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Village of Theresa, WI
Dodge County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall be used, unless a different definition is specifically provided for a section. Words used in the present tense include the future; the singular number includes the plural number; and the plural number includes the singular number. The word "shall" is mandatory and not permissive.
ABUTTING
Having a common property line or district line.
ACCESSORY USE OR STRUCTURE
A use or detached structure subordinate to the principal use of a structure, parcel of land or water and located on the same lot or parcel serving a purpose incidental to the principal use or the principal structure, including but not limited to a garage, prefabricated metal buildings for storage, carport, greenhouses, screened enclosures, swimming pool, bathhouse and filter equipment shed, playhouse and gazebo.
ACRE, NET
The actual land devoted to the land use, excluding public streets, public lands or unusable lands, and school sites contained within 43,560 square feet.
ALLEY
A public way not more than 21 feet wide which affords only a secondary means of access to abutting property.
APARTMENT
A room or suite of rooms in a multiple-family structure which is arranged, designed, used or intended to be used as a single housekeeping unit. Complete kitchen facilities, permanently installed, must always be included for each apartment.
ARTERIAL STREET
A public street or highway used or intended to be used primarily for large volume or heavy through traffic. Arterial streets shall include freeways and expressways as well as arterial streets, highways and parkways.
BASEMENT
That portion of any structure located partly below the average adjoining lot grade which is not designed or used primarily for year-round living accommodations. Space partly below grade which is designed and finished as habitable space is not defined as basement space.
BLOCK
A tract of land bounded by streets or by a combination of streets and public parks or other recognized lines of demarcation.
BOARDINGHOUSE
A building other than a hotel or restaurant where meals or lodging is regularly furnished by prearrangement for compensation for three or more persons not members of a family, but not exceeding 12 persons and not open to transient customers.
BUILDABLE LOT AREA
The portion of a lot remaining after required yards have been provided.
BUILDING
Any structure having a roof supported by columns or walls used or intended to be used for the shelter or enclosure of persons, animals, equipment, machinery or materials. When a building is divided into separate parts by unpierced walls extending from the ground up, each part shall be deemed a separate building.
BUILDING, DETACHED
A building surrounded by open space on the same lot.
BUILDING, HEIGHT OF
The vertical distance from the average curb level in front of the lot or the finished grade at the building line, whichever is higher, to the highest point of the coping of a flat roof, to the deckline of a mansard roof or to the average height of the highest gable of a gambrel, hip or pitch roof.
BUILDING, PRINCIPAL
A building in which the principal use of the lot on which it is located is conducted.
BUILDING SETBACK LINE
A line parallel to the lot line at a distance parallel to it, regulated by the yard requirements set up in this chapter.
BUSINESS
An occupation, employment or enterprise which occupies time, labor and materials, or wherein merchandise is exhibited or sold, or where services are offered.
CAMPGROUND
A privately or municipally owned parcel or tract of land maintained, intended or used for the purposes of supplying temporary or overnight living accommodations to the public by providing designated areas for the placement of trailers, tents, buses, automobiles, or sleeping bags, and may include structures to provide services to the patrons, such as rest rooms and bathing and laundry facilities.
COMMUNITY LIVING ARRANGEMENT
As defined in § 46.03(22), Wis. Stats. The establishment of a community living arrangement shall be in conformance with applicable sections of the Wisconsin Statutes, including §§ 46.03(22), 59.69(15) and 62.23(7)(i) and (7a), Wis. Stats., and amendments thereto, and also the Wisconsin Administrative Code.[2]
CONDITIONAL USES
Uses of a special nature as to make impractical their predetermination as a principal use in a district.
CONSERVATION STANDARDS
Guidelines and specifications for soil and water conservation practices and management enumerated in the Technical Guide prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service for Dodge County, adopted by the County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors, and containing suitable alternatives for the use and treatment of land based upon its capabilities from which the landowner selects that alternative which best meets his needs in developing his soil and water conservation.
CONTROLLED ACCESS ARTERIAL STREET
The condition in which the right of owners or occupants of abutting land or other persons to access, light, air or view in connection with an arterial street is fully or partially controlled by public authority.
CORNER LOT
On corner lots, the setback shall be measured from the street line on which the lot fronts. The setback from the side street shall be equal to 75% of the setback required on residences fronting on the side street, but the side yard setback shall in no case restrict the buildable width to less than 30 feet. Said corner lots shall consist of a parcel of property abutting on two or more streets at their intersection, provided that the interior angle of such intersection is less than 135º.
DISTRICT, BASIC
A part or parts of the Village for which the regulations of this chapter governing the use and location of land and building are uniform.
DISTRICT, OVERLAY
Overlay districts, also referred to herein as "regulatory areas," provide for the possibility of superimposing certain additional requirements upon a basic zoning district without disturbing the requirements of the basic district. In the instance of conflicting requirements, the more strict of the conflicting requirements shall apply.
