16.965 Planning grants to local governmental units.

(1) In this section:

(a) “Local governmental unit" means a county, city, village, town or regional planning commission.

(b) “Smart growth area" means an area that will enable the development and redevelopment of lands with existing infrastructure and municipal, state and utility services, where practicable, or that will encourage efficient development patterns that are both contiguous to existing development and at densities that have relatively low municipal, state governmental and utility costs.

(2) From the appropriations under s. 20.505 (1) (cm) and (ud), the department may provide grants to local governmental units to be used to finance the cost of planning activities, including contracting for planning consultant services, public planning sessions and other planning outreach and educational activities, or for the purchase of computerized planning data, planning software or the hardware required to utilize that data or software. The department shall require any local governmental unit that receives a grant under this section to finance a percentage of the cost of the product or service to be funded by the grant from the resources of the local governmental unit. The department shall determine the percentage of the cost to be funded by a local governmental unit based on the number of applications for grants and the availability of funding to finance grants for the fiscal year in which grants are to be provided. A local governmental unit that desires to receive a grant under this subsection shall file an application with the department. The application shall contain a complete statement of the expenditures proposed to be made for the purposes of the grant. No local governmental unit is eligible to receive a grant under this subsection unless the local governmental unit agrees to utilize the grant to finance planning for all of the purposes specified in s. 66.1001 (2).

(4) In determining whether to approve a proposed grant, preference shall be accorded to applications of local governmental units that contain all of the following elements:

(a) Planning efforts that address the interests of overlapping or neighboring jurisdictions.

(b) Planning efforts that contain a specific description of the means by which all of the following local, comprehensive planning goals will be achieved:

1. Promotion of the redevelopment of lands with existing infrastructure and public services and the maintenance and rehabilitation of existing residential, commercial and industrial structures.

2. Encouragement of neighborhood designs that support a range of transportation choices.

3. Protection of natural areas, including wetlands, wildlife habitats, lakes, woodlands, open spaces and groundwater resources.

4. Protection of economically productive areas, including farmland and forests.

5. Encouragement of land uses, densities and regulations that promote efficient development patterns and relatively low municipal, state governmental and utility costs.

6. Preservation of cultural, historic and archaeological sites.

7. Encouragement of coordination and cooperation among nearby units of government.

8. Building of community identity by revitalizing main streets and enforcing design standards.

9. Providing an adequate supply of affordable housing for individuals of all income levels throughout each community.

10. Providing adequate infrastructure and public services and an adequate supply of developable land to meet existing and future market demand for residential, commercial and industrial uses.

11. Promoting the expansion or stabilization of the current economic base and the creation of a range of employment opportunities at the state, regional and local levels.

12. Balancing individual property rights with community interests and goals.

13. Planning and development of land uses that create or preserve varied and unique urban and rural communities.

14. Providing an integrated, efficient and economical transportation system that affords mobility, convenience and safety and that meets the needs of all citizens, including transit-dependent and disabled citizens.

(c) Planning efforts that identify smart growth areas.

(d) Planning efforts, including subsequent updates and amendments, that include development of implementing ordinances, including ordinances pertaining to zoning, subdivisions and land division.

(e) Planning efforts for which completion is contemplated within 30 months of the date on which a grant would be awarded.

(f) Planning efforts that provide opportunities for public participation throughout the planning process.

(5) The department may, upon application, grant a local governmental unit that has received a grant under sub. (2) and that has not adopted a comprehensive plan under s. 66.1001 an extension of time to adopt a comprehensive plan. During the period of the extension, the local governmental unit shall be exempt from the requirements under s. 66.1001 (3).

History: 1999 a. 9, 148, 185; 2001 a. 16, 30, 105; 2003 a. 33 s. 2813; 2009 a. 372; 2013 a. 20.

Challenges to “Smart Growth": State Legislative Approaches to Comprehensive Growth Planning and the Local Government Issue. Yajnik. 2004 WLR 229.