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

Town of Milltown’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  All new one- and two-family dwellings inside Milltown town.

  • A building permit may also be required for accessory structures.
  • Town procedures differ; the county directs applicants to check with the town before construction.
  • Milltown's listed inspector is WWIA, telephone 715-556-3136.

  “Building permits address the state Uniform Dwelling Code (UDC). They are issued by town building inspectors and are required for "ALL NEW" one and two-family dwellings.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Milltown town is subject to Polk County zoning administration; the town's official home page directs residents to Polk County zoning information.

  • The cited town page does not establish that Milltown town adopted or administers its own zoning ordinance.
  • Polk County identifies Milltown among towns requiring non-shoreland land-use permits.

  “Land use permits are issued by the county zoning office in the following districts. [...] Non-Shoreland District Areas Permit required in the following towns: Alden, Balsam Lake, Beaver, Black Brook, Bone Lake, Clayton, Clear Lake, Eureka, Johnstown, Lincoln, Luck, McKinley, Milltown, Osceola, Sterling, and West Sweden.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Polk County zoning districts applicable inside Milltown town.

  • The county provides an interactive zoning map and printable zoning district map.
  • Parcel zoning must be verified through the county map portal.

  “To view how your property is zoned, please use the Beacon interactive map website. Under Saved Maps (left panel) select Zoning under the dropdown arrow. Perform a property search, by opening the 'Search' or 'Advanced Search' menu options to locate your property. Zoning District Map - Printable small scale version”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Lots within a development area of a Milltown land division.

  • The development area may not exceed 50% of the land division.
  • This is a land-division standard, not a countywide zoning-district standard.

  minimum lot size: 43560 square feet (all lots within the development area) · maximum development area: <= 50 percent of land division

  “Maximum Size of Development Area. The development area shall be limited to no more than 50% of the land division [...] Minimum Lot Size. All lots within the development area shall be a minimum of 43,560 square feet (one acre) in size.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Structures in Polk County shoreland areas inside Milltown town.

  • Shoreland area is land within 1,000 feet of lakes, ponds, and flowages or within 300 feet of rivers and streams.
  • Setbacks vary by zoning district, structure type, road type, and lake class.
  • The greater applicable road setback applies.

  dwelling shore-yard setback: 75 feet (shoreland areas) · dwelling height: 35 feet (shoreland areas)

  “SHORELAND AREAS (Land within 1,000’ of lakes, ponds & flowages or within 300’ of rivers/streams) [...] Dwelling Ordinary High Water Mark 75 ft 75 ft 75 ft 75 ft”

• Building heightSpecified

  Dwellings and accessory buildings in Polk County shoreland areas inside Milltown town.

  • The shoreland table applies to land within 1,000 feet of lakes, ponds, and flowages or 300 feet of rivers and streams.
  • Farm buildings are exempt from the height limit.

  dwelling maximum height: 35 feet (measured from lowest grade to peak) · accessory building maximum height: 35 feet (measured from lowest grade to peak)

  “Height Limits Dwelling Accessory Building Boathouse Measured from lowest grade to peak 35’ 35’ 14’ side wall Farm Buildings Exempt from Height Limit”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private sanitary systems inside Milltown town.

  • Polk County Zoning administers sanitary permits for unincorporated county areas, which include the Town of Milltown.
  • Public-sewer connections are handled through the applicable sanitary district.

  “The Zoning office issues land use permits, sanitary permits, and property addresses for the unincorporated areas of Polk County.”

• Septic permitRequired

  A new dwelling using a private onsite wastewater treatment system inside Milltown town.

  • The land-use permit will not issue until the sanitary permit has issued.
  • A soil test by a Wisconsin-certified soil tester identifies the permitted system area and type.

  “Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System [...] Obtain Sanitary Permit [...] The owner or contractor may apply for the Land Use Permit at any time; however, the Land Use Permit will not be issued until the Sanitary Permit has been issued.”

• Septic inspectionLimited

  Existing septic systems serving a tourist rooming house inside Milltown town.

  • Existing septic system must be inspected and approved before applying for the land-use permit.
  • The zoning office can inspect or require annual inspection.

  “Existing septic system to be inspected and approved. The zoning office can inspect or require the septic system to be inspected annually.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Dwellings without running water inside Milltown town using a privy, composting toilet, chemical toilet, or other non-plumbing sanitary system.

  • A sanitary permit application and land-use permit application must be submitted.
  • The county page identifies chemical-toilet, compost-toilet, holding-tank, incinerator-toilet, loads-and-flows, and privy agreements.

  “If you are connecting a new dwelling to an existing sanitary system or installing a non-plumbing sanitary system, please submit this application along with the land use permit application. Non-plumbing sanitary systems serve dwellings without running water, and may be known as a privy, composting toilet, chemical toilet, etc.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions and subdivisions inside Milltown town.

  • The subdivider must submit ten final-plat copies to the Town Clerk with an application fee for Plan Commission review.
  • Final-plat approval may be conditional, rejected, or subject to unsatisfied agency objections.
  • The final plat records only after Town Board, Polk County, and surveyor certificates are on its face.

  “The subdivider shall submit to the Town Clerk 10 copies of the final plat, accompanied with an application fee [...] The Plan Commission shall examine the final plat as to its conformance with the approved preliminary plat, this ordinance, and all ordinances, rules, regulations, or plans which may affect the plat.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveways accessing a town road inside Milltown town.

  • For U.S. or state highways, contact Wisconsin DOT.
  • For county highways, contact Polk County Highway Department.
  • County FAQ identifies Milltown among towns requiring permission for town-road access.

  “Town Road Contact your town to verify driveway requirements and regulations. In the following Towns * Require Permission [...] Milltown”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Milltown minor and major land-division applications and new residential dwelling units.

  • A subdivider also pays actual Town review and inspection costs.
  • The Town may withhold final-plat approval or building permits until the bill is paid or a payment schedule is arranged.
  • Nonresidential parcels and commercial-building applications are exempt from the park-and-recreation fee.

  certified survey map review fee: 150 USD · five-lot subdivision review fee: 250 USD (plus $20 for each additional lot) · park and recreation fee: per 100 USD (per new residential dwelling unit)

  “All minor and major land division applications shall be accompanied by an application review fee as follows: $150 - Certified Survey Map $250 - 5-lot Subdivision, plus $20 for each additional lot [...] A park and recreation fee shall be required for each new residential dwelling unit [...] in the amount of $100 per dwelling unit.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Milltown

Town of Milltown 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)

  One- and two-family dwellings inside Milltown town under Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code.

  • The county states that statutes require UDC enforcement in all towns as of January 1, 2005.

  “Building permits address the state Uniform Dwelling Code (UDC). They are issued by town building inspectors and are required for "ALL NEW" one and two-family dwellings. The state statutes require UDC enforcement as of January 1, 2005, in all towns.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built dwellings inside Milltown town.
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Milltown town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for structures inside Milltown town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Milltown town.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Milltown 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.