DWELLING
A building designed or used exclusively as a residence or sleeping place, but does not include boarding or lodging houses, motels, hotels, tents, cabins or mobile homes.
DWELLING, EFFICIENCY
A dwelling unit consisting of one principal room with no separate sleeping rooms.
DWELLING, MULTIPLE-FAMILY
A residential building designed for or occupied by three or more families, with the number of families in residence not to exceed the number of dwelling units provided.
DWELLING, SINGLE-FAMILY
A detached building designed for occupancy by not more than one family. For purposes of this chapter, manufactured homes meeting the requirements of this chapter shall be considered to be single-family dwellings. All single-family dwellings shall have pitched roofs, overhanging eaves of at least six inches, and wood, brick, masonry, vinyl or aluminum siding.
DWELLING, TWO-FAMILY
A detached building containing two separate dwelling (or living) units, designed for occupancy by not more than two families.
DWELLING UNIT
A group of rooms constituting all or part of a dwelling which is arranged, designed, used or intended for use exclusively as living quarters for one family.
ESSENTIAL SERVICES
Services provided by public and private utilities, necessary for the exercise of the principal use or service of the principal structure. These services include underground, surface or overhead gas, electrical, steam, water, sanitary sewerage, stormwater drainage, and communication systems and accessories thereto, such as poles, towers, wires, mains, drains, vaults, culverts, laterals, sewers, pipes, catch basins, water storage tanks, conduits, cables, fire alarm boxes, police call boxes, traffic signals, pumps, lift stations and hydrants, but not including buildings.
FAMILY
A. 
One or more persons related by blood, marriage or adoption, living and cooking together, exclusive of household servants. A number of persons living together as a single housekeeping unit, although not related by blood, adoption or marriage, shall be deemed to constitute a family. A boardinghouse shall not be considered a family.[3]
B. 
Exceptions. Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit, under the definition of "family," priests, lay brothers, nurses or such other collective body of persons living together in one house under the same management and care, subsisting in common, and directing their attention to a common object or the promotion of their mutual interest and social happiness as set forth by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in Missionaries of Our Lady of LaSallette vs. Village of Whitefish Bay Board of Zoning Appeals, 267 Wis. 609, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
FARMSTEAD
A single-family residential structure located on a parcel of land, which primary land use is associated with agriculture.
FLOOR AREA, BUSINESS AND MANUFACTURING BUILDINGS
For the purpose of determining off-street parking and off-street loading requirements, the sum of the gross horizontal areas of the floors of the building, or portion thereof, devoted to a use requiring off-street parking or loading. This area shall include accessory storage areas located within selling or working space occupied by counters, racks or closets and any basement floor area devoted to retailing activities, to the production or processing of goods, or to business or professional offices. However, floor area, for the purposes of determining off-street parking spaces, shall not include floor area devoted primarily to storage purposes except as otherwise noted herein.
FOSTER FAMILY HOME
The primary domicile of a foster parent who has four or fewer foster children and which is licensed under § 48.62, Wis. Stats., and amendments thereto.
FRONTAGE
All the property abutting on one side of a street between two intersecting streets or all of the property abutting on one side of a street between an intersecting street and the dead end of a street.
GARAGE, PRIVATE
A detached accessory building or portion of the principal building designed, arranged, used or intended to be used for storage of automobiles of the occupant of the premises.
GARAGE, PUBLIC
Any building or portion thereof, not accessory to a residential building or structure, used for equipping, servicing, repairing, leasing or public parking of motor vehicles.
GROUP FOSTER HOME
Any facility operated by a person required to be licensed by the State of Wisconsin under § 48.62, Wis. Stats., for the care and maintenance of five to eight foster children.
HOME OCCUPATION
A gainful occupation conducted by members of the family only, within their place of residence, subject to the requirements of § 350-44.[4]
HOTEL
A building in which lodging, with or without meals, is offered to transient guests for compensation and in which there are more than five sleeping rooms with no cooking facilities in any individual room or apartment.
KENNEL
An area or structure for breeding, rearing, boarding or training of three or more dogs over the age of five months.
LOADING AREA
A completely off-street space or berth on the same lot for the loading or unloading of freight carriers, having adequate ingress and egress to a public street or alley.
LODGING HOUSE
A building where lodging only is provided for compensation for not more than three persons not members of the family.
LOT
A parcel of land having frontage on a public street, or other officially approved means of access, occupied or intended to be occupied by a principal structure or use and sufficient in size to meet the lot width, lot frontage, lot area and other open space provisions of this chapter as pertaining to the district wherein located.
LOT COVERAGE
A. 
Residential. The area of a lot occupied by the principal building or buildings and accessory building.
B. 
