Waukesha planning commission advances zoning rewrite, renames residential districts RN‑1 through RN‑4 amid resident concern

The Waukesha City Plan Commission on June 25, 2025 reviewed a revised draft of the city's district and use standards, proposing to replace several existing residential zones with four new Residential Neighborhood districts labeled RN‑1 through RN‑4.

Planning staff said the change is intended to simplify the code and reduce mismatches between existing development and zoning. "So the biggest change has been to the names of the new residential districts," Charlie (staff member) told commissioners during the presentation, explaining the draft combines several nearly identical zones into the four RN categories.

The revision sorts the city's existing nine residential districts into four: RN‑1 for larger suburban single‑unit lots; RN‑2 for standard single‑unit and some small multifamily; RN‑3 to cover smaller central‑city lots and traditional neighborhoods; and RN‑4 to accommodate larger multifamily and the city's one mobile home park. Staff said accessory dwelling units…