Chapter 91

91.36(2)(a) (a) The department may certify a farmland preservation zoning ordinance for a period that does not exceed 10 years. The department shall specify the expiration date of the certification of the farmland preservation zoning ordinance in the certification.

91.36(2)(b) (b) The certification of an amendment to a certified farmland preservation zoning ordinance expires on the date that the certification of the farmland preservation zoning ordinance expires, except that the department may treat a comprehensive revision of a certified farmland preservation zoning ordinance as a new farmland preservation zoning ordinance and specify an expiration date for the certification of the revised farmland preservation zoning ordinance as provided in par. (a).

91.36(3) (3) Scope of department review.

91.36(3)(a) (a) The department may certify a farmland preservation zoning ordinance or amendment to a farmland preservation zoning ordinance based on statements submitted under s. 91.40 (3) and (4), without conducting any additional review or audit.

91.36(3)(b) (b) The department may do any of the following before it certifies a farmland preservation zoning ordinance or amendment:

91.36(3)(b)1. 1. Review the farmland preservation zoning ordinance or amendment for compliance with the requirements under s. 91.38.

91.36(3)(b)2. 2. Review and independently verify the application for certification, including the statements under s. 91.40 (3) and (4).

91.36(4) (4) Denial of certification. The department shall deny an application for certification of a farmland preservation zoning ordinance or amendment if the department finds any of the following:

91.36(4)(a) (a) That the farmland preservation zoning ordinance or amendment does not comply with the requirements in s. 91.38.

91.36(4)(b) (b) That the application for certification does not comply with s. 91.40.

91.36(5) (5) Written decision; deadline. The department shall grant or deny an application for certification under this section no more than 90 days after the day on which the political subdivision submits a complete application, unless the political subdivision agrees to an extension. The department shall issue its decision in the form required by s. 227.47 (1).

91.36(6) (6) Conditional certification. The department may grant an application for certification under this section subject to conditions specified by the department in its decision under sub. (5). The department may certify a farmland preservation zoning ordinance or amendment contingent upon the political subdivision adopting the farmland preservation zoning ordinance or amendment as certified.

91.36(7) (7) Effective date of certification. A certification under this section takes effect on the day on which the department issues the certification, except that if the department specifies conditions under sub. (6), the certification takes effect on the day on which the department determines that the political subdivision has met the conditions.

91.36(8) (8) Amendments to ordinances; certification.

91.36(8)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), an amendment to a certified farmland preservation zoning ordinance is automatically considered to be certified as part of the certified farmland preservation zoning ordinance.

91.36(8)(b) (b) An amendment to a certified farmland preservation zoning ordinance that is one of the following and that is adopted after July 1, 2009, is not automatically considered to be certified:

91.36(8)(b)1. 1. An amendment that is a comprehensive revision of a certified farmland preservation zoning ordinance.

91.36(8)(b)2. 2. An amendment that extends coverage of a certified farmland preservation zoning ordinance to a town that was not previously covered.

91.36(8)(b)3. 3. An amendment of a type specified by the department by rule that may materially affect compliance of the certified farmland preservation zoning ordinance with the requirements under s. 91.38.

91.36(8)(c) (c) The department may withdraw certification of a farmland preservation zoning ordinance if, as a result of an amendment adopted after July 1, 2009, the amended farmland preservation zoning ordinance fails to comply with the requirements under s. 91.38. This paragraph applies regardless of whether the farmland preservation zoning ordinance was originally certified under s. 91.06, 2007 stats., or under this section.

91.36(8)(d) (d) A political subdivision shall notify the department in writing whenever the political subdivision adopts an amendment that is described in par. (b) 1. to 3. to a certified farmland preservation zoning ordinance. The political subdivision shall include a copy of the amendment in the notice. This paragraph does not apply to an amendment that rezones land out of a farmland preservation zoning district.

91.36 History History: 2009 a. 28.

91.38 91.38 Requirements for certification of ordinance.

91.38(1) (1) A farmland preservation zoning ordinance does not qualify for certification under s. 91.36 unless all of the following apply:

91.38(1)(a) (a) The farmland preservation zoning ordinance includes jurisdictional, organizational, and enforcement provisions that are necessary for proper administration.

91.38(1)(c) (c) The farmland preservation zoning ordinance clearly designates farmland preservation zoning districts in which land uses are limited in compliance with s. 91.42.

