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Saint Joseph Town Saint Croix County
City Zoning Code

ARTICLE VI

Agricultural and Rural Residential AG-RES

§ 170-32 Purpose.

In the Agricultural and Rural Residential Zoning District, agricultural and very-low-density residential uses are most prominent. The primary agricultural uses are active farmlands, farmsteads, and large-lot principal dwelling residential. The Agricultural and Rural Residential Zoning District category is characterized by lots that are three acres and larger. This is ideal for family living, recreation, farming, and those desiring space to tinker, play and create.

§ 170-32.1 Site plan approval.

Refer to § 170-19.1 for the procedure for site plan approval of any development in the Agricultural and Rural Residential Zoning District.

§ 170-33 Permitted uses.

Permitted uses are as follows:
A. 
Parcels 20 acres or larger.
(1) 
Accessory structures, including general farm building (barns, silos, windmills, sheds, chicken coops and storage bins), private garages and carports, gazebos, swimming pools, greenhouses, tool sheds, chicken coops, storage sheds, garden sheds, small-scale solar system and play structures incidental to residential use.
(2) 
Agricultural businesses such as farm machinery dealers and seed, fertilizer and chemical dealers, and industries which process agricultural products largely produced on nearby farms.
(3) 
Apiculture (beekeeping).
(4) 
Aquaculture.
(5) 
Community garden.
(6) 
Community living arrangement (fewer than eight persons).
(7) 
Community supported agriculture.
(8) 
Crop, crop/limited agriculture or forage production and orchards.
(9) 
Dwelling, single-family, permanently attached to a foundation.
(10) 
Essential services.
(11) 
Floriculture.
(12) 
Forest management.
(13) 
Foster home/adult family home.
(14) 
Gardening and nurseries for propagation of plants only.
(15) 
Greenhouse or nursery for retail plant sales.
(16) 
Harvesting wild crops.
(17) 
Library.
(18) 
Minor home occupations; see Article XIII.
(19) 
Parks and playgrounds, public swimming pools, tennis courts and picnic grounds, trails and open space.
(20) 
Pick-your-own operations.
(21) 
Poultry raising, limited to 100 birds when the parcel is in a major subdivision.
(22) 
Public safety.
(23) 
Roadside stands selling only produce from the farm operation on the premises.
(24) 
Sod or Christmas tree production.
(25) 
Small group day care for children or adults (up to eight children or adults).
(26) 
Wholesale nurseries.
B. 
Parcels five acres to less than 20 acres.
(1) 
Accessory structures, including general farm building (barns, silos, windmills, sheds, chicken coops and storage bins), private garages and carports, gazebos, swimming pools, greenhouses, tool sheds, chicken coops, storage sheds, garden sheds, small-scale solar system and play structures incidental to residential use.
(2) 
Apiculture (beekeeping).
(3) 
Aquaculture.
(4) 
Community garden.
(5) 
Community living arrangement (fewer than eight persons).
(6) 
Community supported agriculture.
(7) 
Crop, crop/limited or forage production including orchards.
(8) 
Dwelling, single-family, permanently attached to a foundation.
(9) 
Essential services.
(10) 
Floriculture.
(11) 
Forest management.
(12) 
Foster home/adult family home.
(13) 
Gardening and nurseries for propagation of plants only.
(14) 
Greenhouse or nursery for retail plant sales.
(15) 
Harvesting wild crops.
(16) 
Library.
(17) 
Minor home occupations; see Article XIII.
(18) 
Parks and playgrounds, trails, public swimming pools, tennis courts and picnic grounds, open space.
(19) 
Pick-your-own operations.
(20) 
Poultry raising, excluding male birds, is limited to 20 birds when the lot or parcel is a major subdivision. Five birds per acre are allowed on lots and parcels not in a major subdivision.
(21) 
Public safety.
(22) 
Roadside stands selling only produce from the farm operation on the premises.
(23) 
Sod or Christmas tree production.
(24) 
Small group day care for children or adults (up to eight children or adults).
(25) 
Wholesale nurseries.
C. 
Parcels less than five acres.
(1) 
Accessory structures, including private garages and carports, gazebos, swimming pools, greenhouses, tool sheds, chicken coops, storage sheds, garden sheds, small-scale solar system and play structures incidental to residential use.
(2) 
Apiculture (beekeeping).
(3) 
Community garden.
(4) 
Community living arrangement (up to eight persons).
(5) 
Community supported agriculture.
(6) 
Crop or forage production.
(7) 
Dwelling, single-family, permanently attached to a foundation.
(8) 
Essential services.
(9) 
Floriculture.
(10) 
Forest management.
(11) 
Foster home/adult family home.
(12) 
Gardening and nurseries for propagation of plants only.
(13) 
Greenhouse or nursery for retail plant sales.
(14) 
Harvesting wild crops.
(15) 
Library.
(16) 
Minor home occupations.
(17) 
Parks and playgrounds, trails, public swimming pools, tennis courts and picnic grounds, open space.
(18) 
Poultry raising, excluding male birds, and limited to 10 birds on lots smaller than 2.5 acres and up to 20 birds on lots 2.5 acres or more in size.
(19) 
Public safety.
(20) 
Roadside stands selling only produce from the farm operation on the premises by members of the farm family.
(21) 
Sod or Christmas tree production.
(22) 
Small group day care for children or adults (up to eight children or adults).

