Village of Richfield - Zoning Districts

A-1 Exclusive Agricultural District

The A-1 exclusive agricultural district is intended to provide for the continuation of general farming and related uses in those areas of the Village that are not committed to urban development. It is further the intent of this A-1 district to protect rural lands in the Village from other nonfarming development until their orderly transition into nonfarming districts is required. This A-1 district is further intended to permit and limit agricultural uses meeting the conditions set forth in the Farmland Preservation Program provisions of Wis. Stats ch. 91.

A-2 General Agriculture

The A-2 general agricultural district is intended to provide for, maintain, preserve, and enhance agricultural lands historically utilized for crop production but which are not included within the A-1 exclusive agricultural district and which are generally best suited for smaller farm units, including truck farming, horse farming, hobby farming, orchards, and other similar agriculture related farming activity.

B-1 Neighborhood Business

This district is intended to provide for individual or small groups of retail and customer service retail establishments in a shopping center setting. This type of district is generally separated from other major commercial areas but near residential development and include such amenities as increased open space and ample offstreet parking and loading areas and architectural or landscape screening from adjacent nonbusiness uses, making such retail uses or centers more compatible with the character of adjacent residential districts.

B-2 Community Business

This district is intended to provide for individual or large groups of retail and customer service retail establishments in a shopping center setting. This type of district is usually located at or near the intersections of two arterial streets or highways and designed for the convenience of weekly or monthly one-stop shopping and includes such amenities as increased open space and ample off-street parking and loading areas and architectural screening or landscaping.

B-3 General Business

This district is intended to provide for the orderly continuation and revitalization of the older established business areas of the Village where uses are not exclusively of one type but, rather, mixed and include retail sales shops, wholesale and warehousing outlets, and institutional, recreational, and even residential uses. Many of the existing businesses in this district may not meet the requirements of the B-1 or B-2 district. It is the intent of this district to provide minimum requirements for all new uses of land within the district and a guide for the redevelopment and revitalization of uses of land in existence on January 1, 1960.

B-4 Highway Business

This district is intended to provide for the orderly and attractive grouping at appropriate locations along principal highway routes of those businesses and customer service establishments which are logically related to and dependent upon highway traffic or which are specifically designed to serve the needs of such traffic.

B-5 Downtown Business

This district is intended to establish, enhance, and preserve the unique character of the Village’s downtown area along STH 175, north of STH 167 and south of Pleasant Hill Road. The district, which is limited to those properties generally located along STH 175 or abutting properties with direct highway access, is intended to help act as a gateway to the community by enhancing the opportunities for commercial redevelopment, to establish and maintain small, neighborhood-scale mixed uses, all while encouraging high-quality design and architectural standards befitting of a higher density commercial zoning district.

B-6 Destination Venue

This district is intended to allow the continuation of existing restaurants and taverns that are located outside of the STH 175 commercial corridor and which draw patrons from the region.

I-1 Light Industry

This district is intended to accommodate industrial, manufacturing, and similar uses where most of the activities are conducted within an enclosed building. Compatible community and civic uses are also allowed.

I-2 General Industry

This district is intended to accommodate industrial, manufacturing, and similar uses where some or all the activities are conducted outside of an enclosed building. Compatible community and civic uses are also allowed.

INST Institutional

This district is intended to accommodate institutional uses, whether maintained by the Village, another governmental body, or a private business, that are deemed to be a permanent use. This district is located in and adjoining residential areas of the Village where such uses are consistent with existing and planned residential uses.

P-1 Park and Recreation

This district is intended to provide for areas where the recreational needs, both public and private, of the populace can be met without undue disturbance of natural resources and adjacent uses.

PDD-01 Reflections Village

The Reflections Village planned development district (PDD-01) is intended accommodate a development project that was initially approved by the Village based on the Walkable Hamlet zoning regulations in effect at the time of review and approval. As part of the Village’s rewrite of the zoning regulations adopted in 2021, the residential lots and related outlots were converted to a planned development district as set forth in this section. This district includes 58 residential lots and various outlots. The commercial lot in the initial development project is now zoned B-1 Neighborhood Commercial.

