[Amended 2-8-2011]
It is not intended by this chapter to repeal,
abrogate, annul, impair, or interfere with any existing easements,
covenants, agreements, rules, regulations or permits previously adopted
or issued pursuant to law. However, where this chapter imposes greater
restrictions, the provisions of this chapter shall govern, except
that this chapter shall not impose more restrictive time limits, deadlines,
notice requirements, or other provisions that provide protection for
a subdivider than those in Chapter 236, Wis. Stats.
In their interpretation and application, the
provisions of this chapter shall be held to be minimum requirements
and shall be liberally construed in favor of the Town of Fulton and
shall not be deemed a limitation or repeal of any other power granted
by the Wisconsin Statutes.
This chapter shall be known as, referred to,
or cited as the "Town of Fulton Subdivision Chapter" or "Town of Fulton
Land Division and Subdivision Chapter."
The following definitions shall be applicable
in this chapter:
ALLEY
A public right-of-way which normally affords a secondary
means of vehicular access to abutting property.
ARTERIAL STREET
A street which provides for the movement of relatively heavy
traffic to, from or within the Town. It has a secondary function of
providing access to abutting land and to collector and minor streets.
BIKEWAY
A bike route completely apart from a street and restricted
to bicycle, pedestrian, and maintenance vehicle traffic.
BLOCK
An area of land within a subdivision that is entirely bounded
by a combination or combinations of streets, exterior boundary lines
of the subdivision and streams or water bodies.
BUILDING LINE or BUILDING SETBACK LINE
A line parallel to a lot line and at a distance from the lot line so as to comply with the yard and setback requirements of Chapter
425, Zoning, of the Town Code or any restriction on the plat which identifies a line on the plat as a building setback line. The building setback line shall be substantially parallel to the right-of-way.
COLLECTOR STREET
A street which collects and distributes internal traffic
within an urban area, such as a residential neighborhood, between
arterial and local streets. It provides access to abutting property.
COMMITTEE
The Planning and Zoning Committee created by the Town Board
pursuant to § 62.23, Wis. Stats.
COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN
A comprehensive plan prepared by the Town indicating the
general locations recommended for the various functional classes of
land use, places and structures and for the general physical development
of the Town and includes any unit or part of such plan separately
adopted and any amendment to such plan or parts thereof.
CONCEPT PLAN
A preliminary drawing, made to approximate scale, of a proposed
land division for discussion purposes.
CONDOMINIUM
A real estate development in which a condominium form of
ownership pursuant to Ch. 703, Wis. Stats., is utilized.
CUL-DE-SAC
A short street having but one end open to traffic and the
other end being permanently terminated in a vehicular turnaround.
DAYS
Calendar, not working, days.
DEAD-END STREET
A street permanently or temporarily closed at one end, with
or without turnarounds.
DIVISION OF LAND
Where the title or any part thereof is transferred by the
execution of a land contract, an option to purchase, an offer to purchase
and acceptance, a deed, or a certified survey.
DRAINAGEWAY
An open area of land, either in an easement or dedicated
right-of-way, the primary purpose of which is to carry stormwater
on the ground surface in lieu of an enclosed storm sewer. Drainageways
may serve multiple purposes in addition to their principal use, including
but not limited to maintenance, bicycle and pedestrian traffic, sanitary
sewers, water mains, storm sewers, stormwater detention, park development,
and other related uses. Drainageways may also be referred to as "greenways."
EASEMENT
The area of land set aside or over or through which a liberty,
privilege or advantage in land, distinct from ownership of the land,
is granted to the public or some particular person or part of the
public.
FINAL PLAT
The final map, drawing or chart on which the subdivider's
plan of subdivision is presented for approval and which, if approved,
will be submitted to the County Register of Deeds.
FRONTAGE STREET
A minor street auxiliary to and located on the side of an
arterial street for control of access and for service to the abutting
development.
GROUNDWATER
Any of the waters of the State of Wisconsin occurring in
a saturated subsurface geological formation or permeable rock or soil.
HALF STREET
A street either existing as or proposed to be half of the
required right-of-way width with the intention that the adjoining
half will be platted at the time the adjoining lands are subdivided
or an existing street of which, due to reasons of ownership, only
half of the right-of-way is within the boundaries of a proposed land
division or annexation.
IMPERVIOUS LOT AREA
Roof areas, gravel or bituminous surfaces, sidewalks, decks
or other hard-surface areas.
