Committee backs land-use map change, approves after-the-fact certified survey maps in Trenton

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Wis. — The Washington County Land Use and Planning Committee on July 17 recommended approval of amendment 25-2 to the Washington County 2050 comprehensive plan and approved two certified survey maps (CSMs) covering parcels in the Town of Trenton, after staff described the land division as having been recorded before county review.

County land-use staff said the amendment would reclassify a parcel from medium-density residential to suburban-density residential so that two CSMs can be approved and recorded consistently with the county comprehensive plan. Staff said the developer paused sales and is working with county staff after the CSMs were recorded without prior county sign-off.

The amendment matters because ordinances and land divisions must be consistent with the county comprehensive plan; staff said sewer-pack review found changing medium-density to suburban-density residential was consistent with regional planning, but converting isolated natural resource areas to suburban density would not be consistent with policies that protect primary environmental corridors and isolated natural resources. Staff recommended approving only the medium-density-to-suburban-density change and noted that some uses remain allowed in isolated natural resource areas, such as five-acre single-family lots.

Committee members raised procedural questions about how the CSMs were recorded before county review. Supervisor Brian Krebs asked, “Where does our approval fall in the process with the Town of Trenton?” Staff replied that the town had already updated its land-use plan and the county’s comprehensive plan must conform to that patchwork process. Staff described the filing as “a little bit after the fact,” and said the county attorney and staff asked the landowner to pause sales once the county learned the maps had been recorded.

The committee approved the recommendation with three conditions for the parcels inside the county’s shoreland jurisdiction: that all building activity in the Shoreland District obtain required shoreland permits; that applicants obtain any required stormwater-management permit or a formal waiver; and that the county board formally adopt the comprehensive-plan amendment before any sales proceed. Staff said the four lots subject to county review average about 1.5 to 2 acres, soil tests support private on-site septic, and stormwater permitting is in process.

Formal actions recorded in the meeting packet and on the record included motions to approve the resolution and ordinance implementing amendment 25-2 and to accept the two certified survey maps (CSM 7398 and CSM 7399). Motions were seconded and the committee voted to approve the resolution and ordinance and to accept the maps; the approvals are contingent on the county-board adoption of the comprehensive-plan amendment (county-board meeting noted for mid-August). Staff said that once the county board acts, the CSM recording will be updated as appropriate.

The committee directed staff to continue coordinating with the county attorney and the developer and to return any outstanding documentation required before final sales or building permits. The developer has been asked to cease marketing or sales for the affected shoreland lots until county conditions are satisfied.

The items discussed were Recommendation: approval of Resolution (amendment 25-2) and Ordinance (land-division consistency) and Approval: CSM 7398 and CSM 7399, subject to shoreland permits, stormwater approval or waiver, and county-board adoption of the comprehensive-plan amendment.