Occasionally, a property owner may desire to change the zone district of their property. The most common reason for a rezone request is that a proposed use of the property is not compatible with the property's current zone district.

General Information

Fees

(Based on Fee Schedule Dated January 01, 2020)

• Public Hearing Filing Fee: $500.00

Application Procedures

The completed and signed Rezone Application, together with the appropriate application fee, must be in the Zoning Office by the deadlines established in the Sawyer County Zoning Committee Public Hearing Schedule.

The Zoning Office staff then performs various administrative activities (i.e., title search of the applicant's property, research of property owners within 300 feet of the applicant's property, public hearing notice sent to the applicant, application sent to the respective Town Clerk, opinion letters mailed to property owners within 300 feet of the applicant's property and the application will be advertised twice in the local newspaper). The respective Town Board will then meet and make a recommendation to the Sawyer County Zoning Committee concerning the application. The Sawyer County Zoning Committee then conducts a public hearing in accordance with the Zoning Committee Rules and By-Laws. If the applicant's property is located outside of the shorelands*, the Committee will uphold a "denial" recommendation of the Town. However, if the Town recommends approval of the application, the Committee may recommend either approval or denial of the application. If the applicant's property is located within the shorelands*, the Committee is not obligated to follow the Town's recommendation, whether it be an approval or denial, and may make its own recommendation.

The final step in the rezone process is the ratification of the rezone by the County Board and the updating of the Zoning Office zone district maps to reflect the zone district change. The entire application process from the submission of the completed application on the application deadline date to the ratification by the County Board requires approximately 84 days.

Note: * Shorelands include those areas within one thousand (1,000) feet of the ordinary high-water mark of navigable lakes, ponds and flowages; and three hundred (300) feet of the ordinary high-water mark of navigable streams and rivers; or to three hundred (300) feet of the landward side of the floodplain which ever is greater.