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Planning & Zoning
Overview
The City Planning and Zoning division is responsible for land use decisions that promote the orderly development of the City. These decisions help create a community of lasting value that offers choices to our residents and businesses. Planning enables civic leaders, business interests and citizens to play a meaningful role in West Allis' development.
WHAT WE DO
The City Planning & Zoning division works primarily with businesses and the development community on improvements to the built environment and quality of life impacts within West Allis. Services offered include:
- Comprehensive Planning
- Conditional Use Permits
- Historic Preservation
- Land Divisions and Consolidations
- Sign Review and Approvals
- Site, Landscaping and Architectural Plan Reviews
- Zoning and Business Occupancy Reviews
- City Planning - Chapter 12
- Zoning Code - Chapter 19
To apply for these services, reviews, and permits, submit an online Planning Application. For sign approvals, submit an online Sign Permit Application.
The City Planning and Zoning Division provides staff support for the Board of Appeals, Plan Commission, Historical Commission and the Safety and Development Committee.
Zoning Code
The City of West Allis adopted a new zoning code and map effective May 6, 2022. The zoning code and zoning map can be found online.
This comprehensive update makes the code simpler and more efficient, promotes growth of the city's tax base, and better fits the West Allis of today and tomorrow. This update incorporates a host of modern-day best practices and adapts them to meet our city's unique context. Notably, the update transforms the City's parking rules from requiring more parking than necessary to establishing parking maximums. The new rules will encourage development, promote sustainability, and prevent wasting the city's limited land with unproductive, empty parking spaces. The updated zoning code also allows for accessory dwelling units and promotes "missing-middle" housing, reforms regulations to allow for desirable buildings that fit our neighborhoods' contexts, encourages more density where appropriate, and uses tables to present information in a clearer fashion.
To use the code, follow these steps:
- Identify your property's zoning district.
- A summary of the zoning districts can be found in section 19.2 Districts.
- Visit our FAQ page for help.
- Identify what your property can be used for in section 19.3 Uses.
- Review the table in section 19.32 Principal Uses to determine which primary uses are allowed in your district. Any necessary conditions that must be met for a Limited Use may be found in section 19.33. Any necessary conditions that must be met for a Conditional Use may be found in section 19.34.
- Review the table in section 19.35 Accessory Uses to determine which secondary uses are allowed in your district. Any necessary conditions that must be met for an Accessory Use may be found in section 19.36.
- Identify how you can build on your property in section 19.4 Structures.
- Review the table in section 19.41 Structure Size and Location to determine the buildable space, density, and lot size rules for your district.
- For residential properties, review the table in section 19.42 Residential Accessory Structures to determine how Accessory Dwelling Units, garages, and other accessory structures can be built.
- Review the table in section 19.43 Structures in Yards to determine which part of your yard different structures can be built.
- Identify how many parking spaces may be provided on your property in section 19.44 Vehicle Parking.