Except residential. The area of a lot occupied by the principal building or buildings and accessory buildings, including any driveways, parking areas, loading areas, storage areas and walkways.
LOT, INTERIOR
A lot situated on a single street which is bounded by adjacent lots along each of its other lines and is not a corner lot.
LOT LINE
A property boundary line of any lot held in single or separate ownership, except that where any portion of the lot extends into the abutting street or alley, the lot line shall be deemed to be the abutting street or alley right-of-way line.
LOT LINES AND AREA
The peripheral boundaries of a parcel of land and the total area lying within such boundaries.
LOT, SUBSTANDARD
A parcel of land held in separate ownership having frontage on a public street, or other approved means of access, occupied or intended to be occupied by a principal building or structure, together with accessory buildings and uses, having insufficient size to meet the lot width, lot area, yard, off-street parking area or other open space provisions of this chapter as pertaining to the district wherein located.
LOT, THROUGH
A lot which has a pair of opposite lot lines along two substantially parallel streets and which is not a corner lot. On a through lot, both street lines shall be deemed front lot lines.
LOT WIDTH
The horizontal distance between the side lot lines measured at the building setback line.
MANUFACTURED HOME
A structure certified and labeled as a manufactured home under 42 U.S.C. §§ 5401 to 5426, which, when placed on the site:
A. 
Is at least 24 feet in width and 36 feet in length and is used exclusively as a single-family residence.
B. 
Is set on an enclosed foundation in accordance with § 70.043(1), Wis. Stats., and Subchapters III, IV and V of Ch. COMM 21, Wis. Adm. Code, or is set on a comparable enclosed continuous foundation system approved by the Building Inspector. The wheels and axles must be removed. The enclosed foundation system shall be approved by the Building Inspector or the Village Engineer; the Building Inspector may require a plan to be certified by a registered architect or engineer to ensure proper support for the home.
C. 
Is equipped with foundation siding which in design, color and texture appears to be an integral part of the adjacent exterior wall of the manufactured home.
D. 
Is covered by a roof pitched at a minimum slope of two inches in 12 inches, which is permanently covered with nonreflective material.
E. 
Has a pitched roof, overhanging eaves, and such other design features required of all new single-family dwellings located within the Village.
F. 
Is installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, provided that more restrictive requirements herein shall prevail.
G. 
Is properly connected to utilities; the use of a private well or private septic or sewage system is prohibited.
H. 
Meets other applicable standards of this chapter.
MINOR STRUCTURE
Any small, movable accessory erection or construction, such as birdhouses, tool houses, pet houses, play equipment, arbors and walls and fences under four feet in height.
MOBILE HOME
As defined in § 66.0435, Wis. Stats.[5]
MOBILE HOME LOT
A parcel of land for the placement of a single mobile home and the exclusive use of its occupants.
MOBILE HOME PARK
As defined in § 66.0435, Wis. Stats.[6]
MOBILE HOME SUBDIVISION
A land subdivision, as defined by Ch. 236, Wis. Stats., and any Village land division ordinance,[7] with lots intended for the placement of individual mobile home units. Individual home sites are in separate ownership as opposed to the rental arrangements in mobile home parks.
MODULAR UNIT
A factory-fabricated transportable building unit designed to be used by itself or to be incorporated with similar units at a building site into a modular structure to be used for residential, commercial, educational or industrial purposes.
NONCONFORMING USE
Any structure, use of land, use of land and structure in combination or characteristic of use (such as yard requirement or lot size) which was existing at the time of the effective date of this chapter or amendments thereto and which is not in conformance with this chapter. Any such structure conforming in respect to use but not in respect to frontage, width, height, area, yard, parking, loading or distance requirements shall not be considered a nonconforming use but shall be considered nonconforming with respect to those characteristics.
PARKING LOT
A structure or premises containing five or more parking spaces open to the public.
PARKING SPACE
A graded and surfaced area of not less than 180 square feet in area, either enclosed or open, for the parking of a motor vehicle, having adequate ingress and egress to a public street or alley.
PARTIES IN INTEREST
Includes all abutting property owners, all property owners within 100 feet, and all property owners of opposite frontages.
PROFESSIONAL OFFICE
The office of a doctor, practitioner, dentist, minister, architect, landscape architect, engineer, lawyer, author, musician or other recognized trade. When established in a residential district, a professional office shall be incidental to the residential occupation; not more than 25% of the floor area of one story of a dwelling unit shall be occupied by such office and only one unlighted nameplate, not exceeding one square foot in area, containing the name and profession of the occupant of the premises shall be exhibited.
PUBLIC AIRPORT
Any airport which complies with the definition contained in § 114.002(7), Wis. Stats., or any airport which serves or offers to serve common carriers engaged in air transport.
