Like many communities, the City of Greenfield’s Zoning Code is in need of updating to reflect changes in technology, industry standards, construction, and social needs.

The last time the zoning code was completely updated was in 1998, and has been subject to many amendments to specific sections since then. As a result, parts of it may not fully comply with existing conditions, changes in state and federal law, or court rulings. Another result of this is that there are inconsistencies within the code.

The code is also reliant on external sources of information, which make it difficult for staff and the public to read and administer. For example, some uses are defined by NAICS Codes--which are standard codes used to define business types, but are not useful or a best practice for zoning codes.

As the population continues to grow, increasing density becomes a necessary mechanism to promote economic development. However, design standards in the current ordinance get in the way of promoting more dense urban development.

This project is intended to design a new, user-friendly Zoning Code that reflects current and anticipated conditions in the City for staff and the public! Stay tuned!

The current code is available online at the link below:

https://library.municode.com/wi/greenfield/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CH21ZOCO