Delafield council votes to begin ordinance amendment on impervious-surface limits for lakefront lots

The Delafield Common Council on May 19 voted to initiate an application to amend Chapter 52 of the city zoning ordinance to add limits on impervious surfaces for certain lakefront lots and referred the matter to the Plan Commission to prepare text and schedule a public hearing.

Council initiation follows a multi-year review by the Lake Welfare Committee and the Plan Commission. City staff and committee members said the recommended threshold is a 50% maximum impervious surface for affected lots; the change would apply to lots meeting criteria discussed by committees, including a 20,000-square-foot lot threshold and at least 100 feet of water frontage as part of the original Lake Welfare proposal. Current city code already prohibits impervious surfaces within 35 feet of the ordinary high-water mark, with exceptions for boathouses that comply…