§ 170-34 Conditional uses.

Conditional uses are as follows:
A. 
Parcels 20 acres or larger.
(1) 
Bed-and-breakfast establishment as defined in Wis. Stats., § 254.61(1).[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See now Wis. Stats., § 97.01(1g).
(2) 
Campground, private.
(3) 
Churches, religious institutions.
(4) 
Commercial kennel.
(5) 
Community living arrangement with capacity of more than eight persons.
(6) 
Community solar garden.
(7) 
Contractor's storage yard.
(a) 
All equipment and building materials shall be screened from outside view by an opaque fence no less than six feet in height.
(b) 
The storage area shall be no less than 25 feet from any property line.
(c) 
No major repairs of vehicles and/or equipment, nor any manufacturing or processing, shall occur on-site.
(8) 
Dwelling, secondary.
(9) 
Dwelling, two-family.
(10) 
Electric-generating facility, small-scale.
(11) 
Farm market or other open-air agribusiness.
(12) 
Farm-related exhibition, sales or event.
(13) 
Golf course and uses incidental to a golf course, including a clubhouse/restaurant facility serving food and beverage.
(14) 
Governmental, institutional, or nonprofit community use.
(15) 
Irrigation and industrial water supply.
(16) 
Livestock facilities of any kind.
(17) 
Keeping of livestock.
(18) 
Major home occupations; see Article XIII.
(19) 
Mobile support structures and facilities.
(20) 
School, public or private.
(21) 
Seasonal storage.
(22) 
Solar energy system.
(23) 
Temporary nonmetallic mining.
(24) 
Temporary residence.
(25) 
Utility, minor.
(26) 
Wind energy system.
(27) 
Wired and wireless communication/cable/transmission facility.
B. 
Parcels five acres to less than 20 acres.
(1) 
Agricultural products processing.
(2) 
Bed-and-breakfast establishment as defined in Wis. Stats., § 254.61(1).[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: See now Wis. Stats., § 97.01(1g).
(3) 
Campground, private.
(4) 
Churches, religious institutions.
(5) 
Commercial kennel.
(6) 
Community living arrangement with capacity of more than eight persons.
(7) 
Contractor's storage yard.
(a) 
All equipment and building materials shall be screened from outside view by an opaque fence no less than six feet in height.
(b) 
The storage area shall be kept free of litter and debris at all times.
(c) 
All storage areas shall be no less than 25 feet from any property line.
(d) 
No major repairs of vehicles and/or equipment, nor any manufacturing or processing, shall occur on-site.
(8) 
Dwelling, secondary.
(9) 
Dwelling, two-family.
(10) 
Electric-generating facility, small-scale.
(11) 
Farm-related exhibition, sales or event.
(12) 
Government, institutional or nonprofit community use.
(13) 
Livestock facility of any kind.
(14) 
Keeping of livestock.
(15) 
Major home occupations; see Article XIII.
(16) 
Mobile support structures and facilities.
(17) 
Schools, private and public.
(18) 
Solar energy system.
(19) 
Temporary residence.
(20) 
Utility, minor.
(21) 
Wind energy system.
(22) 
Wired and wireless communication and transmission facility.
C. 
Parcels less than five acres.
(1) 
Bed-and-breakfast establishment as defined in Wis. Stats., § 254.61(1).[3]
[3]
Editor's Note: See now Wis. Stats., § 97.01(1g).
(2) 
Churches/Religious.
(3) 
Community living arrangement with capacity of more than eight persons.
(4) 
Contractor's storage yard.
(a) 
All equipment and building materials shall be screened from outside view by an opaque fence no less than six feet in height.
(b) 
The storage area shall be no less than 25 feet from any property line.
(c) 
No major repairs of vehicles and/or equipment, nor any manufacturing or processing shall occur on site.
(5) 
Dwelling, secondary.
(6) 
Dwelling, two-family.
(7) 
Electric-generating facility, small-scale.
(8) 
Farm-related exhibition, sales or event (five days or more).
(9) 
Governmental, institutional or nonprofit community use.
(10) 
Keeping of livestock.
(11) 
Livestock facility of any kind.
(12) 
Major home occupations; see Article XIII.
(13) 
Mobile support structures and facilities.
(14) 
Schools, public and private.
(15) 
Solar energy system.
(16) 
Temporary residence.
(17) 
Utility, minor.
(18) 
Wind energy system.
(19) 
Wholesale nursery.

§ 170-35 Prohibited uses.

Uses not listed are prohibited.

§ 170-36 Lot and structure requirements.

A. 
Lot area and width.
(1) 
Lots shall have a minimum of three acres.
(2) 
Lots shall not be less than 66 feet in width at the front yard setback line (or 33 feet for parcels on the bulb of a cul-de-sac).
B. 
Yards.
(1) 
A minimum front yard setback of 75 feet from the road right-of-way (100 feet from a collector or sub-collector road) shall be required.
(2) 
A minimum side yard setback of 20 feet from the lot line shall be required.
(3) 
A minimum rear yard setback of 20 feet from the lot line shall be required.
C. 
Building height and area. No buildings or parts of a building shall exceed 35 feet in height; except that windmills may be up to 50 feet, and silos up to 85 feet.