Buildings hereafter erected, enlarged, converted, structurally altered, rebuilt or moved and existing land shall be used only for purposes as specified in this chapter. Furthermore, land and building uses shall be in compliance with the regulations as established herein for each district.[1]

All principal structures shall be located on a lot, and only one principal structure shall be located, erected or moved onto a lot.

Permitted uses, accessory uses, and conditional uses are limited to the uses indicated for the respective zone district.[2]

Accessory buildings which are not a part of the main building shall not occupy more than 30% of the required rear yard, shall not be more than 25 feet high, shall adhere to the square footage size as described in § 300-16 of this chapter, and shall not be nearer than five feet to any lot line, except that where an accessory building has an entrance on an alley, such entrance shall be located not less than 15 feet from the nearest alley line. No more than one accessory building shall be located on a lot. The above height and area regulations shall not apply to accessory buildings designated as farm structures. However, the farm structure shall be located on a minimum farm site of 10 acres. Farm accessory buildings shall not be closer than 25 feet to any lot line.

Lot size shall comply with the required regulations of the established district.

No building permit shall be issued for a lot that abuts on half a street. Said permit shall be issued only after the entire street right-of-way has been dedicated.

Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the height of any building hereafter erected, converted, enlarged or structurally altered shall be in compliance with the regulations established herein for the district in which such building is located.

Accessory farm buildings, windmills, belfries, chimneys, cooling towers, elevator bulkheads, fire towers, monuments, silos, scenery lofts, tanks, water towers, ornamental towers, spires, wireless television or broadcasting towers, masts or aerials, public water towers, telephone, telegraph and power transmission poles and lines, microwave radio relay structures and necessary mechanical appurtenances are herein exempted from the height regulations of this chapter.

Churches, schools, hospitals, sanitariums and other public and quasi-public buildings may be erected to a height not exceeding 60 feet, provided that the front, side and rear yards required in the district in which the building is to be located are each increased at least one foot for each foot of additional building height above the height limit otherwise established for the district in which such building is to be located.

Residences may be increased in height by not more than 10 feet when all yards and other required open spaces are increased by one foot for each foot by which such building exceeds the height limit of the district in which it is located.

No front yard shall be used for open storage of boats, vehicles or any other equipment except for vehicular parking on driveways. All open storage areas shall be properly landscaped.

No part of a yard or other open space provided about any building for the purpose of complying with the provisions of this chapter shall be included as part of a yard or any other open space required for another building.

Buildings on through lots and extending from street to street may waive the requirements for a rear yard by furnishing an equivalent open space on the same lot in lieu of the required rear yard, provided that the setback requirements on both streets are complied with, and further provided that no accessory building shall extend within the setback line on either street.

Detached accessory buildings may be located in the rear yard or the side yard of a main building, provided that such accessory building will meet district requirements.

Fence permit.

Location and height restrictions.

Electrically charged fence. No fence erected or constructed shall be electrically charged in any manner on any property with the exception of property located in the Agricultural or Agricultural-Farmland Preservation Zoning District unless approved by the Town of Lawrence Planning and Zoning Board and the Town Board. Exception: An electrically charged fence is allowed for the purpose of fencing in a garden to keep out wild animals, provided that the fence is a minimum of five feet from the lot line.

Use of barbed wire.

Fence gate. All fences shall have a minimum of one gate for emergency ingress/egress. The minimum width of such gate shall be three feet.

Fence materials.

Swimming pools. Swimming pools shall have a fence which complies with § 300-23 of this chapter.

Installation. Fences shall be installed with the finished side facing the adjacent property or public right-of-way, and the fence posts must be located on the inside of the fence facing the property on which the fence is located, except when the style of fence commonly described as a "good neighbor fence" is installed.

Maintenance.

Berms. A berm (earthen wall) of any type of construction is not allowed in any zoning district without approval by the Town Building Inspector. The following information will be required.

