What is zoning? What are zoning districts?

Zoning is the way that cities determine what land can be used for.

To do this, cities divide land into zoning districts. Each zoning district has a different set of rules. These rules determine what uses are allowed and how the land can be built upon. 

The City of West Allis has 3 main types of zoning districts: residential, commercial, and industrial. In total, there are 13 unique zoning districts:

Zoning Districts

Residential Districts

RA-1

Intended for neighborhoods with primarily detached dwellings on large lots

RA-2

Intended for neighborhoods with primarily detached dwellings on moderate sized lots

RA-3

Intended for neighborhoods with primarily detached dwellings on small lots

RB

Intended for traditional neighborhoods with a diverse array of housing types on small lots

RC

Intended for dense, multi-unit housing development in areas throughout the city

Commercial Districts

C-1

Intended for the city's historic pedestrian-oriented downtown shopping district

C-2

Intended for a mix of uses in close proximity to residential areas that are compatible with the neighborhood scale

C-3

Intended for commercial development serving the broader community's daily needs

C-4

Intended for large-scale, automobile-oriented commercial development serving the needs of the regional population

Industrial Districts

I-1

Intended for lower-intensity industrial uses in closer proximity to residential and commercial uses

I-2

Intended for higher-intensity industrial uses that should be separated from residential and commercial uses

Other Districts

P

Intended to provide areas for open space, recreation, and preservation of natural resources 

SF

Intended for State Fair grounds

Show All Answers

1. What can I use my property for? What is my property zoned for?
2. How do I use the zoning code?
3. What is a Conditional or Limited Use? What do zoning use classifications mean?
4. How do I get my sign approved?
5. What is zoning? What are zoning districts?