Suamico planners propose R‑1/R‑2/R‑3 rural‑sewer zones as board approves rezoning of two parcels

The Suamico Planning & Zoning Commission presented a package of options Monday to prepare the village’s comprehensive‑plan update, including a proposal to split rural‑sewer land into three new zone types (R‑1, R‑2 and R‑3) to permit a range of housing forms from traditional single‑family to more dense multifamily in targeted locations.

Commission representative Andy Congdon said the change is intended to give the village more tools for guiding the type and location of future development rather than relying on conditional plan‑development approvals. Planning staff and Alex (village staff) framed the proposal within a fiscal context: Wisconsin’s levy‑limit rules tie allowable levy growth to net new construction, and staff warned a drop in the village’s "levy adjustment available" by 2028 could constrain the board’s ability to raise property‑tax revenue without penalties.

"We have to keep it under that $1,071,000," Alex said of the 2028 levy adjustment target, and staff estimated the village can increase levy adjustment by about $187,000 between now and 2028 — roughly $62,000 per year — which is below the roughly $100,000 per year the village historically needs to keep up with rising costs.

Commissioners described constraints in the sewer area, reporting only five developable lots currently in developers’ hands and high per‑lot preconstruction costs (staff cited roughly $50,000 per lot to prepare). The commission recommended three zones: R‑1 to reflect current single‑family frontage standards, R‑2 to permit smaller frontages and duplexes, and R‑3 to allow more density including multifamily in appropriate locations.

Resident George Hausladen, who helped compile data for the commission, urged planners to act on demographic trends. "If Suamico starts to follow the population trends of the rest of Brown County … we will have to have 400 more residential units in the village just because of demographics," he said.

Related to the commission's work, the board held a public hearing and then voted on Ordinance 2025‑03 to rezone parcels SU‑686 and SU‑687 from agricultural farmland‑preservation to rural residential. Trustee Andrews moved the ordinance, Trustee Romas seconded, and a roll call produced seven 'Aye' votes to adopt the rezoning.

Next steps: the planning commission will return with detailed lot‑size and value‑impact analyses (R‑1/R‑2/R‑3 definitions, frontage sizes, and modeled effects on median home values) to inform the comprehensive‑plan update and any proposed ordinance changes.