Parking areas may be located in any yard space for commercial uses and in any yard except the front yard for other uses but shall not be closer than 10 feet to any street line. No parking space or area shall be permitted within five feet of a property line in a side yard.[1]

Each parking space shall not be less than 180 square feet, exclusive of the space required for ingress and egress. Minimum width of the parking space shall be nine feet.

Where parking facilities are permitted on land other than the zoning lot on which the building or use served is located, such facilities shall be in the same possession as the zoning lot occupied by the building or use to which the parking facilities are accessory.

All off-street parking areas for more than 10 vehicles shall be graded and surfaced so as to be dust-free and properly drained and shall have the aisles and spaces clearly marked.

All parking areas and appurtenant passageways and driveways serving commercial uses shall be illuminated adequately from the hours of sunset to sunrise when the use is in operation. Adequate shielding shall be provided by commercial uses to protect adjacent residential zones from the glare of such illumination and from that of automobile headlights.

Where a building permit has been issued prior to the effective date of this chapter, and provided that construction is begun within six months of such effective date and diligently prosecuted to completion, parking and loading facilities, in the amounts required for the issuance of said building permit, may be provided in lieu of any different amounts required by this chapter.

When the intensity of use of any building, structure or premises shall be increased through the addition of dwelling units, gross floor area, seating capacity or other units of measurement specified herein, the required parking or loading facilities as required herein shall be provided for such increase in intensity of use and for at least 50% of any existing deficiency in parking or loading facilities.

Accessory buildings shall be compatible with the principal use and shall not be established prior to the establishment of the principal building or use.

The accessory building exterior and roofing materials shall be compliant with § 300-19 and shall be of similar materials to the principal structures.

An accessory building shall not exceed 1,000 square feet on any lot that consists of less than 1.5 acres in any residential zoned district.

An accessory building shall not exceed 1,500 square feet on any lot that consists of 1.50 acres to 3 acres in any residential zoned district.

An accessory building shall not exceed 2,400 square feet on any lot that consists of 3.01 acres to 6 acres in any residential zoned district.

An accessory building shall not exceed 3,000 square feet on any lot that consists of 6.01 acres or more in any residential zoned district.

Houses removed from their original foundations for the purpose of moving to a new location shall be either removed from the Town or transported to a permanent location in the Town within 24 hours of removal from the original foundation.

In the event the new permanent location is within the Town, the house in transport shall be secured on a permanent foundation at the new location within 30 days from the time the house was moved to the permanent location.

Towers of any type of purpose (except specifically for electrical transmission lines) shall be prohibited in all zones within the Town. Exceptions (conditional use) shall be at the sole discretion of the Town Board.

Conditional use for towers shall include the following regulations:

Minimum floor area. The minimum floor area for every dwelling shall be 1,200 square feet, excluding the area of garage or carport.

Roof overhang. All main buildings shall have a minimum pitch of four inches per 12 inches of run, with a minimum twelve-inch roof overhang on each of the dwelling's perimeter walls, such that the overhang is architecturally integrated into the design of the dwelling.

Roofing material. All main buildings and all detached garages or carports located on a residential lot shall have a roof surface of wood shakes or asphalt shingles; clay, concrete, metal, or slate tiles; smooth or corrugated metal with hidden fasteners; or alternative materials showing quality and warranty as approved by the Building Inspector.

Siding materials. All main buildings and all detached garages located on a lot shall have exterior siding material consisting of either wood, masonry concrete, stucco, masonite, vinyl or metal lap. The exterior siding material shall extend to ground level, except that, when masonry foundation is used, the siding material need not extend below the top of the foundation. The following and similar materials shall be prohibited as siding [note Subsection D(1)]: smooth, ribbed or corrugated sheets of metal, fiberglass, plastic and any materials having a highly reflective or high-gloss finish.