RD-1 Two-Family Cluster/Open Space Residential

This district is intended to provide for two-family residential lots consistent with the density and open space calculations that are established for this district. The protected open space is designed to (i) maintain and protect the rural, countryside character of the Village; (ii) allow for the continuation of limited agricultural uses in those areas best suited for such activities and when the continuation of such activities would be practical and compatible with adjoining nonfarm uses; and (iii) preserve, protect, and minimize disturbance of the natural resources and environmentally sensitive areas in the Village. The minimum lot area of a proposed land division is limited to those parcels that are 10 acres or larger.

This zoning district is established in the zoning code, but it is not currently applied to any properties.

RD-2 Two-Family Residential

This district is intended to provide for two-family dwelling units at a density that is consistent with the overall rural character of the Village and that of the surrounding area. This district is intended to border a golf course and commercially zoned property within the STH 175 corridor. This district may only be applied to entire properties within 1,200 feet of STH 175. As an additional requirement, primary access to a residential development in this district shall only be provided off STH 175.

RS-1 Country Estates

This district is intended to provide for single-family residential and hobby farm development that is consistent with the maintenance of a rural character and lifestyle.

RS-1A Single-Family and Rural Preservation

This district is intended to provide for development of farm and natural open space areas into residential lots and subdivisions, wherein significant portions of such open spaces are preserved, either in the form of areas within large lots at an average gross density of 130,000 square feet (approximately three acres) per lot, or within special open space outlots, the creating of which is encouraged in this section by clustering portions of allowable lots into such outlots under a density incentive, pursuant to § 62.23(7)(b), Wis. Stats., special planned development districts, which this Rs-1A district is declared to be. This zoning classification is limited to those properties so designated on July 21, 2022.

RS-1B Single-Family Cluster Residential

This district is intended to provide for the development of parcels that are 20 acres or larger into single-family residential lots and subdivisions consistent with the density and open space calculations that are established for this district. The protected open space is designed to (i) maintain and protect the rural, countryside character of the Village; (ii) allow for the continuation of limited agricultural uses in those areas best suited for such activities and when the continuation of such activities would be practical and compatible with adjoining nonfarm uses; and (iii) preserve, protect and minimize disturbance of the natural resources and environmentally sensitive areas in the Village.

RS-1R Country Estates/Remnant Parcel

This district is intended to provide for single-family residential development on "remnant parcels" as defined herein. Clustered-oriented subdivision residential development is not allowed in this district. For the purpose of this part, a remnant parcel is a contiguous parcel of land that existed on July 21, 2022 and (i) is less than 20 acres in area; (ii) Is recorded with the Register of Deeds of Washington County as a separate parcel with a separate tax key number; and (iii) Is located in one or more of the following zoning districts: RR-1 and RR-2.

RS-2 Single-Family Residential (RS-2)

This district is intended to provide for single-family residential development at densities not exceeding 0.67 dwelling unit per net acre. This zoning classification is limited to those parcels so designated on or before January 1, 1994.

RS-3 Single-Family Residential (RS-3)

This district is intended to accommodate only single-family residential uses within the older, established areas of the Village where such uses are located on lots or parcels of land which are within predominantly residential areas, are smaller than 65,000 square feet in area, and were lots of record on or before January 1, 1994. The parcels in this district may not be rezoned to any other classification.

RS-4 Single-Family Lake Lots

This district is for comparatively small lake lots fronting on or in the immediate area of Amy Belle, Bark, Friess, Lake Five, and Little Friess lakes. This zoning classification is limited to those parcels so designated on July 20, 2023.

SP-1 Railroad

This district is intended to accommodate commercial railroad lines and spur lines.

Village of Richfield, WI

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