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

Rules another office applies inside Town of Highland

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

• Local zoningVaries (with conditions)

  Land inside Highland town (Iowa County, WI). This countywide claim aggregates town-by-town adoption of the Iowa County Zoning Ordinance; it is not a finding that Highland town has adopted it. Whether county zoning governs Highland town depends on Highland town's approval, which was not verified.

  • Under section 1.7, the county ordinance takes effect in a town only after the county board adopts it for that town, the town board approves it, and a certified copy of the approving resolution is filed with the county clerk.
  • No Highland town approval resolution was located. The Town of Highland (Iowa County) ordinances page reports its ordinance files as 'coming soon', so no town zoning ordinance was found on the town's site.

  “this ordinance shall be effective after adoption by the county board of supervisors in any town in iowa county when approved by the town board and when a certified copy of the approving resolution is filed with the county clerk.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Iowa County zoning districts that apply in towns which approved county zoning. Applies inside Highland town only if Highland town has approved the ordinance, which was not verified.

  • The official zoning map showing district boundaries is kept on file in the county office and is available for public inspection during normal business hours.
  • The district regulations are published in the ordinance text (agricultural, overlay, open space/recreational, and residential districts appear in the text reviewed).

  “the official zoning map designates the location and boundaries of the various zoning districts within iowa county and is incorporated herein by reference.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Iowa County agricultural (farmland preservation) district land in towns that have approved county zoning. The district is the A-1 exclusive agricultural district; the excerpt's heading was not captured, so the district name is inferred from the AC-1 overlay text that refers to the underlying a-1 agricultural district. Applies inside Highland town only if Highland town has approved county zoning, which was not verified.

  • A lot described by survey plat or metes and bounds must be at least 40 acres.
  • A 'forty forty' described by metes and bounds that surveys to less than 40.0 acres meets the minimum only if all four quarter-quarter corners are identified in the survey description.
  • If it is unclear whether a lot meets the minimum acreage, a survey is required at the applicant's expense.
  • The district is deemed a farmland preservation zoning district under chapter 91, Wis. Stats.

  minimum lot size: >= 40 acres (Forty-forty lots surveyed under 40.0 acres qualify only if all four quarter-quarter corners are identified.)

  “the minimum lot size in this district shall be 40 acres described by survey plat or metes and bounds.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits for new dwellings inside Highland town (Iowa County)
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for dwellings inside Highland town (Iowa County)
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption for one- and two-family dwellings inside Highland town (Iowa County)
• Inspections — Building inspection for dwellings inside Highland town (Iowa County)
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside Highland town (Iowa County)

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.