Relationship to Prior Planning Efforts
Timeframe for the Planning Work
Smart Growth Technical Advisory Committee
Multi-Jurisdictional Comprehensive Plan for Walworth County and Participating Towns
In 1999, the Wisconsin Legislature enacted a new law, often referred to as the State’s “Smart Growth” law, that provides a new framework for the development, adoption, and implementation of comprehensive plans by counties, cities, villages, and towns. The law, which is set forth in Section 66.1001 of the Wisconsin Statutes, requires county and local units of government to have an adopted comprehensive plan by January 1, 2010, in order to be able to continue to administer zoning, subdivision, or official map ordinances. The law further requires that those ordinances be consistent with the comprehensive plan beginning on January 1, 2010. The State law specifies matters which must be addressed in a comprehensive plan, requiring that a plan include the following nine elements: issues and opportunities; housing; transportation; utilities and community facilities; agricultural, natural, and cultural resources; economic development; intergovernmental cooperation; land use; and implementation.
In response to this planning requirement, Walworth County, in cooperation with 13 civil towns in the County, has initiated a planning effort that is intended to result in a multi-jurisdictional comprehensive plan that satisfies the State planning requirements. Initially, each of the cities, villages, and towns in Walworth County were invited to participate in the planning process. Ultimately, 13 towns committed to partnering with the County in the multi-jurisdictional plan—including the provision of requisite local funding. The Regional Planning Commission is providing staff support for the planning work under contract with the County and participating towns. The 13 participating towns are:
| Town of Darien | Town of Sharon | ||
| Town of Delavan | Town of Spring Prairie | ||
| Town of East Troy | Town of Sugar Creek | ||
| Town of Geneva | Town of Troy | ||
| Town of LaFayette | Town of Walworth | ||
| Town of LaGrange | Town of Whitewater | ||
| Town of Richmond |
The end product of the planning effort will be a long-range plan for the year 2035, which Walworth County and the 13 participating towns would be able to adopt as their comprehensive plan, consistent with the State planning law.
Relationship to Prior Planning Efforts
Long-range planning is not new in Walworth County. The Walworth County land use plan, jurisdictional highway plan, park and open space plan, and farmland preservation plan address many of the required elements of a comprehensive plan. Many local units of government in the County, including many of the partnering towns, have already adopted local land use or master plans. In addition, areawide plans adopted by the Regional Planning Commission provide an important framework for county and local planning. The multi-jurisdictional planning process is being carried out in a manner that builds upon past planning efforts, expanding upon those as appropriate to meet the requirements of the State planning law.
Timeframe for the Planning Work
The first phase of the planning process, the “inventory” or data collection phase, has been completed. This phase involved gathering information on existing conditions and trends in the County that is required as basis for developing the comprehensive plan. This work included the conduct of a countywide public opinion sample survey on a broad range of planning issues.
Upcoming work involves the preparation of long-range projections of population, households, and employment which the plan will seek to accommodate; the identification of issues and opportunities; and the preparation of the various elements of the comprehensive plan itself: land use; housing; transportation; utilities and community facilities; agricultural, natural, and cultural resources; economic development; intergovernmental cooperation; land use; and implementation. All work on the multi-jurisdictional comprehensive plan will be completed by spring 2009.
Upon completion and adoption of the plan, Walworth County and the participating towns would make any revisions to zoning and land division ordinances that may be needed to make those ordinances consistent with the comprehensive plan—prior to the date (January 1, 2010) on which the comprehensive planning requirements take effect.
Smart Growth Technical Advisory Committee
The comprehensive plan is being prepared under the guidance of a Technical Advisory Committee established by the County Board (see Resolution No. 08-04/04). The membership of the Committee includes one elected representative and one alternate appointed by each participating town; three representatives from the Walworth County Zoning Agency; and three representatives from the Walworth County Land Conservation Committee (see TAC membership list).
The Walworth County Smart Growth Technical Advisory Committee encourages the public to attend and participate at its meetings. The meetings are held at the County Board Room located in the Government Center (Old Courthouse, downtown Elkhorn)—100 West Walworth Street, Elkhorn, WI 53121. Two public comment periods are provided at each meeting. The meetings begin at 6:00 p.m. Currently scheduled meetings are as follows:
TAC Meeting Materials to date:
| September 3, 2008 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| August 6, 2008 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| July 2, 2008 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| May 7, 2008 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| March 5, 2008 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| January 10, 2008 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| November 7, 2007 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| September 5, 2007 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| July 11, 2007 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| May 2, 2007 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| March 7, 2007 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| January 3, 2007 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| November 1, 2006 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| September 6, 2006 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| July 6, 2006 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| April 17, 2006 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| September 21, 2005 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| July 20, 2005 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| March 30, 2005 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| September 2, 2004 | Agenda | Minutes | |
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July 27, 2004 | Agenda | Minutes |
December 2007 Public Participation Meetings
A series of four public participation meetings was held during December 2007 at various locations throughout the County. Specifically, meetings were held at the Richmond Town Hall on December 3, 2007; at the Darien Town Hall on December 4, 2007; at the East Troy Town Hall on December 10, 2007; and at the Linn Town Hall on December 18, 2007. Each meeting began with an open house period providing an opportunity for the public to review background information on existing conditions and trends in the County and an opportunity to discuss the planning program, one-on-one, with the staff and Smart Growth Advisory Committee members. After the open house period, the staff gave a briefing on the Smart Growth planning effort in Walworth County—its origins, current status of the work, and future activities. This was followed by a public discussion period during which those in attendance were asked to help identify the County’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that need to be considered in the preparation of the comprehensive plan. The results are available in a preliminary draft report entitled “Public Participation Meetings/SWOT Exercises of December 2007 for the Walworth County Comprehensive Plan”.
A public participation plan has been approved by the Technical Advisory Committee, the County Board, and most of the participating towns. The plan specifies the steps—including public informational meetings, open houses, and other measures—to be taken in order to obtain a high level of public input throughout the course of the planning effort. All public informational meetings and events will be noticed on this website.
A sample survey seeking public input on many of the issues that are being addressed in the comprehensive plan was conducted in the summer of 2007. A survey questionnaire was sent to a random sample of resident households throughout the County and non-resident owners of residential property. A preliminary draft report describing the survey findings along with the survey methodology is presented in the "Walworth County Comprehensive Plan Public Opinion Survey".
The comprehensive plan is being documented in a report entitled "A Multi-Jurisdictional Comprehensive Plan for Walworth County: 2035".
Drafts have been prepared for the following chapters, which may be reviewed online:
The following chapters have yet to be completed:
If you wish to make a comment or suggestion for consideration in the Smart Growth planning process, you may do so online by going to the feedback page.
If you have any questions or comments on the multi-jurisdictional comprehensive planning effort, please feel free to contact the following County and Regional Planning Commission staff:
Neal Frauenfelder
Walworth County Land Use and
Resource Management Department
100 W. Walworth Street
P.O. Box 1001
Elkhorn, WI 53121
(262) 741-4972
Bill Stauber
SEWRPC
W239 N1812 Rockwood Drive
P.O. Box 1607
Waukesha, WI 53187-1607
(262) 547-6721, ext. 279
Laura Burgbacher
SEWRPC
W239 N1812 Rockwood Drive
P.O. Box 1607
Waukesha, WI 53187-1607
(262) 547-6721, ext. 266