Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Superior, Wisconsin

Town of Superior’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  A new dwelling inside Superior town.

  • A county land-use or conditional-use permit and, unless served by municipal sewer, a septic-system permit are also required.

  “The permitting process for a new dwelling in Douglas County requires: [...] A building permit from the town”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Superior, where the town has published Chapter VIII, Zoning and Planning ordinances and county zoning operates in each town.

  • The county zoning ordinance states that its amendment is effective in each town as provided by Wis. Stat. § 59.69(5)(e)6.
  • Specific parcel district and shoreland-overlay status must be determined from the official county maps.

  “Following passage and publication by the County Board of Supervisors, this amendment shall be in full force and effect in each town, as provided in Section 59.69(5)(e)6, Wis. Stats.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  County zoning districts applicable inside Superior town.

  • The exact parcel boundary is governed by Detailed Zoning Maps if they conflict with the Official Zoning Map.
  • The County Zoning Administrator decides questions of exact district-boundary location, subject to appeal.
  • The UVD overlay expressly includes delineated lands in the Town of Superior sanitary-district boundaries.

  “For the purposes of this ordinance, the unincorporated areas of Douglas County are hereby divided into the following types of districts:”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  One-family dwelling lots in County R-1 Residential District inside Superior town.

  • The dimensional schedule applies unless the ordinance or official zoning map specifies otherwise.
  • For a one-family dwelling, add 5,000 square feet for each additional unit over one.
  • The schedule also contains shoreland and special-district requirements.

  minimum lot area with public sewer: 10000 square feet (R-1 one-family dwelling) · minimum lot area without public sewer: 20000 square feet (R-1 one-family dwelling; plus any additional area required by Wis. Adm. Code Comm 85)

  “Required Lots Area (Acres or Square Feet) With Public Sewer Without Public Sewer [...] 10,0002 20,0003”

• SetbacksSpecified

  County R-1 Residential District inside Superior town.

  • The zoning schedule applies unless the ordinance or official zoning map specifies otherwise.
  • Highway and road setbacks can be greater and control as stated in § 4.2.
  • Other overlays, including shoreland, can impose separate requirements.

  front yard: 30 feet (R-1 schedule) · side yard principal building: 10 feet (R-1 schedule) · side yard accessory building: 5 feet (R-1 schedule) · rear yard principal building: 40 feet (R-1 schedule) · rear yard accessory building: 20 feet (R-1 schedule)

  “Yards Required Front Side Principal Building Accessory Building Rear Principal Building Accessory Building 30 10 5 40 20”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  New dwellings inside Superior town that are not served by municipal sewer.

  • Municipal-sewer-served property is excepted from the septic-permit requirement.

  “A septic system permit (unless the property is served by a municipal sewer system) from the Douglas County Zoning Office”

• Septic permitRequired

  New dwellings inside Superior town not served by municipal sewer.

  • A municipal-sewer-served property is excepted.

  “A septic system permit (unless the property is served by a municipal sewer system) from the Douglas County Zoning Office”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Human-occupied principal buildings inside Superior town using private sewage disposal.

  • Safe and adequate water and sewage-disposal facilities are required under the Douglas County Sanitary Code and applicable Wisconsin Administrative Code.
  • Private waste-disposal systems require review and issuance of a sanitary permit.

  “The County Zoning Administrator shall not hereafter authorize a building to be erected, structurally altered, or relocated which has a private waste disposal system unless the plans for the system have been reviewed in accordance with the provisions of the Douglas County Sanitary Code, and a sanitary permit has been issued.”

• Well permitRequired

  Residential use inside Superior town not connected to a public water system.

  • The drinking-water supply must be safe and adequate and located on the premises.

  “Where connection is not to be made to a public water system, no residential use shall be permitted unless provision is made for a safe and adequate supply of drinking water located on the premises, a permit for which has been obtained in accordance with the provisions of the Douglas County Sanitary Code.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Access driveways to highways from property inside Superior town.

  • Spacing, intersection, maximum-number, and width requirements vary by highway class and land use.
  • A temporary access permit may be used only with approval from the highway agency having jurisdiction, and is revocable when a frontage road is provided.

  Class C highway minimum distance between driveways: >= 75 feet (Separate land uses) · Class C highway minimum distance from intersection: >= 75 feet (Access driveway) · other-land-use maximum driveway accesses: 1 (Maximum width 24 feet)

  “Access driveways to highways from abutting properties shall comply with the following requirements:”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  New dwellings and land-use permits inside Superior town.

  • New dwellings require county land-use/conditional-use authorization, septic authorization unless served by municipal sewer, and a town building permit.
  • Conditional uses require town-board recommendation and Zoning Committee approval at a public hearing.
  • Special permit conditions may apply near streams, lakes, and wetlands.

  “The permitting process for a new dwelling in Douglas County requires: [...] Obtaining a land use or conditional use permit from the Douglas County Zoning office [...] A building permit from the town”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Superior

Town of Superior does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  New dwellings inside Superior town under Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code procedures.

  • The code is administered by DSPS Safety and Buildings Division under SPS 320-325.
  • The town is responsible to assure proper procedures and has a permitting process including application, plan review, and inspections.

  “The Code is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) Safety and Buildings Division, based on rules outlined in SPS 320-325. In rural Douglas County each town is responsible to assure the proper procedures are met.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code construction inside Superior town.

  • Inspections required by the code are included in each town's permitting process.
  • Inspectors may be state or municipal employees or private firms under contract with the town.

  “Each town has created an ordinance or resolution outlining the permitting process to include application, plan review, and inspections required in the Code.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Superior or Douglas County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built dwellings inside Superior town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential construction inside Superior town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Superior town.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Superior town.
• Camping on your land — Tent and other temporary camping on private land inside Superior town.

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.