Julie Anderson, Planning & Development Director
Frank Risler,  Manager Planning

OPERATING AUTHORITY AND PURPOSE

Pursuant to Section 59.69, Wisconsin Statutes, Planning and Development staff members 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.  As required by the State, Racine County has adopted non-metallic mining rules and regulations (Chap. 12.5, Racine County Code of Ordinances), which are administered by this Division.  Division functions include receiving, processing, and analyzing rezoning petitions and conditional use applications relating to land in the County’s towns.  Staff members also critique proposed subdivisions for consistency with good planning principles and the Racine County land division ordinance (Chap. 18).  This office is also responsible for monitoring 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 subdivision and major development review process, staff members prepare precise neighborhood plans.  In addition, Planning and Development is involved in protecting and preserving Racine County's environment through coastal erosion mapping and studies as well as shoreland, wetland, and floodplain management, including shoreland contracts.

EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Our first goal for 2003 was to perform assigned land use related functions.  To accomplish this, the Division processed, reviewed and presented at Planning and Development Committee public hearings: conditional use applications, rezoning petitions and planned unit development rezonings; processed, reviewed, and presented to the Planning and Development Committee for action: site plan review applications; conditional use or site plan extensions or amendments, preliminary subdivision plats, final subdivision plats and extra-territorial plats from incorporated communities; issued non-metallic mining reclamation permits to existing mining operations.

Our second goal was to work with applicants and 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, implementing the County’s comprehensive plan and municipal, watershed, and regional comprehensive plans. 

In furtherance of these goals, Department staff attended monthly plan commission meetings of the Towns of Caledonia, Dover, Norway, Rochester, and Waterford; participated in a Town forum at Raymond on cluster development; provided information and recommendations to the Towns 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.  We provided thorough analyses and written reviews for certified survey maps in the Towns of Caledonia, Dover, Norway, Rochester and Waterford; continue to work with the Towns of Caledonia and Rochester on conservation subdivision ordinances; provided pond information and reviewed applications for projects and issued pond permits; assisted in the development of the All Hazards Mitigation Plan under Project Impact and coordinated the ongoing STH 36 north corridor design plan. 

We also worked with Racine County Information Systems to digitize forms, applications, and information sheets, which are now available electronically.  This was accomplished by May 21, 2003.

2004 GOALS AND BUDGET STRATEGIES