91.38(1)(d) (d) The farmland preservation zoning ordinance includes maps that clearly delineate each farmland preservation zoning district, so that a reader can easily determine whether a parcel is within a farmland preservation zoning district; that are correlated to the text under par. (e); and that comply with technical specifications that the department establishes by rule.

91.38(1)(e) (e) The text of the farmland preservation zoning ordinance clearly describes the types of land uses authorized in each farmland preservation zoning district.

91.38(1)(f) (f) The farmland preservation zoning ordinance is substantially consistent with a certified farmland preservation plan.

91.38(1)(g) (g) Except as provided by the department by rule, land is not included in a farmland preservation zoning district unless the land is included in a farmland preservation area identified in the county certified farmland preservation plan.

91.38(1)(h) (h) If an overlay district, such as an environmental corridor, is superimposed on a farmland preservation zoning district, all of the following apply:

91.38(1)(h)1. 1. The farmland preservation zoning ordinance clearly identifies the overlay district as such.

91.38(1)(h)2. 2. The overlay district is shown on the maps under par. (d) in a way that allows a reader to easily identify the underlying farmland preservation zoning district and its boundaries.

91.38(1)(h)3. 3. The overlay district does not remove land use restrictions from the underlying farmland preservation zoning district.

91.38(1)(i) (i) The farmland preservation zoning ordinance complies with any other requirements that the department specifies by rule.

91.38(2) (2) An amendment to a farmland preservation zoning ordinance qualifies for certification under s. 91.36 if it complies with all of the requirements in sub. (1) that are relevant to the amendment and it does not cause the farmland preservation zoning ordinance to violate any of the requirements in sub. (1).

91.38(3) (3) The limits on land uses in farmland preservation districts under s. 91.42 are minimum standards for certification of a farmland preservation zoning ordinance under s. 91.36.

91.38 History History: 2009 a. 28.

91.40 91.40 Applying for certification of ordinance. A political subdivision seeking certification of a farmland preservation zoning ordinance or amendment to a farmland preservation zoning ordinance shall submit all of the following to the department in writing, along with any other relevant information that the political subdivision chooses to provide:

91.40(1) (1) The complete farmland preservation zoning ordinance or amendment proposed for certification.

91.40(2) (2) All of the following background information:

91.40(2)(a) (a) A concise summary of the farmland preservation zoning ordinance or amendment, including key changes from any previously certified farmland preservation zoning ordinance.

91.40(2)(b) (b) A concise summary of the process by which the farmland preservation zoning ordinance or amendment was developed, including public hearings, notice to and involvement of other governmental units, approval by the political subdivision, and identification of any key unresolved issues with other governmental units related to the farmland preservation zoning ordinance or amendment.

91.40(2)(c) (c) A description of the relationship of the farmland preservation zoning ordinance or amendment to the county certified farmland preservation plan, including any material inconsistencies between the farmland preservation zoning ordinance or amendment and the county certified farmland preservation plan.

91.40(3) (3) A statement, signed by the county planning director or the chief elected official, certifying that the farmland preservation zoning ordinance or amendment complies with s. 91.38 (1) (f) and (g).

91.40(4) (4) A statement, signed by the applicant’s attorney or chief elected official, certifying that the farmland preservation zoning ordinance or amendment complies with all applicable requirements in s. 91.38.

91.40(5) (5) Other relevant information that the department requires by rule.

91.40 History History: 2009 a. 28; 2011 a. 258.

91.42 91.42 Land use in farmland preservation zoning districts; general. A farmland preservation zoning ordinance does not qualify for certification under s. 91.36, if the farmland preservation zoning ordinance allows a land use in a farmland preservation zoning district other than the following land uses:

91.42(1) (1) Uses identified as permitted uses in s. 91.44.

91.42(2) (2) Uses identified as conditional uses in s. 91.46.

91.42(3) (3) Prior nonconforming uses, subject to s. 59.69 (10), 60.61 (5), or 62.23 (7) (h).

91.42(4) (4) Other uses allowed by the department by rule.

91.42 History History: 2009 a. 28.

91.44 91.44 Permitted uses.

91.44(1) (1) Except as provided in s. 84.01 (34), a farmland preservation zoning ordinance does not comply with s. 91.42 if the farmland preservation zoning ordinance allows as a permitted use in a farmland preservation zoning district a land use other than the following land uses:

91.44(1)(a) (a) Agricultural uses.

91.44(1)(b) (b) Accessory uses.

91.44(1)(c) (c) Agriculture-related uses.

