Rusk County planners begin aligning shoreland code with DNR model; limited technical edits proposed

Rusk County zoning staff reviewed planned edits to the county’s shoreland zoning ordinance to align local language with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) model ordinance and recently passed state provisions.

Zoning administrator Yvonne told the committee staff propose modest edits rather than wholesale changes: break up existing boathouse language for clarity; explicitly exclude boathouses from the 200 square‑foot floor‑area cap applied to open‑sided or screened structures in the shoreland setback; add “rail system” to the list of dock and pier features; and insert fence language that mirrors a new state provision for fences near roadways.

Staff said the edits are largely technical and intended to make local code consistent with statutory citations and the DNR model. The changes would maintain local limits such as the 35‑foot minimum setback for open‑sided or screened structures and a 10‑foot wall height maximum, while clarifying that boathouses do not count toward the 200 square‑foot limit for certain setback structures.

The zoning review also noted a DNR‑modeled fence exemption for roadway‑adjacent fences that meet detailed dimensional conditions (for example, a location requirement landward of the ordinary high‑water mark and defined distance limits from road edges). Staff said the fence exception likely applies to very few properties in the county but must be added to local code to conform to state language.

Next steps: Staff will incorporate the edits into a draft ordinance, submit it to the DNR for review and then schedule the changes for a public hearing and final county action after the DNR’s review.

Ending: Staff emphasized the changes are principally clarifying and not intended to broadly expand or restrict current local regulation; the draft will return for further committee and public review.