This article regulates the location and bulk of buildings in both residential and nonresidential developments in order to protect and enhance the desired community character of the Village of Williams Bay. The provisions of this article interact closely with the density and intensity provisions described in Article 4.
All residential lots shall comply with the standards prescribed by this article, Article 4, and the bulk requirements listed for each residential zoning district in Article 5. The following tables are provided as a convenience for the Zoning Administrator and the general public. Where there are conflicts between the text of this chapter and these tables, the text shall prevail.
All nonresidential lots created under the provisions of this chapter shall comply with the standards of this article and the bulk requirements related to the specific zoning district used as listed in Article 2. The following tables are provided as a convenience for the Zoning Administrator and the general public. Where there are conflicts between the text of this chapter and these tables, the text shall prevail.
A. 
Front and street side setback adjustment. Front and street side yard setbacks shall be adjusted as follows when the described conditions or circumstances exist:
(1) 
For lots located adjacent to a street with an officially mapped or existing right-of-way equal to or exceeding 100 feet, a minimum forty-foot setback shall be required to address anticipated future conditions associated with noise and air quality.
(2) 
The required front or street side setback for any use may be reduced for a principal structure on any lot where existing buildings within 150 feet on either side of the subject lot do not meet the required front or street side setback. In such instances, the front or street side setback on the subject site shall be no less than the average of those buildings within 150 feet on either side of the subject site.
(3) 
In order to preserve and maintain the character of established neighborhoods that are typified by front or street side setbacks substantially in excess of the minimum required front or street side setback, the following shall apply: new development or redevelopment occurring on blocks on which the average front or street side setback is more than five feet over the minimum required front or street side setback shall be required to have a minimum front or street side setback equal to the average setback of all the same type principal structures on said block or street.
B. 
Utility setback adjustment. Front, street side and rear yard setbacks shall be adjusted to require a minimum setback of 10 feet from any public utility line by any structure which is permanently attached to a foundation, footing or other support structure located wholly or partially under the surface of the ground, and any such structure may not encroach upon the boundary of any public utility easement.
[Added 4-4-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-05]
(1) 
The Zoning Administrator may require public utility lines and public utility easements to be surveyed in advance of issuing a zoning permit to verify compliance with this section.
(2) 
Should a public utility line require repair or replacement, it is the responsibility of the property owner to repair or replace any structures which are permitted to be located within the utility setback which are removed or damaged by such public utility line repair or replacement.
(3) 
The intrusions into required yards permitted by § 390-0505 do not apply to utility setbacks.
The minimum setback requirements of each zoning district establish the minimum required yards for all uses, except those exempted by the provisions of this section.
A. 
No yard shall be reduced in area or dimension so as to make such yard less than the minimum required by this chapter. If an existing yard is less than the minimum required, it shall not be reduced further, except where exempted by the provisions of this section.
B. 
Essential services such as utilities, electric power, and communication transmission lines are exempt from the yard requirement of this chapter.
C. 
Piers and docks shall be exempt from the yard requirements of this chapter, but shall be in full compliance with the requirements of § 281-1H of the Municipal Code of the Village of Williams Bay.
D. 
No required yard or lot area allocated to satisfy the minimum yard or lot area requirements for one building or structure shall be used to satisfy the minimum yard or lot area requirement for another building or structure.
E. 
In instances where the required buffer yard width (per Article 9) exceeds the minimum required setback width, the minimum required buffer yard width shall prevail. Absolutely no intrusions of a building or structure are permitted within the required buffer yard.
F. 
Permitted intrusions into required front and street side yards.
(1) 
Chimneys, flues, sills, pilasters, lintels, ornamental features, cornices, eaves, and gutters for residential buildings, provided they do not extend more than three feet into the required yard.
(2) 
Yard lights, ornamental lights, and nameplate signs for residential lots, provided they comply with the illumination requirements of § 390-0807 and provided they do not locate closer than five feet to the front or street property line.
(3) 
Terraces, steps, uncovered porches, decks, stoops, or similar appurtenances to residential buildings that do not extend above the floor level of the adjacent building entrance, provided they do not locate closer than five feet to any street right-of-way.
(4) 
Fences, hedges, and walls, in accordance with Subsection F(4)(a) through (d) below on residential lots that do not exceed three feet in height, subject to § 390-0809E(1), and provided they do not locate closer than five feet to any street right-of-way. Fences permitted to intrude into the front or street side yards include the following:
(a) 
Split-rail fences.
(b) 
Open picket fences.
(c) 
All other fence types shall require a conditional use permit.
(d) 
Permitted fence types shall comply with all other provisions of § 390-0809.
(5) 
Fire escapes (on residential buildings) that do not extend more than three feet into the required yard.
G. 
