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City briefed on Wisconsin Policy Forum study showing Waukesha near the top for permitting speed in cohort
Summary
City staff told the council Waukesha ranked second among participating municipalities for time to issue building permits on projects valued at $5 million or more, with a raw median around 222 days and an adjusted figure of 87 days after excluding developer revision time.
City staff briefed the council on Waukesha’s participation in a Wisconsin Policy Forum study examining how long large projects (those valued at $5 million or more) take to receive building permits in Milwaukee and several surrounding municipalities.
Jennifer (city staff) said Waukesha ranked second in the study’s cohort with approximately 222 days measured from application submission to permit issuance. When the Policy Forum adjusted the metric to remove time attributable to applicant/developer revisions (a window the city cannot control), Waukesha’s median fell to about 87 days, still second in the cohort. Staff emphasized that rezonings and land-use plan amendments add time because of public-hearing requirements and that informal pre-application meetings substantially reduce friction.
Staff attached the full report to the meeting agenda and invited council questions; no formal action was required.
