FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q:     What’s the difference between Land Use Planning, “Smart Growth” and Comprehensive Planning? 

A:     The concept of land use planning has existed for many years.  I have in our library a number of land use plans related to a variety of impacts written by a number of agencies primarily at the State and Federal level to include a plan considered by the County Board in 2001.  In the last twenty years land use planners have coined the phrase “smart growth” to describe efforts to manage the increased demand on infrastructure on communities experiencing uncontrolled increases in population.  In  Wisconsin, Comprehensive Planning is the result of State legislation adopted in 1999 requiring that all communities with zoning jurisdiction adopt a comprehensive plan by January 1, 2010.  In the case of rural Douglas County that responsibility falls to the Douglas County Board.  The City of Superior and the five villages will create separate plans.  

Q:     What is a Comprehensive Plan? 

A:     A comprehensive plan is a broad, inclusive and specialized document integrating a local jurisdiction’s vision, values and goals regarding topics such as housing, population, land use, community services and natural resource management.  A comprehensive plan addresses anticipated change and the evolution of the community.    

Q:     Why should we do comprehensive planning? 

A:     The purpose of the plan is to maintain or enhance the quality of life of county residents, property owners and industry.  The plan will promote the balancing of orderly and cost-effective growth, enhancement of economic opportunities and protection of the natural environment. The plan will identify critical needs and issues confronting the community, inventory resources and services, define existing land uses, resources, programs or land use issues crossing jurisdictional boundaries and develop a land use vision, goals and policies.  The purpose is to provide consistency in land use decision-making and provides a factual basis for recommending amendments to local zoning ordinances based on current and future conditions. 

Q:     Is this a case of Madison telling us what to do? 

A:     Comprehensive planning is a case of Madison telling us we need a cookbook.  What recipes go in that cookbook are entirely up to us.  The statute established a table of contents to assure consistency between the plan formats across Wisconsin’s 72 counties and hundreds of municipalities.  No one in Madison will write this plan for us.  After all it’s our community and it’s our plan.

Q:     How will comprehensive planning help Douglas County? 

A:     The plan will provide a detailed snapshot of the community today, assist us all in better decision making, allow community leaders to be proactive rather than reactive and chart a course for land use and economic development for the next twenty years.

Q:     What will this plan look like? 

A:     The state statute requires that every plan contain nine key elements.  Those elements are: 1) issues and opportunities, 2) housing, 3) transportation, 4) utilities and community facilities, 5) natural, cultural and agricultural resources, 6) economic development, 7) intergovernmental cooperation, 8) land use and 9) implementation.  The completed plan will contain vital statistics regarding population growth trends, resources, maps and will reflect the direct input of residents and local officials.

Q:     How do we get from here to there? 

A:     Each year the Department of Administration makes available $2 million for communities selected to receive planning grants.  The Wisconsin Department of Administration reviewed our 2005 application and it was denied.  Last summer I contacted representatives from Northwest Regional Planning Commission to discuss development of a 2007 Comprehensive Planning Grant application to be submitted to the Wisconsin Department of Administration in October 2006.  The 2007 multi-jurisdictional grant application included the incorporation of the draft county land use plan, resolutions signed by 16 of the 22 municipalities in Douglas County and Comprehensive Plans completed by the City of Superior and the Towns of Wascott and Maple.  On March 28, 2007 I received notification that Superior/Douglas County is among the successful grant recipients! 

Q:     How can the public provide input regarding the plan? 

A:     Throughout the process the Comprehensive Plan Committee will conduct meetings that are open to the public.  A primary responsibility of the committee is to prepare an outreach plan to encourage individuals, groups and local municipalities to be engaged in this process.  The challenge of creating a visionary plan cannot be overcome by a few voices.  The challenges facing one community may not be shared by all.  The plan will acknowledge these variations and will include specific recommendations for each municipality as required by the statute.  We will rely on the patience and wisdom of the committee with support by Planning and Zoning Department staff and representatives from Northwest Regional Planning to sort through the opinions, perspectives and desires expressed by those parties choosing to participate.

Q:     What happens after the plan is created, approved by the Douglas County Board and the Wisconsin Department of Administration? 

A:     After the adoption phase ends the implementation phase begins.  The implementation element (Element #9) establishes the basic framework for executing the plan through a series of policies, programs and actions overseen by a lead committee.  Depending on the municipality the lead committee may be a Planning Commission or the Douglas County Zoning Committee. The approved plan provides the factual basis for the review and amendment of current zoning ordinances that have been in effect for 35 years and a coherent framework for reviewing and approving proposed land use projects for the next two decades.