Foundation. All dwellings shall have a properly engineered, permanently attached means of support meeting the manufacturer's installation requirements and all applicable building codes. In the event that a manufactured home does not utilize a perimeter load-bearing foundation, any space between ground level and siding shall be enclosed with permanent, non-load-bearing concrete or masonry having a foundation-like appearance. Top of foundation wall shall be 24 inches to 30 inches above curb or existing center of roadway measured from the center of the driveway or must be approved by the Building Inspector or designee.

Minimum width. The minimum width of a dwelling shall be 22 feet.

Wheels and axles. A razed building shall have all tow bars, wheels and axles removed when the dwelling is installed on a residential lot.

No large equipment, vehicles, junk, garbage, or salvageable material of any type shall be stored on a residential lot.

Residential lots shall be maintained so that weeds, noxious plants, and grasses do not exceed 12 inches in height at any time.

Fill or topsoil shall not be stored on residential lots except during construction of a house or other buildings.

Lawns/yards shall be planted on residential lots within one year from the issuance of the building permit.

The Town of Lawrence Board reserves the right to reasonably determine what meets the definitions listed in Subsections A, B and C.

The construction of a driveway on any property in the Town of Lawrence requires a permit from the Town and must be approved by the Town Building Inspector or designee.

All driveways shall be a minimum of six feet from the lot line. All rural driveways require a culvert unless otherwise approved by the Town Building Inspector or designee.

Any driveway or approach constructed in Town right-of-way is for the bona fide purpose of securing access to the property and not for the purpose of parking or servicing vehicles or for advertising, storage or merchandising of goods on the Town right-of-way.

Upon issuance of a permit to install access driveway, the permittee shall furnish all materials, do all work, and pay all costs in connection with the construction and maintenance of the driveway and its appurtenances on the right-of-way. Materials used shall be corrugated metal culvert pipe and the type of construction shall be as designated and subject to approval of the Town Building Inspector or designee. The permittee shall make the installation without jeopardy to or interference with traffic using the Town road. Town road surfaces, shoulders, ditches, and vegetation disturbed shall be restored to equivalent of original condition by the permittee.

The Town of Lawrence shall be held harmless against any action for personal injury or property damage sustained by reason of exercise of a permit to construct a driveway.

Driveway culverts shall be a minimum of 18 inches in diameter by 30 feet in length with end walls for residential properties. The culvert is to be installed on natural ground. In the event the ditch depth warrants a longer or shorter length of culvert pipe or a lesser diameter pipe, approval is required by the Town Building Inspector or designee.

The maximum culvert size shall not exceed 40 feet in length in addition to end walls for commercial, business or industrial properties. In the event the ditch depth warrants a longer length of culvert pipe, approval is required by the Town Building Inspector or designee.

The surface of the driveway connecting with rural-type highway sections shall slope down and away from the highway shoulder a sufficient amount and distance to preclude ordinary surface water drainage from the driveway area flowing into the road/roadbed. The driveway shall not obstruct or impair drainage in highway side ditches or roadside areas. Driveway culverts shall be adequate for surface water drainage along the road and in no case less than the equivalent of fifteen-inch-diameter pipe in new or like new condition. The size shall be approved by the Town of Lawrence Building Inspector or designee.[1]

No noncommercial driveway or combination of driveways shall have a width less than 16 feet or greater than 30 feet measured at right angles to the center line of the driveway.

No commercial driveway shall have a width less than 16 feet or greater than 40 feet measured at right angles to the center line of the driveway unless otherwise approved by the Town Building Inspector or designee.

The construction operation shall conform to all requirements for the specific class of work as may be set forth in the Wisconsin Statutes and to the regulations imposed by all legally empowered commissions, boards, or individuals having jurisdiction therein.

Driveway side slopes shall be of earth material only. No concrete, stone, or bituminous side slopes shall be constructed. The slope of the end walls shall not be steeper than a four-to-one slope, and the elevation of the walls shall not protrude above the grade of the driveway.

