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

Rules another office applies inside Town of Linwood

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

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Parcels inside Linwood town (Portage County) that the county zoning maps place in one of the county use districts; county zoning applies there because the town is listed in the ordinance, not because the town adopted its own zoning

  • Each parcel's district is set by the county zoning maps, which the ordinance says are prepared and adopted by the county board; the map for Linwood town was not opened.
  • Zoning districts listed in the ordinance apply to areas outside the limits of incorporated cities and villages, which includes the town.

  “including within the following towns: [...] Linwood [...] are hereby divided into 18 use districts”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Residential buildings erected, moved, or structurally altered in the rural and urban fringe residence district (R1), Section 7.1.2.3, inside Linwood town where the county map places R1

  • Year-round occupancy (six months or longer in a calendar year) requires 720 square feet.
  • Seasonal occupancy (less than six months in a calendar year) requires 400 square feet.
  • Floor area measured under subsection 7.1.6.10, which was not opened.

  minimum floor area, year-round occupancy: >= 720 square feet · minimum floor area, seasonal occupancy: >= 400 square feet (occupied less than six months in any calendar year)

  “the floor area shall not be less than 720 square feet. (b) If occupied or to be occupied for less than six months [...] not be less than 400 square feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Residential buildings erected, moved, or structurally altered in the single family residence district (R2), Section 7.1.2.1, inside Linwood town where the county map places R2

    “shall have a floor area of not less than 720 square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Newly created lots in the rural and urban fringe residence district (R1), Section 7.1.2.3, inside Linwood town where the county map places R1

  • Intent: low development densities should be maintained to prevent degradation of groundwater from on-site waste disposal systems.
  • Lot area inclusive of road right-of-way per the text as published.
  • Conservancy-zoned land can be used to create a new lot only if the minimum lot area is non-conservancy zoned.

  minimum lot area for newly created lots: >= 2 acres (inclusive of road right-of-way per the text as published)

  “Minimum lot area in this District for newly created lots shall be two acres”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Newly created lots in the single family residence district (R2), Section 7.1.2.1, inside Linwood town where the county map places R2

    “Minimum lot area in this District for newly created lots shall be 20,000 square feet”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Structures in the rural and urban fringe residence district (R1), Section 7.1.2.3, inside Linwood town where the county map places R1

  • Lots of record: structures to meet the side setback as nearly as possible, but not less than the side yard setbacks prior to rezoning.
  • Setback lines also subject to subsection 7.1.6.6 and 7.1.6.1(d)(6), which were not opened.

  minimum side yard setback: >= 25 feet (except lots of record (not less than prior-rezoning side yard setbacks)) · minimum rear yard setback: >= 25 feet

  “There shall be a 25 foot minimum setback from each side yard [...] (6) Rear Yard. There shall be a 25 foot minimum setback”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Dwellings and structures in the single family residence district (R2), Section 7.1.2.1, inside Linwood town where the county map places R2

    “There shall be a 10 foot minimum setback from each side yard. (6) Rear Yard. There shall be a 25 foot minimum setback”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings in the single family residence district (R2), Section 7.1.2.1, inside Linwood town where the county map places R2

  • Applies except as otherwise provided in the ordinance; paragraph 7.1.6.1(c) is cross-referenced and was not opened.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (except as otherwise provided in this ordinance)

  “no building shall exceed a height of 35 feet.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private onsite wastewater systems for land inside Linwood town, where the county ordinance applies

  • Private sewage system regulated under Portage County Code of Ordinances Section 7.9 (private sewage system ordinance); Section 7.9 text was not opened.
  • The sanitary permit requirement quoted is for planned development districts; general applicability is not established in this claim.

  “The requirements of this Ordinance shall apply to all geographic areas of Portage County.”

• Septic permitLimited

  Planned development (PD) districts inside Linwood town only; the sanitary permit is a precondition to zoning permits there

  • General septic permit requirement for ordinary single-family homes in Linwood town was not established; Section 7.9 not opened.
  • Sanitary permit application must include the materials required by the private sewage system ordinance (sec.7.9.4.c).

  “Submittal of a sanitary permit application, including all necessary materials per Portage County Private Sewage System Ordinance”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New development in the single family residence district (R2) inside Linwood town; district-intent statement about sewer connection, not a general connection mandate

  • The quoted text is the district intent. It does not itself require a new home to connect to public sewer or water.
  • No mandatory public water or sewer connection rule for new homes in Linwood town was located on the pages opened.
  • Sewer availability in Linwood town was not established.

  “should be limited to areas where connection to municipal sewage treatment facilities is feasible”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Residential lot creation in the general agricultural district (A4), Section 7.1.3.1, inside Linwood town where the county map places A4

  • Creation of five or more residential lots within a 5 year period is reviewed by the planning and zoning committee.
  • The ordinance refers to the Portage County subdivision ordinance (Section 7.4), which was not opened.

  residential lots in a 5-year period triggering committee review: >= 5 lots (within a 5 year period)

  “the creation of five or more residential lots within a 5 year period shall be reviewed by the planning and zoning committee.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits for new dwellings inside Linwood town
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permit or licensing for work by a homeowner inside Linwood town
• Building code adopted — Building code applicable to new construction inside Linwood town
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Linwood town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for new dwellings inside Linwood 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.