PLANNING DIVISION

Frank A. Risler

OPERATING AUTHORITY AND PURPOSE

Pursuant to Section 59.69, Wisconsin Statutes, Planning & Development staff perform land use planning functions for Racine County. These include short range activities, such as analyzing rezoning requests and conditional use petitions, as well as long range planning activities, such as working with Towns to develop land use plans for the year 2020 and beyond.

Division functions include receiving and processing rezoning petitions and conditional use applications relating to land in the County's Townships. Staff also reviews proposed subdivisions for consistency with good planning principles and the Racine County Land Division Ordinance.

Planning staff also reviews and monitors the Racine County Zoning Ordinance and subdivision regulations to keep them current with changing technologies, lifestyles, and state and federal statutes and regulations. As part of the Division's major development and subdivision review process, staff prepares precise neighborhood plans.

In addition, Planning & Development is involved in protecting and preserving Racine County's environment
through coastal erosion mapping and studies as well as shoreland, wetland and floodplain mapping protection.
 

ACHIEVEMENT OF PERFORMANCE GOALS

Our first goal for 2001 was to perform assigned functions related to land use. To accomplish this, the department processed, reviewed and presented at Planning & Development Committee public hearings a total of 89 conditional use applications, 41 rezoning petitions and two street vacation petitions; processed, reviewed and presented to the Planning & Development Committee for action a total of 82 site plan review applications, 21 rezoning petitions and three conditional use petitions from Town of Mt. Pleasant, five preliminary subdivision plats and 18 final subdivision plats; and initiated and established enforcement action plans for two illegal shoreland tree removal projects.

Our second goal was to work with applicants and local municipalities to review and assess questions related to congestion and overcrowding, safety, sanitation, drainage, the provision of public facilities and utilities, ensuring appropriate land use, conserving natural resources, and implementing the County's comprehensive plan as well as municipal, watershed and regional comprehensive plans. In furtherance of these goals, members of the department attended the monthly planning committee meetings of the Townships of Caledonia, Dover, Norway, Rochester and Waterford; provided information and recommendations to the Townships of Burlington and Yorkville; prepared several digital ortho-photo maps with multiple information layers using GIS technology which were used for various presentations to towns and the general public in the form of neighborhood plans, other land use analyses and inventories; provided thorough analyses and written reviews for more than 75 proposed Certified Survey Maps in the Towns of Caledonia, Norway, Rochester and Waterford.

2002 GOALS AND BUDGET STRATEGIES

•  Perform land use planning functions for Racine County.
   
•  Work with residents and local municipalities to review and assess questions related to congestion and overcrowding, safety, sanitation, drainage, the provision of public facilities and utilities, stabilization of property values, appropriate land use, natural resources conservation, implementation of the County's comprehensive plan as well as municipal, watershed and regional comprehensive plans and the wise use, preservation and promotion of Racine County's natural beauty.
   
•  Educate and assist town planning committees in following good land use planning practices and principles by providing staff presence at town planning committee meetings.
   
•  Preserve and protect Racine County's natural environment by working toward the implementation of various land use plans through the enforcement of shoreland, floodplain and wetland provisions and by balancing economic development with environmental protection.