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

Town of Mackford’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Mackford town; the Town has adopted the Green Lake County Zoning Ordinance, which is administered and enforced by Green Lake County.

  • County zoning and its district-specific requirements apply to the town.

  “Of the ten Towns in Green Lake County, six have adopted the County Zoning Ordinance: Town of Berlin, Town of Brooklyn, Town of Green Lake, Town of Mackford, Town of Manchester, and Town of Marquette.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Mackford

Town of Mackford 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

  Land-disturbing activity, including placement or alteration of a building or structure, inside zoned Mackford town.

  • A complete application usually consists of a completed application form, scaled site plan, and construction-cost-based fee.
  • This is a county land-use permit requirement; the source does not establish a separate Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code permit requirement.

  “A land use permit is required for any land-disturbing activity, including the placement or alteration of any building or structure, within the zoned Towns or within the jurisdiction of the ordinances this Department administers.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Mackford town, which has adopted the County Zoning Ordinance.

  • District boundaries are established on the County Zoning District Map.
  • Parcel-specific district assignment must be confirmed from the official map.

  “For the purposes of this chapter, Green Lake County, Wisconsin, is hereby divided into 14 zoning districts, as follows:”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-4 Rural Residential District parcels inside Mackford town.

  • Road right-of-way area is not included in the minimum acreage requirement.
  • County land-division and subdivision design standards apply.

  contiguous lot area: >= 3 acres (less than eight acres maximum; road right-of-way excluded) · contiguous lot area: < 8 acres (road right-of-way excluded)

  “A lot or parcel shall have a three-acre-minimum and less than eight-acre-maximum of contiguous land area. The area within the road right(s)-of-way shall not be included in the minimum acreage requirement; however, design standards pursuant to Chapter 315, Code of Green Lake County, Land Division and Subdivision, shall apply.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 Single-Family Residence District parcels inside Mackford town.

    “A lot or parcel shall have a one-acre-minimum contiguous land area.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Principal dwelling structures in the R-1 Single-Family Residence District inside Mackford town.

  • Highway setbacks are governed separately by § 350-50A.

  rear-yard setback: >= 25 feet · side-yard setback: >= 12 feet

  “Highway setbacks: Refer to § 350-50A. Rear yard setback: 25 feet minimum. Side yard setback: 12 feet minimum.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Principal dwelling structures in the R-4 Rural Residential District inside Mackford town.

    “Highway setbacks: Refer to § 350-50A. Rear yard setback: 25 feet minimum. Side yard setback: 12 feet minimum.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Property inside Mackford town within 300 feet of the ordinary high-water mark and subject to the County Shoreland Zoning Ordinance.

  • Existing impervious-surface percentage before new construction may be used where it exceeds 15%.
  • The County identifies engineered infiltration and mitigation measures that may bring properties into compliance.

  impervious-surface limit: <= 15 percent (or percentage existing before new construction)

  “The Shoreland Zoning ordinance has language limiting the impervious surfaces to 15%, or to the percentage existing prior to new construction.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Dwelling structures in the R-1 Single-Family Residence District inside Mackford town.

  • Highway, rear-yard, and side-yard requirements also apply.

  dwelling structure height: <= 35 feet

  “Structure height; dwelling structure: 35 feet overall maximum.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Dwelling structures in the R-4 Rural Residential District inside Mackford town.

    “Structure height; dwelling structure: 35 feet overall maximum.”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  A manufactured home occupied by one family on a parcel in the R-2 Single-Family Mobile Home Residence District inside Mackford town.

  • The home must be permanently mounted on a stone, concrete, or masonry foundation; skirted; and adequately served by sanitary facilities complying with local ordinances and state law.

  “In the Class Two Residential District, all uses and structures shall be permitted that are permitted in the Single-Family Residence District, and, in addition thereto, mobile and manufactured homes occupied by a single family shall be permitted.”

• Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

  Human habitation in one detached accessory building structure on an A-1 Farmland Preservation District parcel inside Mackford town.

  • Habitation is limited to 20% of the accessory structure footprint or 300 square feet, whichever is less.
  • The standard applies to only one detached accessory building structure per lot or parcel.

  maximum habitable accessory-building area: <= 20 percent of footprint (or 300 square feet, whichever is less) · maximum habitable accessory-building area: <= 300 square feet (or 20% of footprint, whichever is less)

  “Human habitation of a detached accessory building structure may be allowed; however, it shall be limited to 20% of the footprint area or 300 square feet, whichever is less. This standard shall apply to only one detached accessory building structure per lot or parcel.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private onsite wastewater treatment systems inside Mackford town where public sewer is unavailable.

  • The County program uses guidelines and mandates in County Code Chapter 334 and Wisconsin Administrative Code SPS 381-387.

  “Green Lake County administers a program using guidelines and mandates set forth in the Code of Green Lake County Chapter 334 and Wisconsin Administrative Code SPS 381-387.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Property owners with septic systems inside Mackford town.

  • Inspection for pumping is required at least once every three years.

  inspection interval: per 3 years

  “All property owners with a septic system are required by state law to have the system inspected for pumping at least once every three years.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Owners of A-1 Farmland Preservation-zoned land inside Mackford town seeking Wisconsin farmland-preservation tax credits.

  • Eligibility depends on the County zoning ordinance being certified by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

  “This Zoning Ordinance must be certified by the State of Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) in order for owners of land that is zoned A-1 Farmland Preservation in the Green Lake County to be eligible to claim tax credits under the State of Wisconsin's Farmland Preservation Program.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions and subdivisions inside Mackford town.

  • The County Land Use Planning and Zoning Department administers County land-use ordinances including land division.

  “Basic ordinance responsibility covers general zoning, shoreland zoning, floodplain zoning, private sewage, land division, and nonmetallic mining reclamation.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Land-disturbing development inside Mackford town that is within the jurisdiction of the County Floodplain Zoning Ordinance.

  • County land-use permit is required for land-disturbing activity within the jurisdiction of ordinances the department administers.
  • Green Lake County is required by state statute to maintain and enforce its Floodplain Zoning Ordinance.

  “A land use permit is required for any land-disturbing activity, including the placement or alteration of any building or structure, within the zoned Towns or within the jurisdiction of the ordinances this Department administers.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Tourist rooming houses in the R-4 Rural Residential District inside Mackford town.

  • The use is listed as a conditional use; conditional-use permit conditions and standards are in Chapter 350, Article VII.

  “Conditional uses. Conditions and standards for a conditional use permit are set forth in § 350, Article VII, Conditional Use Permits. [...] Tourist rooming house.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  County land-use permit applications for projects inside Mackford town.

  • Fees are based on combined construction costs for multiple projects.
  • Fees are non-refundable; renewal fee equals the initial fee; after-the-fact permit fee is doubled.

  land-use permit fee: 50 USD (construction cost $0-$999) · land-use permit fee: 1250 USD (construction cost $900,000 or more)

  “$0 - $999………$50 [...] $900,000 - Or more ………$1,250”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  County land-use permit applications for projects inside zoned Mackford town.

  • County may require a certificate of survey before permit issuance.
  • New homes and other principal structures require building plans and side-elevation drawings.
  • Additional Shoreland Zoning information may be required.

  “A complete Land Use Permit application usually consists of three parts: 1. Completed application form 2. Site Plan rendered to scale 3. Application fee, based on cost of construction for the project.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Mackford town.
• Building code adopted — Residential building-code adoption for land inside Mackford town.
• Inspections — Residential construction inside Mackford town.
• Certificate of occupancy — New or altered dwellings inside Mackford town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Mackford town under the County Zoning Ordinance.

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.