IMPROVEMENT, PUBLIC
Any sanitary sewer, storm sewer, open channel, water main,
roadway, park, parkway, public access, sidewalk, pedestrianway, planting
strip or other facility for which the Town may ultimately assume the
responsibility for maintenance and operation.
LAND DIVISION
A division of a parcel of land where the act of division,
including by certified survey, creates fewer than five lots, parcels
or building sites of 35 acres each or less in area.
LOCAL STREET
A street of little or no continuity designed to provide access
to abutting property and leading into collector streets.
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, yard, parking area and other open
space provisions of this chapter and any applicable zoning ordinance.
LOT AREA
The area contained within the exterior boundaries of a lot,
excluding streets, and land under navigable bodies of water.
LOT, CORNER
A lot abutting intersecting streets at their intersection.
LOT DEPTH
The average dimension of a parcel measured from the rear
lot line to the front lot line along each side yard setback.
LOT LINES
The peripheral boundaries of a lot as defined herein.
LOT, REVERSED CORNER
A corner lot which is oriented so that it has its rear lot
line coincident with or parallel to the side lot line of the interior
lot immediately to its rear.
LOT, THROUGH
A lot having a pair of opposite lot lines along two more
or less parallel public streets and which is not a corner lot. On
a through lot, both street lines shall be deemed front lot lines.
LOT WIDTH
The width of a parcel of land measured along the front building
line.
MAJOR THOROUGHFARE
A street used or intended to be used primarily for fast or
heavy through traffic. Major thoroughfares shall include freeways,
expressways and other highways and parkways, as well as arterial streets.
MASTER PLAN
An extensively developed plan, map, or other document pertaining
to planning and adopted by the Town Board which may pertain to the
division of lands, including the Comprehensive Development Plan, the
Official Map, comprehensive utility plans, and other planning documents,
including proposals for future land use, transportation, urban redevelopment
and public facilities. Devices for the implementation of these plans,
such as ordinances pertaining to zoning, official map, land division,
and building development and capital improvement plans, shall be considered
as placing documents within this definition.
MINOR STREET
A street used, or intended to be used, primarily for access
to abutting properties; also referred to as a "local street."
MINOR SUBDIVISION (CERTIFIED SURVEY)
The division of land by the owner or subdivider resulting
in the creation of not more than four parcels or building sites, any
one of which is 35 acres in size or less, or the division of a block,
lot or outlet within a recorded subdivision plat into not more than
four parcels or building sites without changing the exterior boundaries
of said block, lot or outlot.
OFFICIAL MAP
A map indicating the location, width, and extent of existing
and proposed streets, highways, drainageways, parks, playgrounds,
and other facilities, as adopted by the Town Board pursuant to Ch.
62, Wis. Stats.
OUTLOT
A parcel of land, other than a lot, so designated on a plat
or certified survey and which is not intended for building or structure
development, in the proposed land division, or is an otherwise undefined
territory in a plat.
OWNER
Includes the plural as well as the singular and may mean
either a natural person, firm, association, partnership, private corporation,
public or quasi-public corporation, or combination of these, having
any pecuniary interest in lands regulated by this chapter.
PARCEL
Contiguous lands under the control of a subdivider, whether
or not separated by a combination of streets, exterior subdivision
boundary lines, streams, or other water bodies.
PARKING SPACE
An off-street area suitable to be used for parking a passenger
automobile.
PEDESTRIAN PATHWAY
A public way, usually running at right angles to streets,
which is intended for the convenience of pedestrians only; it may
also provide public right-of-way for utilities.
PERSON
Includes the plural as well as the singular and may mean
any individual, firm, association, syndicate, partnership, corporation,
trust, or any other legal entity.
PLANNED COMMERCIAL SITE
A specified area of land comprising one or more contiguous
ownership parcels or building sites for nonresidential uses and which
area is legally limited by a reciprocal land use agreement and plan
of building placement, reciprocal use of off-street parking facilities
and reciprocal use of ingress and egress facilities for each building,
loading and parking site. A planned commercial site must have a plan
and reciprocal land use agreement approved by the Town recorded in
the office of the County Register of Deeds. An approved plan and reciprocal
land use agreement may not be changed without approval by the Town.
No portion of a planned commercial site may include or front on a
street, highway, walkway, parkway, or utility route designated in
the Master Plan or Official Map at the time of initial recording unless
the designated facility is in public ownership or easement.
PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT or PUD
A form of development characterized by a unified site design
for a number of housing units. The concept usually involves clustering
of buildings, providing common open space, and mixing different types
of housing (single-family, duplexes, and multifamily). Ordinances
permitting planned unit developments permit planning a project and
calculating densities for the entire development rather than on an
individual lot-by-lot basis. It is hereby declared that regulating
planned unit developments require greater involvement by public officials
in site plan review and development aspects of both zoning and land
division regulation since such developments require exceptions from
both types of regulation.
PLAT
The map, drawing or chart on which the subdivider's plat
of subdivision is presented to the Town for approval.
PRELIMINARY PLAT
The preliminary plat map, drawing or chart indicating the
proposed layout of the subdivision to be submitted to the Planning
and Zoning Committee and Town Board for their consideration as to
compliance with the Comprehensive Development Plan and these regulations
along with required supporting data.
PROTECTIVE COVENANTS
Contracts entered into between private parties or between
private parties and public bodies pursuant to § 236.293,
Wis. Stats., which constitute a restriction on the use of all private
or platted property within a subdivision for the benefit of the public
or property owners and to provide mutual protection against undesirable
aspects of development which would tend to impair stability of values.
PUBLIC PURPOSE
A purpose or objective in the Town of Fulton to promote the
general welfare, security, prosperity and contentment of all the inhabitants
of the Town of Fulton.
REPLAT
The process of changing, or a map or plat which changes,
the boundaries of a recorded subdivision plat or part thereof. The
legal dividing of a large block, lot or outlot within a recorded subdivision
plat without changing exterior boundaries of said block, lot or outlot
is not a replat.
RIGHT-OF-WAY
A public way dedicated to the public for its intended use.
SETBACKS
The standards for setbacks shall be as defined in Chapter
425, Zoning, of the Town Code.
SHORELANDS
Those lands within the following distances: 1,000 feet from
the high-water elevation of navigable lakes, ponds and flowages or
300 feet from the high-water elevation of navigable streams or to
the landward side of the floodplain, whichever is greater.
SOLAR COLLECTOR
A device, structure or a part of a device or structure a
substantial purpose of which is to transform solar energy into thermal,
mechanical, chemical or electrical energy.
STREET
A public way for pedestrians and vehicular traffic and utility
access, including but not limited to highways, thoroughfares, parkways,
through highways, roads, avenues, boulevards, lanes, places, and courts,
and any pavements, turf, fixtures, facilities, structures, plantings,
signs, and other elements of the right-of-way.
STRUCTURE
Anything constructed or erected, the use of which requires
more or less permanent location on the ground, or attached to something
having permanent location on the ground, excepting public utility
fixtures and appurtenances.
SUBDIVIDER
Any person, firm, corporation, agent, partnership, or entity
of any sort who or which divides or proposes to divide or replat land
in any manner, including such heirs and assigns as may be responsible
for the obligations of the subdivider under the provisions of this
chapter.
SUBDIVISION
A division of a lot, parcel or tract of land by the owner
thereof or the owner's agent for the purpose of sale or of building
development where:
A.
The act of division creates five or more parcels,
lots or building sites of 35 acres each or less in area; or
B.
Five or more parcels, lots or building sites
of 35 acres each or less in area are created by successive divisions
within a period of five years.
TOWN
The Town of Fulton, Wisconsin, and, where appropriate, its
Town Board, commissions, committees and authorized officials.
WATERWAY
A running stream of water flowing in a definite channel.
WETLANDS
An area where water is at, near or above the land surface
long enough to be capable of supporting aquatic or hydrophytic vegetation
and which has soils indicative of wet conditions [§ 23.32(1),
Wis. Stats.].
WISCONSIN ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
The rules of administrative agencies having rule-making authority
in Wisconsin, published in a loose-leaf, continual revision system,
as directed by § 35.93 and Ch. 227, Wis. Stats., including
subsequent amendments to those rules.
No land shall be subdivided for residential,
commercial or industrial use which is held unsuitable for such use
by the Town Board, upon the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning
Committee, for reason of flooding, inadequate drainage, adverse soil
or rock formation, unfavorable topography or any other feature likely
to be harmful to the health, safety, or welfare of the future residents
of the proposed subdivision or of the community. The Town Board, in
applying the provisions of this section, shall in writing recite the
particular facts upon which it bases its conclusion that the land
is not suitable for the proposed use and afford the subdivider an
opportunity to present evidence regarding such unsuitability if he
so desires. Thereafter the Town Board upon the recommendation of the
Planning and Zoning Committee may affirm, modify, or withdraw its
determination of unsuitability.
