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

Town of Auburndale’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings erected, structurally altered, or relocated inside Auburndale town after adoption of the zoning ordinance.

  • A structure under 300 square feet that is not permanently fixed to the ground is exempt, except roadside stands used for sale of farm products, goods, or services.
  • A town permit for a building with water- or waste-disposal facilities requires prior evidence of a Wood County sanitary permit.

  ground-area exemption threshold: < 300 square feet (Structure must not be permanently fixed to the ground; roadside stands remain subject to permit.)

  “No building shall be erected, structurally altered, or relocated after adoption of this ordinance until a building permit has been issued.”

• InspectionsLimited

  A building moved into or within Auburndale town.

  • Inspection must occur before the move; inspector or Board of Appeals may inspect.

  “No building can be moved into or within the town of Auburndale without first being inspected by the Building Inspector or the Board of Appeals.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All unincorporated lands and waters inside the Town of Auburndale, Wood County, Wisconsin.

  • Land use and building controls vary by zoning district.

  “This ordinance shall be in effect in all unincorporated lands and waters in the town of Auburndale, Wood County, Wisconsin.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Auburndale town.

  • District boundaries are established on the adopted Town of Auburndale zoning map.

  number of district classifications: 5

  “5.01 Establishment of Districts. There are hereby established five (5) district classifications: Single-Family residential, Multiple-family residential, agricultural, commercial and industrial.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  On-site sewage disposal for habitation or occupancy inside Auburndale town.

  • Permitted only where no public sanitary sewer is available.
  • System must be state-approved and preceded by a Wood County sanitary permit.

  “State-approved, on-site sewage disposal systems may be constructed where no public sanitary sewer system is available, provided that a Wood County Sanitary Permit first be obtained from the Wood County Sanitarian in the County Courthouse in Wisconsin Rapids.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Buildings intended for human habitation or occupancy on a lot inside Auburndale town that abuts a street containing a public sanitary sewer.

  • Buildings intended for human habitation or occupancy also require potable water and approved sewage disposal.
  • A state-approved on-site system may be built where no public sewer is available, after obtaining a Wood County sanitary permit.

  “Every building intended for human habitation or occupancy on lots which abut a street in which there is a public sanitary sewer shall be connected with the sewer.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Town building-permit applications inside Auburndale town.

  • Application goes to the Building Inspector.
  • Application must include intended use and a property map with specified lot, building, sewage, water-feature, and wetland information.
  • Projects in shoreland/floodplain areas must include the applicable Wood County permit.

  “Application for building permits must be made to the Building Inspector and must include the following: (A) A statement by the applicant as to the intended use of the premises.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Auburndale

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

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-Family Residential (R-1) District inside Auburndale town.

  • Minimum frontage is 150 feet.

  minimum lot area: >= 1 acre · minimum frontage: >= 150 feet

  “(c) minimum lot area ……………………….. 1 acre. (d) minimum frontage……………………….. 150 feet.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Single-Family Residential (R-1) District inside Auburndale town.

  • Exceptions in § 3.07(1)-(3) apply.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (Alternatively two and one-half stories; subject to § 3.07 exceptions.)

  “(a) maximum building height. 35 ft. or two and one-half (2-1/2) stories, except as provided in section 3.07 (1), (2), and (3).”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • None — Agricultural buildings in the General Agricultural (A) District inside Auburndale town.

    “(a) maximum building height. (1) agricultural buildings. no maximum.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Trailers in a commercial-district campground or resort inside Auburndale town.

  • The campground/resort must provide at least 1,200 square feet for each cabin, trailer, tent, or mobile home.
  • It must be fenced or hedged and at least 1,000 feet from a residential-district boundary.
  • A person or party other than the owner may not occupy it more than 90 days in one year.

  maximum non-owner occupancy: <= 90 days per year (Applies to campground/resort occupants other than the owner.)

  “provided further, that no person or party other than the owner shall occupy such campground/resort for more than 90 days in one year.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private septic systems serving land inside Auburndale town, administered by Wood County Planning & Zoning.

  • Town building permits for buildings with water- or waste-disposal facilities require prior evidence of a Wood County sanitary permit.

  “The Wood County Planning & Zoning Office is the County agency responsible for the regulation and inspection of septic systems as well as the issuance of sanitary permits and any code enforcement that may be required.”

• Septic permitRequired

  A building inside Auburndale town with facilities for disposal of water or waste.

  • The town building permit cannot issue without evidence that the county sanitary permit was issued first.
  • State-approved on-site system is allowed only where no public sanitary sewer is available.

  “State-approved, on-site sewage disposal systems may be constructed where no public sanitary sewer system is available, provided that a Wood County Sanitary Permit first be obtained from the Wood County Sanitarian in the County Courthouse in Wisconsin Rapids.”

• Septic inspectionLimited

  Private septic systems inside Auburndale town.

  • Wood County Planning & Zoning performs septic-system regulation and inspection.

  “The Wood County Planning & Zoning Office is the County agency responsible for the regulation and inspection of septic systems as well as the issuance of sanitary permits and any code enforcement that may be required.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Lots under five acres inside Auburndale town when a building permit is sought.

  • Lot must be surveyed and a Certified Survey Map submitted to the Wood County Zoning Office.
  • Building Inspector uses the map to review lot dimensions; lot and proposed building location must be staked before construction.

  lot-size threshold: < 5 acres (Triggers survey and Certified Survey Map requirement stated by the ordinance.)

  “If the lot is less than 5 acres in size, the Wood County Land Subdivision Ordinance requires that the lot be surveyed and that a Certified Survey Map be submitted to the Wood County Zoning Office.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Work inside a shoreland or floodplain zone in Auburndale town.

  • County approval is required before filling, grading, ponding, lagooning, dredging, excavating, soil disturbance, new construction, additions/alterations, retaining walls, sidewalks, driveways, or landscaping.
  • The county webpage advises contacting DNR because permits are needed in most cases near lakes and streams.

  “approval by the wood county planning and zoning office is required prior to starting work within a shoreland or floodplain zone for the following projects: filling, grading, ponding, lagooning, dredging, excavating and any soil disturbance work sand blanket or pea gravel seawall or riprap additions/alterations to existing structures or reconstruction of structures outside of the current existing building footprint new construction of any type retaining walls, sidewalks, driveways or other landscaping”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Auburndale town.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for land inside Auburndale town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Auburndale town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Auburndale town.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Auburndale 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.