The City of Janesville (population 66,202) is a dynamic, growing community located in the Rock River Valley of southern Wisconsin. The 10th largest city in Wisconsin, Janesville is strategically located along major state and interstate transportation corridors, and is part of a powerful regional economic system that extends from Chicago to Madison. As "Wisconsin's Park Place," the community features many quality-of-life amenities — an extensive greenbelt system and the Rock River corridor, a strong K-12 and post-secondary educational system, a high level of municipal services, good quality housing, and an expanding range of businesses and services to serve the community, as well as the broader region. These assets and others combine to make Janesville an attractive place to live, work, and play. The community's rich history has shaped its physical and social fabric, and city planning efforts over the past 100+ years (originating with a 1920 City Planning Project conducted by renowned planner John Nolen) have positioned Janesville for stable growth and prosperity. The current zoning ordinance was adopted in 1981, with various amendments in the years since. Several provisions contained within the subdivision ordinance were codified in the early 1970's and remains outdated. The City recently completed an update to its Comprehensive Plan and now desires to rewrite its land development code (zoning ordinance, subdivision ordinance, and related references in other ordinance chapters) to be more reflective of current community needs and desires for the future. Considering the age of the ordinance and 4 the guiding recommendations set forth in the City's Comprehensive Plan, the proposed scope of work represents a substantial reformation of the current land development code.

2.2 Expectations for Update

The following list is intended to assist in the preparation of quality proposals, by providing additional detail on the City's desired outcomes for this process. This list should not be construed as all-encompassing for purposes of the update process and results, nor should the list order be interpreted as a ranking of desired outcomes.

• Alignment of local ordinance requirements with the recommendations of the recently-updated City of Janesville Comprehensive Plan and all applicable State statutes.
  • Creation of new zoning districts and citywide application of said districts in a manner consistent with the recommendations of the Comprehensive Plan, including the future land use categories and map (see also Volume 2, Chapter 11: Implementation).
  • Formation of a new subdivision ordinance which is in accordance with current best practices and community needs and desires as expressed via the Comprehensive Plan.
• Simplification of the code to be more easily read, understood, and administered.
  • Greater community awareness of and support for the basic functions of the development code.
  • Elimination of redundancies.
  • Use of graphics, diagrams, or other imagery to illustrate concepts and to complement and supplement the code.
  • Reduction in need for interpretation and potential for misunderstanding/disagreement over ordinance provisions.
• Increased responsiveness to market conditions and community needs, particularly through facilitation of providing additional quality housing in a variety of types.
  • Greater opportunity and encouragement for mixed-use development incorporating both residential and commercial retail/service/office land uses.
  • Greater opportunity and encouragement for "middle housing" types, including accessory dwelling units.
  • Reexamination of existing residential density and dimensional requirements.
  • Modernization and enhancement of existing standards for multifamily residential development, and expanding application of said standards where appropriate.
• Incorporation of land use compatibility measures which successfully balance/address/mitigate community growth and reinvestment needs with associated impacts to neighboring property, the environment, and the character of historic neighborhoods.
  • Creation of opportunity for neighborhoods citywide to become more "complete" as envisioned by the Comprehensive Plan.
  • Reexamination of existing code provisions related to home occupations, particularly in light of post-pandemic trends.
  • Establishment of code provisions which encourage reuse/redevelopment of vacant and underutilized properties, particularly infill sites.
  • Preservation of the community's historic resources/neighborhoods/properties, including the downtown district.
• Facilitation of high-quality development and redevelopment activity throughout the community.
  • Modification of existing development review/approval procedures or creation of new procedures allowing for efficient administration and the delivery of predictable outcomes without sacrificing project quality and creativity.
  • Reexamination of existing parking requirements as applied to all land uses, adjusting as necessary to align with current understanding of actual parking demand and best practices, as informed by community desires.
  • Enhancement and/or expansion of design standards for all categories of non-residential development.