Town Hall-2354 County Rd N Stoughton, WI 53589-2873 Telephone: (608) 873-3063 Email: cttops@tds.net

Town Meeting Agendas and Posting Places:

A detailed agenda for each meeting is posted a minimum of 24 hours before the meeting date.

Posting Places are:

• Town Hall, 2354 County Hwy N
• Pleasant Springs Sanitary District Building, 2083 Williams Dr.
• East side of the Red Oak Court cul-de-sac

What is a variance?

A variance is a process by which a property owner may apply for limited relief from the requirements of the Dane County zoning ordinances. Variance cases are reviewed to determine if a particular zoning requirement will create a practical difficulty or unnecessary hardship prohibiting the use of land in a manner otherwise allowed under the ordinance. It is not intended that a variance be granted merely to relieve inconvenience or financial burdens. Rather, a variance is intended to assist where the physical attributes of the property itself, or some other factor unique to the property, creates the need for the variance.

What is a Rezone?

A rezone is a request to make a change to the Dane County zoning map, for example, from the A-1EX Agriculture (Exclusive) district to the RH-1 Rural Homes District. Petitions to rezone are initiated by the property owner when a proposed use or structure is not permitted within the parcel's existing zoning district.

What is a Conditional Use Permit?

A Conditional Use Permit (CUP) is a use allowed in a particular zoning district, but only provided that certain standards are met. As in a rezone, conditions may be applied by the town to the approval of the Conditional Use Permit to ensure that these standards are met.

Do I need town approval to run a business out of my home?

Yes. A Conditional Use Permit or rezone will likely be required to operate non-agricultural, home-based businesses. Such businesses can usually not be operated from the property at issue if the property is zoned for residential or agricultural use. Section 10 of the Dane County Code of Ordinances provides the legal requirements for these businesses.

I want to rezone some land to build a house on, what do I need to do?

Contact the clerk at the Town Hall (see the bottom of the page for town information) . If your request requires action by the Plan Commission, the Clerk will provide an application and assign a Plan Commissioner contact to help guide you through the process and to act as a resource person. The property owner may also need to contact Dane County Planning and Development for a Density Study, to determine if the land has available building rights.

I own a 235 acre farm. How do I know how many building rights (splits) I have?

Pleasant Springs adopted Exclusive Agriculture Zoning, June 6, 1978; therefore building rights, or "density", is limited to one lot or residence per 35 contiguous acres. This means, with 235 contiguous acres there would be 6 splits. Decimals are dropped and rounded up. If there is a house on the land (homestead), that counts as one split, which would leave 5 splits remaining. Any land sold from this farm after 1978 would tend to decrease the number of splits available. Property owners are advised to obtain a Density Study from Dane County Planning and Development. The study provides a history of the property, land divisions, and assists in the calculation of splits remaining, if any. 

The Shoreland District is comprised of all lands in the unincorporated areas of Dane County that are within 1,000 feet from the high water mark of navigable lakes, ponds, or flowages listed in the "Surface Water Resources of Dane County", and all lands within 300 feet of the high water mark of navigable rivers and streams. Special zoning, construction, and landscaping rules apply to these areas. For specific information contact Dane County Zoning or the Plan Commission.