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

Town of Fern’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of Fern, Florence County, Wisconsin, which is subject to Florence County zoning rather than a separately located Fern zoning code.

  • Florence County's zoning ordinance regulates land and buildings in all unincorporated areas of the county.
  • The official County Board of Adjustment record confirms that a property in the Town of Fern was subject to the Florence County Shoreland/Wetland Zoning Ordinance and County Zoning Ordinance because it was within 1,000 feet of Loon Lake and Keyes Lake.
  • A land-use permit must be issued by the Zoning and Planning Administrator before a structure is built, moved, or structurally altered.

  “Wolf explained that Mr. and Mrs. Kramer inquired about building an accessory structure garage on their property at 4985 Balsam Drive in the Town of Fern. This property is subject to the Florence County Shoreland/Wetland Zoning Ordinance due to being within 1000 feet of both Loon Lake and Keyes Lake and thus would require the minimum road setbacks as required by the Florence County Zoning Ordinance.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private onsite wastewater treatment systems and non-plumbing sanitation systems inside the Town of Fern, Florence County, Wisconsin.

  • The Florence County Sanitary Ordinance applies to all geographic areas within Florence County.
  • Buildings or domestic-wastewater sources intended for human habitation or occupancy that are not served by public sanitary sewer must have an approved holding or treatment-and-dispersal system that complies with the ordinance.
  • A private sewage system may not be located, installed, moved, reconstructed, or substantially altered except as permitted by the ordinance.
  • For newly constructed buildings, the private sewage system must be approved, installed, and inspected before occupancy.
  • Buildings with plumbing fixtures must connect to public sanitary sewer where available; otherwise a private sewage system may be used. When public sewer becomes available, the private system must be disconnected within one year and the building connected to public sewer.
  • A valid state sanitary permit is required before installing, modifying, or performing work to a private sewage system.

  “The requirements of this ordinance shall apply to all geographic areas within Florence County.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Fern

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

• Building permitRequired

  New one- and two-family dwelling units, including stick-built, modular, and manufactured-home installations, inside the Town of Fern, Florence County, Wisconsin.

  • The requirement concerns new one- and two-family dwelling units, including stick-built, modular, and manufactured-home installations.
  • The Town of Fern is listed by Wisconsin DSPS as a delegated UDC authority.
  • For projects covered by the UDC, a permit is required before construction; alterations and additions may have separate local requirements.

  “A permit under the UDC is required for new one- and two-family dwelling units. This includes stick-built, modular, and manufactured home installations.”

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.