groupings, along with the use table, help determine where each use is allowed and what additional standards or approvals may apply.
A zoning district is a designated area on the zoning map that has a specific set of rules for how land can be used and developed.
Base zoning is the primary district assigned to a property. Overlay zoning adds additional rules on top of the base district for specific areas or purposes.
A conditional use is a land use that may be allowed following a public review process to make sure the land use is appropriate given its location, scale, and operating characteristics.
If on-site parking is required, the zoning code will list the number of spaces needed—usually as a ratio (for example, spaces per dwelling unit, per square foot of floor area, or per employee).
To determine your requirement, first identify the land use, then refer to the parking standards section of the code to find the applicable ratio. From there, you can calculate the total number of required spaces based on the size or intensity of your project.
Additional standards may also apply, such as requirements for accessible parking, bicycle parking, loading spaces, or design and layout of parking areas. In some cases, reductions, shared parking arrangements, or exceptions may be allowed. If you’re unsure how the requirements apply to your project, staff can help walk you through the process.
Each property is assigned a zoning district, which determines what land uses are allowed. Some uses are permitted by right, while others may require additional review and approval, such as a conditional use. You can use the zoning map to find your property’s district and the use table to see what land uses are allowed in that district.
A principal use is the main use of a property—the primary activity or purpose for which the land or building is used, such as a single-family home, retail store, or factory.
An accessory use is a secondary use that is clearly incidental and subordinate to the principal use. It supports or is related to the main use and is typically smaller in scale. Examples include a detached garage, storage shed, or a home occupation associated with a residence.
The Village's zoning code establishes various land use districts and lists what land uses are allowed in each. This information is included in the Interactive Map. Find your parcel and click on the map or select the zoning district from the menu. The land uses allowed in that district will be displayed in the side menu.
A zoning map, adopted as part of the zoning code, shows where the various zoning districts are located. Go to the Interactive Map. There you can click on a parcel or search by address, parcel number, or owner name.
If a home is present on a property, then a camper may be kept on the property as an accessory use. This means that if you own a camper and enjoy taking it on vacations, you are allowed to keep the camper on your property provided it is not being used. It is not a vacation place for others to come and stay with you for the summer. It cannot be rented out while it sits on your property.
Covenants or deed restrictions are limitations often imposed by the person creating a subdivision. As such, they are a private agreement by and between those parties who own property covered by the covenants. They are not enforced by the Village or any other governmental entity that is not specifically mentioned as being a party to the restrictions. Those persons owning property covered by the covenants have the right to enforce covenants. In some instances, a property owner wishing to enforce the terms of a covenant may need to hire legal counsel to resolve covenant issues.
If a variance has been approved, the approval runs with the land. This means that a variance will continue in effect as the property is transferred from one owner to the next. All terms and conditions of the variance remain unchanged and apply to the current and future property owners.
A land use that is designated as being permitted by right does not require a public meeting to determine if the use can occur within a given zoning district. A land use permitted by right still must comply with all other applicable provisions in the Village's zoning code.
Wisconsin state statutes allows adjoining property owners to transfer land in certain circumstances. However, both of the resulting lots need to comply with zoning requirements. Also, if one of the lots is located in a subdivision, the other must be located in the same subdivision.
If you are looking for the general location of lot lines, the Interactive Zoning map on this website is a good place to start. Please understand though that those lot lines are approximate and do not substitute for a survey prepared by a registered land surveyor.
A legal description describes where a property is located, and metal rods, placed in the ground by a registered surveyor, identify certain points along the perimeter of the property. Locating property boundary lines can be a challenge though, especially for lots that have not been recently surveyed. Survey markers may not have ever been established, or if placed in the ground, they can be inadvertently removed or become buried. If you are not able to find one or more survey markers and need to know precisely where a boundary line is located, you will need to hire a registered surveyor.
A property owner can submit an application to rezone the property to another classification that allows the proposed use (i.e., map amendment). If the Village's zoning code does not allow the proposed use in any of the zoning districts, a property owner can submit an application to revise the text to allow the use in one or more of the zoning districts (i.e., text amendment). Go to the Procedures page or click HERE to get more details.
A zoning map is part of the zoning regulations and shows where the various zoning districts are located. The land uses that are permitted will vary from district to district. This is also true for development standards including minimum lot size, lot coverage, and setback requirements. The purpose of establishing zoning designations within a community is to ensure that neighboring land uses are compatible with one another. For example, residential uses are generally not compatible with industrial uses. The various zoning districts are depicted on the
Interactive Map.
- Having a survey before you purchase property is a good idea, especially on larger parcels and when there is little on the ground to suggest where the lot lines may be located. A survey offers much-needed confidence.
- If a neighbor disputes where the lot line is between your properties, a survey can clearly show where the lot line is actually located.
- If you are installing a fence or constructing a house or an addition, a survey will help ensure the proposed locations comply with any setback requirements.
