Southwestern Wisconsin planners to open public comment on Richland County future land-use maps Dec. 10

Dan, a planner with the Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, told the Richland County Land Conservation Committee that the county’s comprehensive-plan update includes a new future land-use map and that the public-comment period will open Dec. 10 at the county’s executive committee meeting.

Dan said the map used current zoning as the base because some town records for existing land use are incomplete; six of the 12 townships engaged in the process and provided revisions. He described plans for an online interactive map that will allow users to toggle between county zoning and future land-use categories and said the regional commission will host the map at no cost as part of the comprehensive-planning process. Dan recommended that the county website be updated to include the new map layer once the plan is adopted.

Committee members raised several implementation questions, including whether the new future land-use designations could affect existing farmland-preservation designations and what process should be used to correct individual parcels already in the county zoning records. Dan said the plan commission (the executive committee) has the authority to approve maps; he reviewed the timeline: public-comment opening on Dec. 10, public hearing on Jan. 14, then adoption by the county board in mid- to late January. Members discussed using a land-information grant to fund website updates so the public can easily view the new maps.

The committee did not adopt the plan at the meeting; the items were informational and committee members were told they will be formally advised when the public-comment period opens.