Town of Newton Comprehensive Planning
Comprehensive Planning is an attempt to establish guidelines addressing the future growth of the Town of Newton. A comprehensive plan is the formal document for planning this future growth. The document is official in nature, meaning that it is designed to be adopted in law by the Newton Town Board. It is used to address the constant change of a community. The document serves as a policy guide to decisions about community development.
The Town Board has contracted with the firm of Cedar Corporation Inc. to update the Town’s current Comprehensive Plan (Town of Newton Year 2040 Comprehensive Plan). Comprehensive Plans are required to be updated at least once every ten (10) years according to WI Stats 66.1001. Having last been updated in 2009, the Town of Newton Year 2040 Comprehensive Plan was due for an update. The update effort is being led by the Town of Newton Planning Commission.
Why Plan?
Planning is being prepared for what will likely happen "tomorrow", and being ready with an alternate strategy if something else happens instead. We all do a little planning each day, each month, each year. If we didn't, our lives would likely be chaos. We plan in groups, too-at home, at work, at church, and at the Town Hall. At the Town Hall we're deciding how we want our Town to look, function, and feel.
"Comprehensive" means complete and wide-ranging. A town has many aspects that contribute to its success as a place to live and play and work and run a business. The role of the planning process is to consider all the various aspects and issues of the town, facilitate agreement on common goals, and lay out a path to achieve and/or react to them. So, the "Comprehensive Plan" records facts, documents a vision for the future, and aids in the allocation of financial and human resources; but "comprehensive planning" brings people together to talk about what responsible growth looks and feels like. It encourages discussion among citizens, agencies, and governments. It is an opportunity to discuss options and develop common goals.
Comprehensive Legislation
The planning legislation found in State Statute 66.1001 provides local governmental units with the framework to develop comprehensive plans and assists the community in making informed land use decisions. The framework includes nine specific elements:
- Issues and Opportunities
- Housing
- Transportation
- Utilities and Community Facilities
- Agricultural, Natural, and Cultural Resources
- Economic Development
- Intergovernmental Cooperation
- Land Use
- Implementation
The planning legislation also states that all communities in Wisconsin that make land use decisions (such as rezones) will need to base those decisions on an adopted comprehensive plan based on the legislation. The Town of Newton enforces their own Zoning Ordinance, so a comprehensive plan is essential to ordinance administration.
The Town of Newton Year 2040 Comprehensive Plan is the current document guiding the Town. It is a policy document that is used by the Town Plan Commission and Town Board as a guide for making decisions regarding land use and development in the Town. The plan contains background information and goals, objectives, policies, maps and recommendations.
Public Participation Plan
As part of the update process, the Town of Newton adopted a Public Participation Plan. This critical step ensures town residents will be actively involved throughout the process. Comments are welcomed at any time during the planning process and can be left under the "Contact Us" tab of the web site. We hope you want to be part of the planning process. Leave us a comment. We would be happy to respond.