PUBLIC AND SEMIPUBLIC USES
Governmental and cultural uses, such as administrative offices, fire and police stations, community centers, libraries, public emergency shelters, parks, playgrounds and museums; public, private and parochial preschool, elementary and secondary schools; churches; cemeteries; private clubs and lodges; and storage garages.
REAR YARD
A yard extending across the full width of the lot, the depth of which shall be the minimum horizontal distance between the rear lot line and a line parallel thereto through the nearest point of the principal structure. This yard shall be opposite the street yard or one of the street yards on a corner lot.
RETAIL
The sale of goods or merchandise in small quantities to the consumer.
SALVAGE YARD
Site used for the storage or sale of salvageable materials or for the purposes of salvage, wrecking, dismantling, or demolition of salvageable materials. This includes the collection and/or dismantling of automobiles or other objects of transportation, reuse or resale.
SETBACK
The minimum horizontal distance between the front lot line and the nearest point of the foundation of that portion of the building to be enclosed. The overhang cornices shall not exceed 24 inches. Any overhang of the cornice in excess of 24 inches shall be compensated by increasing the setback by an amount equal to the excess of cornice over 24 inches. Uncovered steps shall not be included in measuring the setback.
SIDE YARD
A yard extending from the street yard to the rear yard of the lot, the width of which shall be the minimum horizontal distance between the side lot line and a line parallel thereto through the nearest point of the principal structure.
SIGN
Any medium, including its structure, words, letters, figures, numerals, phrases, sentences, emblems, devices, designs, trade names or trademarks, by which anything is made known and which is used to advertise or promote an individual, firm, association, corporation, profession, business, commodity or product and which is visible from any public street or highway.
STORY
That portion of a building included between the surface of any floor and the surface of the next floor above it, or, if there is no floor above it, then the space between the floor and the ceiling next above it. Any portion of a story exceeding 14 feet in height shall be considered as an additional story for each 14 feet or fraction thereof. A basement having 1/2 or more of its height above grade shall be deemed a story for purposes of height regulation.
STORY, HALF
That portion of a building under a gable, hip or mansard roof, the wall plates of which, on at least two opposite exterior walls, are not more than 4 1/2 feet above the finished floor of such story. In the case of one-family dwellings, two-family dwellings and multifamily dwellings less than three stories in height, a half story in a sloping roof shall not be counted as a story for the purposes of this chapter.
STREET
Property other than an alley or private thoroughfare or travelway which is subject to public easement or right-of-way for use as a thoroughfare and which is 21 feet or more in width.
STREET YARD
A yard extending across the full width of the lot, the depth of which shall be the minimum horizontal distance between the existing street or highway right-of-way line and a line parallel thereto through the nearest point of the principal structure. Corner lots shall have two street yards.
STRUCTURAL ALTERATION
Any change in the supporting members of a structure, such as foundations, bearing walls, columns, beams or girders.
STRUCTURE
Anything constructed or erected, the use of which requires a permanent location on the ground or attachment to something having a permanent location on the ground.
TEMPORARY STRUCTURE
A movable structure not designed for human occupancy nor for the protection of goods or chattels and not forming an enclosure, such as billboards.
USE
The purpose or activity for which the land or building thereon is designed, arranged or intended or for which it is occupied or maintained.
USE, PRINCIPAL
The main use of land or building as distinguished from subordinate or accessory use.
UTILITIES
Public and private facilities, such as water wells, water and sewage pumping stations, water storage tanks, electrical power substations, static transformer stations, telephone and telegraph exchanges, microwave radio relays and gas regulation stations, inclusive of associated transmission facilities, but not including sewage disposal plants, municipal incinerators, warehouses, shops, storage yards and power plants.
VISION CLEARANCE
An unoccupied triangular space at the street corner of a corner lot which is bounded by the street lines and a setback line connecting points specified by measurement from the corner on each street line.
YARD
An open space on the same lot with a structure, unoccupied and unobstructed from the ground upward except the vegetation. The street and rear yards extend the full width of the lot.
ZERO LOT LINE
The concept whereby two respective dwelling units within a building shall be on separate and abutting lots and shall meet on the common property line between them, thereby having zero space between said units.
ZONING PERMIT
A permit issued by the Zoning Administrator to certify that lands, structures, air and waters subject to this chapter are or shall be used in accordance with the provisions of said chapter.[8]
[1]
Editor's Note: The following definitions were deleted from this section at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II): "A Zones," "channel," "development," "equal degree of hydraulic encroachment," "flood," "flood insurance study," "flood profile," "flood protection elevation," "flood stage," "floodlands," "floodplain fringe," "floodproofing," "floodway," "lot, corner," "official letter of map amendment," "regional flood" and "use, accessory." For definitions related to floodplain management see now Ch. 180, Floodplain Zoning.
[2]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
[3]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
[4]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
[5]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
[6]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
[7]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 308, Subdivision of Land.
[8]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).