It is recommended that, prior to the filing
of an application for the approval of a land division, the land divider
consult with Town staff in order to obtain an understanding of local
planning procedures, regulations and other pertinent information which
may help the land divider secure approval of the land divider's application.
This consultation is neither formal nor mandatory but is intended
to help the land divider and the Town reach mutual conclusions regarding
the general objectives of the proposed development and its possible
effects on the neighborhood and the Town as a whole.
Where the Planning and Zoning Committee or Town
Board determines that a navigable lake or a river or a stream has
a serious lack of public access facilities, any land division that
includes at least 500 feet of frontage on such water body may be required
to dedicate lands for a public access facility in a width of at least
70 feet connecting the low-water mark to the nearest public road.
Provisions of § 236.16(4), Wis. Stats., are included herein
by reference. This provision does not apply to nonnavigable water
bodies or to newly created water bodies located entirely within new
developments.
The subdivider shall construct streets, roads and alleys as outlined on the approved plans based on the requirements of this chapter, particularly §§
380-30 and
380-31.
A. General considerations. The streets shall be designed
and located in relation to existing and planned streets, to topographical
conditions and natural terrain features such as streams and existing
tree growth, to public convenience and safety, and in their appropriate
relation to the proposed uses of the land to be served by such streets.
B. Construction standards. Construction of all streets shall conform to the current standards as established by the Town in this chapter and any applicable provisions of Chapter
425, Zoning, of the Town Code or any other applicable ordinances of the Town.
C. Conform to Official Map. The arrangement, width, grade
and location of all streets shall conform to the Official Map.
D. Street construction. After the installation of all
required utility and other improvements, the subdivider shall prepare
for surfacing all roadways and streets proposed to be dedicated to
the widths described by these regulations by placing crushed rock
on said roadways and, in addition, shall surface said street in a
manner and quality consistent with this chapter.
E. Street cross sections. When permanent street cross
sections have been approved by the Town, the subdivider shall finish
grade all shoulders and road ditches, install all necessary culverts
at intersections and, if required, surface ditch inverts to prevent
erosion and sedimentation.
All land divisions intended for residential,
commercial or industrial use shall either be capable of an on-site
sewage disposal system or be connected to a public sewer system that
will adequately provide treatment of an effluent generated on the
premises.
A. Low- and medium-density residential districts. Sanitary
sewage systems shall be constructed as follows:
(1) Where a public sanitary sewage system is accessible.
The applicant may use on-site sewage disposal systems on lots with
the provision of connecting to public sewer when same is available.
(2) Where public sanitary sewage systems are not accessible
and the proposed land division is within an urban service area, the
applicant may use on-site sewage disposal systems on lot sizes with
the provision of replatting a lot into smaller lots when public sewer
is available.
B. High-density residential and new nonresidential districts.
Sanitary sewage facilities shall connect with public sanitary sewage
systems. Sewers shall be installed to serve each lot in two grades
and sizes required by approving officials and agencies. Individual
disposal system or treatment plants (private or group disposal systems)
shall be permitted when found to be in compliance with the state nonproliferation
policy and assurances are provided to the Planning and Zoning Committee
that the system will be maintained into perpetuity.
The subdivider shall arrange with the Town and
pay the costs of providing the street signing necessary to serve the
development. Such signing shall include street name signs and such
temporary barricades and "road closed" signs as may be required by
the Town Board until the street improvements have been accepted by
Town Board resolution.
The subdivider shall cause all gradings, excavations,
open cuts, side slopes, and other land surface disturbances to be
mulched, seeded, sodded or otherwise protected so that erosion, siltation,
sedimentation and washing are prevented. The subdivider shall submit
an erosion control plan that specifies measures that will be taken
to assure the minimization of erosion problems.
When the land included in a subdivision plat
or certified map abuts upon or is adjacent to land used for farming
or grazing purposes, the subdivider shall erect partition fences,
satisfying the requirements of the Wisconsin Statutes for a legal
and sufficient fence, between such land and the adjacent land. A covenant
binding the developer, its grantees, heirs, successors, and assigns
to erect and maintain such fences, without cost to the adjoining property
owners, so long as the land is used for farming or grazing purposes,
shall be included upon the face of the final plat or certified survey
map.
Pursuant to § 236.293, Wis. Stats.,
any restriction placed on platted lands by covenant, grant of easement,
land division or consolidation approval which was required by the
Town and which names a public body or public utility as guarantee,
promisee or beneficiary vests in the public body or utility the right
to enforce the restriction by law or in equity against anyone who
has interest in the land subject to the restriction. The restriction
may be released or waived by resolution of the Town Board.