Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of New Hope, Wisconsin

Town of New Hope’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, erection, alteration, or conversion of a building, structure, or mechanical system inside New Hope town.

  • A valid permit from the Town Building Inspector is required unless the chapter expressly provides otherwise.
  • The uniform building permit issues when filing and fee requirements are satisfied and plans are conditionally approved.
  • Listed exemptions include specified repairs, re-roofing, finishing interiors, certain equipment replacement, normal minor repairs, and same-size window and door replacements.

  “Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Chapter, no owner or contractor may construct, erect, alter, or convert to other uses, any building, structure or mechanical system until a valid permit is obtained from the Town of New Hope Building Inspector.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Alteration, enlargement, or repair of existing one- and two-family dwellings inside New Hope town when a building permit is required.

  • The ordinance adopts SPS 305, SPS 316, SPS 320-325, and SPS 327, including future amendments, modifications, and revisions.
  • The specified pre-1980 dwelling work is subject to the ordinance when a permit is required.

  “The following Chapters of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, as well as all subsequent future amendments, modifications, and revisions, are adopted by the Municipality and shall be enforced by the Building Inspector.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Town building permits inside New Hope town.

  • Fees are established periodically by town resolution.
  • Work begun before permit issuance has a doubled permit fee.

  “At the time of building permit issuance, the applicant shall pay fees as established by resolution periodically by the Town.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Town building-permit applications inside New Hope town.

  • Filing and fee requirements must be satisfied.
  • Plans must be conditionally approved before a Wisconsin uniform building permit issues.

  “The Wisconsin uniform building permit shall be issued if the requirements for filing and fees are satisfied, and the plans have been conditionally approved.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of New Hope

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

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Town of New Hope, which is under Portage County zoning jurisdiction rather than a town-administered zoning ordinance.

  • Portage County administers the zoning ordinance for New Hope.
  • Parcel-specific district rules and mapped boundaries control.

  “including within the following towns: Alban, Almond, Amherst, Belmont, Buena Vista, Carson, Dewey, Eau Pleine, Hull, Lanark, Linwood, New Hope, Plover, Sharon and Stockton are hereby divided into 18 use districts, namely:”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside New Hope town subject to Portage County zoning.

  • Mapped district boundaries are part of the ordinance.
  • Actual zoning is parcel-specific and must be confirmed against the adopted town zoning map.

  “Lanark, Linwood, New Hope, Plover, Sharon and Stockton are hereby divided into 18 use districts, namely:”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Residential buildings in the R2 Single Family Residence District inside New Hope town.

  • Applies to residential buildings erected, moved, or structurally altered.
  • The ordinance cross-references its Floor Area definition.

  minimum residential floor area: >= 720 square feet (R2 district)

  “Buildings used in whole or in part for residential purposes which are hereafter erected, moved or structurally altered shall have a floor area of not less than 720 square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Newly created lots in the R2 Single Family Residence District inside New Hope town.

  • Road right-of-way is excluded.
  • Conservancy-zoned land may be used only if the required minimum area is non-Conservancy zoned.

  minimum lot area: >= 20000 square feet (newly created R2 lots; exclusive of road right-of-way)

  “Minimum lot area in this District for newly created lots shall be 20,000 square feet, exclusive of road right-of-way.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Principal development in the R2 Single Family Residence District inside New Hope town.

  • The ordinance separately cross-references setback-line requirements.
  • Requirements listed are side-yard and rear-yard minimums.

  side-yard setback: >= 10 feet (each side yard in R2) · rear-yard setback: >= 25 feet (R2)

  “There shall be a 10 foot minimum setback from each side yard. There shall be a 25 foot minimum setback from the rear yard.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings in the R2 Single Family Residence District inside New Hope town.

  • The height limit is subject to other provisions of the ordinance.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (unless otherwise provided in the ordinance)

  “Except as otherwise provided in this Ordinance, no building shall exceed a height of 35 feet.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Camping-unit occupancy on private land inside New Hope town.

  • Vacant-land use exceeding 20 days needs an annual county zoning permit.
  • Use is limited to listed agricultural, conservancy, rural-limited, and construction-period residential circumstances.
  • Sewage, seasonal-use, density, distance, private-use, and inspection requirements apply.

  temporary camping without annual permit: <= 20 days per calendar year (subject to district, sewage, density, and private-use conditions)

  “Use of camping unit(s) on vacant land for more than 20 days in a calendar year may be allowed, provided the following requirements are met.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Temporary camping-unit use inside New Hope town.

  • No more than two camping units per parcel for use of 20 days or less in a calendar year, except the town may allow more for up to four days with three days' notice to the town and County Health and Human Services Department.
  • Sewage must be properly disposed of.
  • Use is limited by district and private-use requirements.

  temporary use duration: <= 20 days per calendar year (subject to listed conditions)

  “Temporary use of camping unit(s) 20 days or less in one calendar year.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  An accessory dwelling unit served by a holding tank inside New Hope town.

  • The provision applies only to holding-tank approval.
  • A code-compliant POWTS must already exist on the property.
  • County Board of Adjustment special-exception approval is required.

  “An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) or accessory use if a code compliant POWTS already exists on the property.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private onsite wastewater systems inside New Hope town.

  • The Portage County Private Sewage System Ordinance applies to all geographic areas of Portage County.
  • The ordinance incorporates specified Wisconsin statutes and administrative-code chapters.

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

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Newly constructed structures using a POWTS or non-plumbing sanitation system inside New Hope town.

  • The system must be installed, inspected, and approved before the structure may be occupied.
  • Additional installation-stage inspections apply to listed system types.

  “The POWTS or non-plumbing sanitation system for newly constructed structures or structures requiring a Reconnection Permit shall be installed, inspected, and approved before the structure may be occupied.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Non-plumbing sanitation systems inside New Hope town.

  • Allowed only when the served structure or premises has no indoor plumbing, as determined by the Administrator.
  • If plumbing or running water is added, another acceptable sewage-disposal method is required.

  “A non-plumbing sanitation system may be permitted only when the structure or premises served by the non-plumbing sanitation system is not provided with an indoor plumbing system as determined by the Administrator.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  A structure or premises inside New Hope town currently served by a private sewage system when public sewer becomes available.

  • Sewer availability is determined by the utility having jurisdiction.
  • The private system must be disconnected within one year and abandoned under SPS 383.

  connection deadline after public sewer becomes available: <= 1 year

  “When public sewers approved by the Department of Natural Resources become available to the structure or premises served, the private sewage system shall be disconnected within one year and a connection made to the public sewer.”

• Short-term rentalsAllowed (with conditions)

  Short-term rentals in the R2 Single Family Residence District inside New Hope town.

  • Some or all site-plan-review standards may apply.
  • Occupancy may be limited by the private onsite wastewater treatment system.

  “Short-term rentals. (a) Some or all of the site plan review standards of 7.1.6.1 (A) (9) may apply. (b) Occupancy of a short term rental may be limited by the private onsite wastewater treatment system.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential work inside New Hope town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential construction inside New Hope town.
• Lot coverage — Land inside New Hope town.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside New Hope town.
• Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy inside New Hope 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.