Permitted intrusions into required interior side yards.
(1) 
Sills, pilasters, lintels, ornamental features, cornices, eaves, and gutters for residential buildings, provided they do not extend more than three feet into the required yard.
(2) 
Fences, hedges, and walls in accordance with Subsection G(2)(a) through (e) below on residential lots that do not exceed four feet in height may be located subject to § 390-0809E(1), provided they do not locate closer than two feet to any alley line.
(a) 
Split-rail fences.
(b) 
Open picket fences.
(c) 
Decorative fences not more than three feet in height surrounding patios and gardens.
(d) 
All other fence types shall require a conditional use permit.
(e) 
Permitted fence types shall comply with all other provisions of § 390-0809.
(3) 
Fire escapes (on residential buildings) that do not extend more than three feet into the required yard.
(4) 
Air-conditioning condensers, heat exchangers and emergency generators, provided they do not extend more than five feet into the required yard.
H. 
Permitted intrusions into required rear yards.
(1) 
Terraces, steps, uncovered porches, decks, stoops, or similar appurtenances to residential buildings that do not extend more than one foot above grade, provided they do not locate closer than 20 feet to the rear lot line.
(2) 
Fences, hedges, and walls in accordance with Subsection H(2)(a) through (e) below on residential lots that do not exceed four feet in height may be located subject to § 390-0809E(1), provided they do not locate closer than two feet to any alley line.
(a) 
Split-rail fences.
(b) 
Open picket fences.
(c) 
Decorative fences not more than three feet in height surrounding patios and gardens.
(d) 
All other fence types shall require a conditional use permit.
(e) 
Permitted fence types shall comply with all other provisions of § 390-0809.
(3) 
Fire escapes (on residential buildings) that do not extend more than three feet into the required yard.
(4) 
Air-conditioning condensers, heat exchangers and emergency generators, provided they do not extend more than five feet into the required yard.
(5) 
Satellite dish antennas.
I. 
Permitted intrusions into required shore yards.
(1) 
Chimneys, flues, sills, pilasters, lintels, ornamental features, cornices, eaves, and gutters for residential buildings, provided they do not extend more than three feet into the required yard.
(2) 
Yard lights, ornamental lights, and nameplate signs for residential lots, provided they comply with the illumination requirements of § 390-0807.
(3) 
Terraces, steps, uncovered porches, decks, stoops, or similar appurtenances to residential buildings that do not extend above the floor level of the adjacent building entrance, provided they do not extend more than 25 feet into the required yard.
(4) 
Fences, hedges, and walls in accordance with Subsection I(4)(a) through (e) below on residential lots that do not exceed four feet in height may be located subject to § 390-0809E(1).
(a) 
Split-rail fences.
(b) 
Open picket fences.
(c) 
Decorative fences not more than three feet in height surrounding patios and gardens.
(d) 
All other fence types shall require a conditional use permit.
(e) 
Permitted fence types shall comply with all other provisions of § 390-0809.
(5) 
Fire escapes (on residential buildings) that do not extend more than three feet into the required yard.
J. 
Accessory structures.
(1) 
Attached accessory structures shall be considered part of the principal building for all regulatory purposes.
(2) 
Any permanent accessory structure classified as a building per § 390-0114 shall adhere to the location and height requirements of the district in which it is located except as otherwise allowed by this chapter.
(3) 
Accessory structures shall not be located within any required front yard or street side yard, except when there is a shore yard. In instances where there is a shore yard, shore yards shall be treated as front yards and street yards as rear yards, whereby accessory structures may be located between a principal building and a street frontage on the same lot.
The maximum height regulations listed for residential and nonresidential uses and accessory structures in each zoning district in Article 2 are the maximum allowable heights for all buildings and structures, except those exempted by this section.
A. 
The following are permitted to exceed the maximum height regulations within any district where allowed: church spires, belfries, parapet walls, cupolas, domes that do not contain usable space, public monuments, water towers, fire and hose towers, flagpoles, flues, chimneys, smoke stacks, grain elevators, elevator penthouses, radio and television receiving antennas, satellite dish antennas when mounted on the roof of a principal structure, manufacturing equipment and necessary mechanical appurtenances, cooling towers, substations, utilities, and electric power and communication transmission lines.
B. 
Communication structures, such as radio and television transmission and relay towers, aerials, and observation towers, shall not exceed in height three times their distance from the nearest lot line. If building mounted, height shall include the height of the building to which the structure is mounted.
C. 
Agricultural structures, such as barns and silos, shall not exceed in height twice their distance from the nearest lot line.
D. 
Any building or structure not otherwise accounted for by Subsection A above may exceed maximum height regulations with the granting of a conditional use permit that specifically states the maximum permitted height of the proposed building or structure.