The Town of Lawrence Town Board reserves the right to make such changes, additions, and relocations within statutory limits on the right-of-way as may at any time be considered necessary to permit the relocation, widening, and maintaining of the highway or to provide proper protection to life and property on the highway.

The Town of Lawrence does not assume any responsibility for the removal or clearance of snow, ice or sleet on any driveway or the entrance thereof.

Rural driveways shall be gravel, asphalt or concrete. No concrete shall be used in the Town right-of-way. In the event the Town needs to remove concrete in a right-of-way for any reason it shall be replaced with asphalt.

A driveway shall be located and restricted as to width as necessary so that the entire driveway and its appurtenances are contained within the frontage along the Town road of the property served. At public Town road intersections a driveway shall not provide direct ingress or egress to or from the public Town road intersection area. It shall not encroach on or occupy areas of the Town road right-of-way deemed necessary for effective traffic control for Town road signs or signals. Urban driveways shall be 75 feet from intersection-intersection and rural driveways shall be 125 feet from intersection-intersection. A driveway shall be so located and constructed that vehicles approaching or using it will have adequate sight distance in both directions along the Town road.

In the event a used culvert is to be installed it must be inspected by the Town of Lawrence Building Inspector or designee.

Soil on driveway slopes shall be permanently stabilized within nine months of installation. Interim erosion control shall be according to Chapter 145, Erosion Control and Stormwater Management, Article II, Construction Site Erosion Control, of this Code. All fill surrounding culverts shall be a minimum of six inches of three-fourths-inch road gravel.

Sidewalk sections shall be included in all residential driveways.[2]

The Town of Lawrence reserves the right to correct any deficiencies in driveway construction that have not been addressed in this section and shall charge all associated costs to the owner/applicant.

All underground utility installations require a permit from the Town of Lawrence Building Inspector.

All underground utility companies, including but not limited to gas, electric, telephone, cable or any other utility, shall provide the Town with as-built plans for the underground installations.

Provision and conditions relating to utility permits are fully described in Chapter 261, Streets and Sidewalks, Article I, Utility Special Permits, of this Code.

Purpose. The purpose of this section is to provide for the health, safety and welfare of all individuals.

Application. This section shall apply to all new, remodeled, altered and relocated private swimming pools, hot tubs, and spas. (Ponds are addressed in Article XXI of this chapter.)

Definitions. The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this section, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this subsection, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Permit required. Before commencing the construction or installation of a swimming pool, hot tub, or spa, a permit authorizing such construction must be obtained from the Building Inspector. Permit applications shall be accompanied by fully dimensioned plans showing the following information:

General requirements.

Fence requirements.

Shielding lights. Lights used to illuminate any residential swimming pool, hot tub or spa shall be so arranged and shaded as to reflect light away from adjoining premises.

Drainage. In no case shall any swimming pool, hot tub, or spa be drained onto properties other than that of the owner of the swimming pool, hot tub or spa.

Sanitation. Filtration systems shall be maintained in proper working order. The swimming pool, hot tub or spa shall be kept clean and in sanitary condition at all times.

Livestock. No person shall keep or maintain any livestock such as horses, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, llamas, fish or other animals raised for performing work or providing recreation or commonly raised for the production of meat, hair, furs, or skins in any zoning district, except in agricultural districts, or by conditional use permit as allowed in Estate Residential Districts. Livestock does not include household pets such as dogs, cats, birds, and fish kept by homeowners as pets and not for commercial purposes.

Prohibited animals. No person shall keep wild or exotic animals such as primates, snakes, or reptiles in any zoning district within the Town of Lawrence.

Poultry. No person shall keep or maintain poultry, chickens or fowl in any zoning district, except as provided in Subsection D.

Poultry; keeping of chickens within the Town of Lawrence. In addition to all other regulations in this section, the following shall apply to the keeping of chickens within the Town in the (R-1) Residential and (ER) Estate Residential Districts.