91.44(1)(d) (d) Nonfarm residences constructed in a rural residential cluster in accordance with an approval of the cluster as a conditional use under s. 91.46 (1) (e).

91.44(1)(e) (e) Undeveloped natural resource and open space areas.

91.44(1)(f) (f) A transportation, utility, communication, or other use that is required under state or federal law to be located in a specific place or that is authorized to be located in a specific place under a state or federal law that preempts the requirement of a conditional use permit for that use.

91.44(1)(g) (g) Other uses identified by the department by rule.

91.44(2) (2) The department may promulgate rules imposing additional limits on the permitted uses that may be allowed in a farmland preservation zoning district in order for a farmland preservation zoning ordinance to comply with s. 91.42.

91.44 History History: 2009 a. 28.

91.46 91.46 Conditional uses.

91.46(1) (1) General. Except as provided in s. 84.01 (34), a farmland preservation zoning ordinance does not comply with s. 91.42 if the farmland preservation zoning ordinance allows as a conditional use in a farmland preservation zoning district a land use other than the following land uses:

91.46(1)(a) (a) Agricultural uses.

91.46(1)(b) (b) Accessory uses.

91.46(1)(c) (c) Agriculture-related uses.

91.46(1)(d) (d) Nonfarm residences that qualify under sub. (2) or that meet more restrictive standards in the farmland preservation zoning ordinance.

91.46(1)(e) (e) Nonfarm residential clusters that qualify under sub. (3) or that meet more restrictive standards in the farmland preservation zoning ordinance.

91.46(1)(f) (f) Transportation, communications, pipeline, electric transmission, utility, or drainage uses that qualify under sub. (4).

91.46(1)(g) (g) Governmental, institutional, religious, or nonprofit community uses, other than uses covered by par. (f), that qualify under sub. (5).

91.46(1)(h) (h) Nonmetallic mineral extraction that qualifies under sub. (6).

91.46(1)(i) (i) Oil and gas exploration or production that is licensed by the department of natural resources under subch. II of ch. 295.

91.46(1)(j) (j) Other uses allowed by the department by rule.

91.46(1m) (1m) Additional limitations. The department may promulgate rules imposing additional limits on the conditional uses that may be allowed in a farmland preservation zoning district in order for a farmland preservation zoning ordinance to comply with s. 91.42.

91.46(2) (2) Nonfarm residences. A proposed new nonfarm residence or a proposal to convert a farm residence to a nonfarm residence through a change in occupancy qualifies for the purposes of sub. (1) (d) if the political subdivision determines that all of the following apply:

91.46(2)(a) (a) The ratio of nonfarm residential acreage to farm acreage on the base farm tract on which the residence is or will be located will not be greater than 1 to 20 after the residence is constructed or converted to a nonfarm residence.

91.46(2)(b) (b) There will not be more than 4 dwelling units in nonfarm residences, nor, for a new nonfarm residence, more than 5 dwelling units in residences of any kind, on the base farm tract after the residence is constructed or converted to a nonfarm residence.

91.46(2)(c) (c) The location and size of the proposed nonfarm residential parcel, and, for a new nonfarm residence, the location of the nonfarm residence on that nonfarm residential parcel, will not do any of the following:

91.46(2)(c)1. 1. Convert prime farmland from agricultural use or convert land previously used as cropland, other than a woodlot, from agricultural use if on the farm there is a reasonable alternative location or size for a nonfarm residential parcel or nonfarm residence.

91.46(2)(c)2. 2. Significantly impair or limit the current or future agricultural use of other protected farmland.

91.46(3) (3) Nonfarm residential cluster. A political subdivision may issue one conditional use permit that covers more than one nonfarm residence in a qualifying nonfarm residential cluster. A nonfarm residential cluster qualifies for the purposes of sub. (1) (e) if all of the following apply:

91.46(3)(a) (a) The parcels on which the nonfarm residences would be located are contiguous.

91.46(3)(b) (b) The political subdivision imposes legal restrictions on the construction of the nonfarm residences so that if all of the nonfarm residences were constructed, each would satisfy the requirements under sub. (2).

91.46(4) (4) Transportation, communications, pipeline, electric transmission, utility, or drainage use. A transportation, communications, pipeline, electric transmission, utility, or drainage use qualifies for the purposes of sub. (1) (f) if the political subdivision determines that all of the following apply:

91.46(4)(a) (a) The use and its location in the farmland preservation zoning district are consistent with the purposes of the farmland preservation zoning district.