Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 60 - Towns.
60.62 - Zoning authority if exercising village powers.

60.62 Zoning authority if exercising village powers.
(1) Except as provided in s. 60.23 (33) and subject to subs. (2) and (4), if a town board has been granted authority to exercise village powers under s. 60.10 (2) (c), the board may adopt zoning ordinances under s. 61.35.
(2) If the county in which the town is located has enacted a zoning ordinance under s. 59.69, the exercise of the authority under sub. (1) is subject to approval by the town meeting or by a referendum vote of the electors of the town held at the time of any regular or special election. The question for the referendum vote shall be filed as provided in s. 8.37.
(3)
(a) In counties having a county zoning ordinance, no zoning ordinance or amendment of a zoning ordinance may be adopted under this section unless approved by the county board. This paragraph applies only in counties with a population of less than 485,000, and does not apply to a town that has withdrawn from county zoning.
(b) With regard to a town to which all of the following apply, the town may not adopt or amend a zoning ordinance under this section without county board approval:
1. The town is located in a county that has a population exceeding 380,000.
2. The county in which the town is located is adjacent to a county that has a population exceeding 800,000.
3. The county in which the town is located has a zoning ordinance in effect on January 1, 2013.
(c) As part of its approval process for granting a conditional use permit under this section or s. 61.35, a town may not impose on a permit applicant a requirement that is expressly preempted by federal or state law.
(4)
(a) Notwithstanding ss. 61.35 and 62.23 (1) (a), a town with a population of less than 2,500 that acts under this section may create a “Town Plan Commission" under s. 62.23 (1) (a) that has 5 members, all of whom shall be appointed by the town board chairperson, subject to confirmation by the town board. The town chairperson shall also select the presiding officer. The town board chairperson may appoint town board members to the commission and may appoint other town elected or appointed officials to the commission, except that the commission shall always have at least one citizen member who is not a town official. Appointees to the town plan commission may be removed only by a majority vote of the town board. All other provisions of ss. 61.35 and 62.23 shall apply to a town plan commission that has 5 members.
(b) If a town plan commission consists of 7 members and the town board enacts an ordinance or adopts a resolution reducing the size of the commission to 5 members, the commission shall continue to operate with 6 or 7 members until the expiration of the terms of the 2 citizen members, who were appointed under s. 62.23 (1) (a), whose terms expire soonest after the effective date of the ordinance or resolution that reduces the size of the commission.
(c) If a town plan commission consists of 5 members and the town board enacts an ordinance or adopts a resolution increasing the size of the commission to 7 members, the town board chairperson shall appoint the 2 new members under s. 62.23 (1) (a).
(d) Notwithstanding ss. 61.35 and 62.23 (1) (a), if a town with a population of at least 2,500 acts under this section and creates a “Town Plan Commission" under s. 62.23 (1) (a), all members of the commission shall be appointed by the town board chairperson, subject to confirmation by the town board. The town chairperson shall also select the presiding officer. The town board chairperson may appoint town board members to the commission and may appoint other town elected or appointed officials to the commission, except that the commission shall always have at least 3 citizen members who are not town officials. Appointments shall be made by the town board chairperson during the month of April for terms that expire in April or at any other time if a vacancy occurs during the middle of a term except that the appointees to the town plan commission may be removed before the expiration of the appointee's term by a majority vote of the town board. All other provisions of ss. 61.35 and 62.23 shall apply to a town plan commission to which this paragraph applies.
(4e)
(a) In this subsection:
1. “Conditional use” means a use allowed under a conditional use permit, special exception, or other special zoning permission issued by a town, but does not include a variance.
2. “Substantial evidence” means facts and information, other than merely personal preferences or speculation, directly pertaining to the requirements and conditions an applicant must meet to obtain a conditional use permit and that reasonable persons would accept in support of a conclusion.
(b)
1. If an applicant for a conditional use permit meets or agrees to meet all of the requirements and conditions specified in the town ordinance or those imposed by the town zoning board, the town shall grant the conditional use permit. Any condition imposed must be related to the purpose of the ordinance and be based on substantial evidence.
2. The requirements and conditions described under subd. 1. must be reasonable and, to the extent practicable, measurable and may include conditions such as the permit's duration, transfer, or renewal. The applicant must demonstrate that the application and all requirements and conditions established by the town relating to the conditional use are or shall be satisfied, both of which must be supported by substantial evidence. The town's decision to approve or deny the permit must be supported by substantial evidence.
(c) Upon receipt of a conditional use permit application, and following publication in the town of a class 2 notice under ch. 985, the town shall hold a public hearing on the application.
(d) Once granted, a conditional use permit shall remain in effect as long as the conditions upon which the permit was issued are followed, but the town may impose conditions such as the permit's duration, transfer, or renewal, in addition to any other conditions specified in the zoning ordinance or by the town zoning board.
(e) If a town denies a person's conditional use permit application, the person may appeal the decision to the circuit court under the procedures described in s. 61.35.
(5)
(a) In this subsection, “shorelands" has the meaning given in s. 59.692 (1) (b).
(b) A town may enact a zoning ordinance under this section that applies in shorelands, except as provided in par. (c).
(c) A town zoning ordinance enacted under this section may not impose restrictions or requirements in shorelands with respect to matters regulated by a county shoreland zoning ordinance enacted under s. 59.692 affecting the same shorelands, regardless of whether the county shoreland zoning ordinance was enacted separately from, or together with, an ordinance enacted under s. 59.69, except as provided in s. 59.692 (2) (b).
(6)
(a) Not later than 60 days before a town board that wishes to withdraw from county zoning and the county development plan may enact an ordinance under s. 60.23 (34), the town board shall enact a zoning ordinance under this section, an official map under s. 62.23 (6), and a comprehensive plan under s. 66.1001.
(b) If a town receives notification under s. 59.69 (5m) that the county board has repealed its zoning ordinances, the town board shall enact a zoning ordinance under this section, an official map under s. 62.23 (6), and a comprehensive plan under s. 66.1001, all of which take effect on the effective date of the county's repeal of its zoning ordinance.
History: 1983 a. 532; 1995 a. 201; 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 9, 182; 2005 a. 207; 2009 a. 372; 2013 a. 287; 2015 a. 41, 55, 178; 2017 a. 67, 365.
An amended PUD ordinance that allowed the placement of a PUD in any district, subject only to the approval of the town board as a conditional use, was invalid as it allowed the town to rezone without county board approval. City of Waukesha v. Town of Waukesha, 198 Wis. 2d 592, 543 N.W.2d 515 (Ct. App. 1995), 94-0812.
Permitting general town regulation of shorelands under village powers conflicts with the statutory scheme of ss. 59.692 and 281.31, which, by their plain language, appear to deliberately exclude towns from having shoreland zoning authority, except in the circumstance identified in s. 59.692 (2) (b) [now s. 59.692 (2) (b), (bg), and (bm)]. Hegwood v. Town of Eagle Zoning Board of Appeals, 2013 WI App 118, 351 Wis. 2d 196, 839 N.W.2d 111, 12-2058.
Judicial review of a county board's legislative decision concerning approval or disapproval of town zoning ordinances submitted under sub. (3) is limited to cases of abuse of discretion, excess of power, or error of law. 79 Atty. Gen. 117.

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