To see the Public Participation Plan click on this link.

Elements of a Comprehensive Plan for a Township

[To see a brief explanation of each element, click on the link below.] [To see a draft of the element (if it is available) click on the the name in CAPITAL LETTERS)
  1. Issues and Opportunities. . . . . . ISSUES/OPPORTUNITIES
  2. Housing element . . . . . . HOUSING
  3. Transportation element. . . . . . . TRANSPORTATION
  4. Utilities and community facilities element . . . . UTILITIES/FACILITIES
  5. Agricultural, natural, and cultural resources element. . . . . AG,NATURAL,CULTURAL RESOURCES
  6. Economic development element . . . . ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
  7. Intergovernmental cooperation element. . . . INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION
  8. Land-use element.. . . . . . LAND-USE
  9. Implementation element.. . . . IMPLEMENTATION

1. Issues and Opportunities.

Includes background information on the township and a statement of overall objectives, policies, goals, and programs of the township to guide future develop over a 20-year planning period. Background information shall include population, household and employment forecasts that the township uses in developing its comprehensive plan, and demographic trends, age distribution, educational levels, income levels, and employment characteristics that exist in the township. [return to top of page]

2. Housing element.

A compilation of objectives, policies, goals, maps, and programs of the township to provide an adequate housing supply that meets existing and forecasted housing demand in the township. This element of the plan shall assess the age, structural, value, and occupancy characteristics of the township’s housing stock. This element of the plan shall identify specific policies and programs that promote the development of housing for residents of the township and provide a range of housing choices that meet the needs of persons of all income levels and of all age groups and persons with special needs, policies and programs that promote the availability of land for the development or redevelopment of low income and moderate housing, and policies and programs to maintain or rehabilitate the township’s housing stock. [return to top of page]

3. Transportation element.

A compilation of objectives, policies, goals, maps, and programs of the township to guide the future development of the various modes of transportation, including highways, transit, transportation systems for persons with disabilities, bicycles, walking, railroads, air transportation, trucking, and water transportation. This element of the plan shall compare the township’s objectives, policies, goals, and programs to state and regional (county) transportation plans. This element of the plan shall also identify highways within the township by function and incorporate state, regional and other transportation plans including transportation corridor plans, county highway functional and jurisdictional studies, urban area and rural area transportation plans, airport master plans and rail plans that apply to the township. [return to top of page]

4. Utilities and community facilities element.

A compilation of objectives, policies, goals, maps, and programs of the township to guide the future development of utilities and community facilities in the township such as sanitary sewer service, storm water management, water supply, solid waste disposal, on-site wastewater treatment technologies, recycling facilities, parks, telecommunications facilities, power-generating plants and transmission lines, cemeteries, health care facilities, child care facilities, and other public facilities such as police, fire and rescue facilities, libraries, schools, and other government facilities. This element of the plan shall describe the location, use, and capacity of existing public utilities and community facilities that serve the township, shall include an approximate timetable that forecasts the need of the township to expand or rehabilitate existing utilities and facilities or to create new utilities and facilities and shall assess future needs for government services in the township that are related to such utilities and facilities. [return to top of page]

5. Agricultural, natural, and cultural resources element.

A compilation of objectives, policies, goals, maps, and programs for the conservation and promotion of the effective management of natural resources such as groundwater, forests, productive agricultural areas, environmentally sensitive areas, threatened and endangered species, stream corridors, surface water, floodplains, wetlands, wildlife habitats, metallic and nonmetallic mineral resources, parks, open spaces, historical and cultural resources, community design, recreational resources, and other natural resources. [return to top of page]

6. Economic development element.

A compilation of objectives, policies, goals, maps and programs to promote the stabilization, retention, or expansion of the economic base and quality employment opportunities in the township, including and analysis of the labor force and economic base of the township. This element of the plan shall assess the categories or particular types of new businesses and industries that are desired by the township [the people of the township?]. This element of the plan shall assess the township’s strengths and weaknesses with respect to attracting and retaining businesses and industries. This element of the plan shall also evaluate and promote the use of environmentally contaminated site for commercial or industrial uses. The element shall also identify county, regional, and state economic development programs that apply to the township. [return to top of page]

7. Intergovernmental cooperation element.

A compilation of objectives, policies, goals, maps and programs for joint planning and decision making with other jurisdictions, including school districts and adjacent local governmental units, for siting and building public facilities and sharing public services. This element of the plan shall analyze the relationship of the township to school districts and adjacent local governmental units and the region, the county, the state and other governmental units. This element of the plan shall incorporate any plans and agreements to which the township unit is a party under s. 66.023, 66.30, or 66.945 (?). The element shall identify existing or potential conflicts between the township and other governmental units that are specified in this paragraph and describe processes to resolve such conflicts. [return to top of page]

8. Land-use element.

A compilation of objectives, policies, goals, maps and programs to guide the future development and redevelopment of public and private property. The element shall contain a listing of the amount, type, intensity, and net density of existing uses of land in the township, such as agricultural, residential, commercial, industrial, and other public and private uses. This element of the plan shall analyze trends in the supply, demand, and price of land, opportunities for development and existing and potential land- use conflicts. This element of the plan shall contain projections, based on the background information in the Issues and Opportunities element for 20 years with detailed maps, in five-year increments, of future residential, agricultural, commercial, and industrial land uses including the assumptions of net densities or other spatial assumptions upon which the projections are based. This element of the plan shall also include a series of maps that shows current land uses and future land uses that indicate productive agricultural soils, natural limitations or building site development, floodplains, wetlands, and other environmentally sensitive land, the boundaries of areas to which services of public utilities and community facilities, as those terms are used in section 4 above, will be provided in the future consistent with the timetable described in that section and the general location of future land users by net density or other classifications. [return to top of page]

9. Implementation element.

A compilation of programs and specific actions to be completed in a stated sequence, including proposed changes to any applicable zoning ordinances, official maps, sign regulations, erosion and storm water control ordinances, historic preservation ordinances, site plan regulations, design review ordinances, building codes, mechanical codes, housing codes, sanitary codes or subdivision ordinances, to implement the objectives, policies, plans, and programs contained in the paragraphs above. This element of the plan shall describe how each of the elements in the comprehensive plan will be integrated and made consistent with the other elements of the comprehensive plan and shall include a mechanism to measure the township’s progress toward achieving all aspects of the comprehensive plan. This element of the plan shall include a process for updating the comprehensive plan. A comprehensive plan under this subsection shall be updated no less than once every 10 years. [return to top of page]

This statement of the elements of a comprehensive plan was edited and modified from the Wisconsin Smart Growth Legislation (66.095 Comprehensive planning) by Bruce Meyers for the Board of Supervisors of the Town of Round Lake and for citizens of the town.


Created on ... Dec. 16, 2006; updated April 6, 2007