CITY OF FORT ATKINSON UNDERTAKING REWRITE OF ZONING ORDINANCE. On March 5, 2019, the City will be completing the Comprehensive Plan update process and is now transitioning into the next City-wide project, a full rewrite of the City’s Zoning Ordinance. The project is expected to take 12-18 months. The purposes of this project are to modernize zoning regulations, streamline zoning processes, encourage reinvestment, and implement the City’s recently adopted Comprehensive Plan. Public input is encouraged throughout, to ensure the Zoning Ordinance reflects community needs and wishes. 
A zoning ordinance (also called a zoning code) is the set of rules that a local or county government adopts to regulate the use of land, particularly when new development is proposed. Different land uses may include residential, commercial, industrial, or a mix of uses. Zoning Ordinances also include rules for certain aspects of new development such as site design, landscaping, and signage.

The update of the City of Fort Atkinson Comprehensive Plan recommended that the City rewrite and adopt a new Zoning Ordinance. Many of the development standards in the City’s current Ordinance do not reflect modern development and land use practices. The new Ordinance will consider new zoning districts and updated regulations for mixed use development, landscaping, lighting, building materials, and nonconforming situations.

The updated City of Fort Atkinson Comprehensive Plan includes a Future Land Use (FLU) Map, which divides the community into land use designations reflecting desired future uses and provides a guide for future zoning and subdivision decisions. This map illustrates the City’s desires for how land will develop or change over time and is purely an advisory tool, though it is intended to facilitate consistent and defensible decision-making when considering Zoning Map amendments. Under state law, changes to the Zoning Map must be consistent with the FLU Map.

An open-to-the-public Kickoff Meeting with the City Council and Plan Commission has been set for March 13, 2019 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Dwight Foster Public Library in the community room, and multiple Open Houses are planned to gather input throughout the process. The general timeline is as follows:

• Winter 2019: Identify issues and analyze existing Zoning Ordinance
• Spring/Summer 2019: Prepare Draft Zoning Ordinance and review with Plan Commission
• Fall/Winter 2019: Prepare Draft Zoning Map and review with Plan Commission
• Spring 2020: Adopt Zoning Ordinance and Map

After the Kickoff Meeting on March 13, a project-specific working group will be formed. The group will work in concert with Vandewalle & Associates to guide the project through each phase. Regular updates will be given to the Plan Commission and City Council throughout the process and each of those meetings will be open to the public. Final adoption of the new Zoning Ordinance and Official Zoning Map will take place at a Public Hearing before the City Council.

There are several ways to stay involved with the process, whether through reviewing draft documents, participating in meetings, or providing feedback. See the City’s website or Facebook page for updated documents and a schedule of events, or contact City Manager Matt Trebatoski at mtrebatoski@fortatkinsonwi.net or 920-563-7760 for additional information. You may also join the project’s email distribution list to receive project updates by emailing Ben Rohr of Vandewalle & Associates at brohr@vandewalle.com.