Some people believe all decisions about the community should be made at the most local level possible. In Wisconsin, this is at the individual level (no zoning at all like the Town of Pilsen) or the Township level (Towns created their own zoning code).
I disagree. Especially when the issue has to do with private property rights, property values, and taxpayer investment.
The value of zoning. I want a level of certainty about the uses of property next door. For example, a storage facility with people coming and going with an impervious parking lot with bright safety lights would diminish my quiet enjoyment of my property and it could diminish the value of my land. I don’t think my neighbor or I should be able to do anything we want with our property. These land uses are regulated by zoning.
A regional approach. Zoning codes can facilitate community goals that are regional in nature. For example, not every 6 mile x 6 mile Township needs a business park, airstrip, and a retail area. Surveys of rural Townships show again and again that the most important thing residents value is “rural character”. If zoning is controlled at the Town level, it is subject to this mindset that the Town should have “one of everything” and allow every type of land use.
Who is going to pay for Town Zoning? The Town may choose no zoning or decide to create their own zoning code. A Town that takes on its own zoning code has to spend money to hire a zoning code-writer, hire a zoning administrator, handle enforcement issues, and be ready to answer any legal challenges from a disgruntled landowner who doesn’t like their decision. This risk is born by a Town with a limited resources to insure against this type of risk. Administering your own zoning costs money.
More oversight. Township level zoning can also lead to uncomfortable pressure from friends and neighbors to make the “right” decision that they are requesting. In contrast, County Zoning is reviewed by a professional planner and zoning administrator and reviewed by the Bayfield County Planning and Zoning Committee made up of five county board members representing the entire County.
I think opting out of Bayfield County Zoning is a bad idea.
Ruth Oppedahl
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