Planning Overview
Brown County Planning undertakes planning activities in five general categories: transportation, land use, natural resources, local assistance, and economic development.
Transportation planning includes all urban and rural transportation planning. As the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Green Bay urbanized area, staff works with the urbanized area communities, county highway department, and Wisconsin Department of Transportation to plan the area’s motor vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian transportation system. The MPO also acts as the planning staff for the Green Bay transit system (METRO).
Land Use planning includes administering the county subdivision and platting regulations. Currently, the Planning Commission reviews all land divisions within the villages and towns that result in the creation of lots 10 acres or less in size that are located outside of the sewer service area and 40 acres or less in size inside of the sewer service area. Staff also reviews and makes recommendations regarding requests for variances from the subdivision regulations, serves as an objecting agency for all subdivision plats located within the cities, develops Area Development Plans, erosion control and stormwater management plans, and the recommendations of the
Brown County Comprehensive Plan - A Vision for Great Communities.
Natural resources planning includes administration of various regulatory and non-regulatory environmental programs, provides review and comment on pending federal, state, and local legislation relating to environmental issues and concerns, and provides education, information, and assistance to public officials, private citizens, surveyors, realtors, and developers. Specific duties include erosion control planning, stormwater management planning, environmentally sensitive area planning, public and private sanitary sewer extension reviews, sanitary sewer service area planning, open space and outdoor recreation planning, and environmental assessments.
Local assistance includes planning assistance to municipalities of Brown County. Comprehensive planning, zoning ordinances, zoning maps, official maps, area development plans, staff reviews of rezoning requests, attendance at meetings, recreation plans, interpretation of ordinances, and advice regarding planning-related issues are only a few of the services that are provided to local units of government. Planning Commission staff members also frequently attend municipal meetings and mediate municipal boundary agreements.
Economic development includes administration of the Brown County Economic Development Loan Program and Wisconsin Department of Commerce economic development loans.
