Janesville, WI
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Comprehensive Plan Documents Approved (December 11th, 2023)
Volume 2: Policy Plan Executive Summary
Volume 1: Existing Conditions Report
Volume 1 Introduction:
Volume 1 Introduction and Ch 1 - Demographics
This chapter of the Plan provides an introduction to Volume 1 and provides demographic trends and background information necessary to develop an understanding of the changes taking place in the City of Janesville. This chapter includes data on population, household and employment trends and forecasts, age distribution, educational attainment levels, and employment and income characteristics.
Chapter 2: Agricultural, Natural, and Cultural Resources:
This chapter of the Comprehensive Plan contains background information related to agricultural preservation, natural resource conservation, and historical and cultural resource protection in the City of Janesville. The chapter includes data on farmland preservation, a natural resource inventory, and details historic preservation initiatives.
Volume 1 Ch 2 - Agricultural, Natural, and Cultural Resources
Chapter 3: Land Use:
This chapter of the Comprehensive Plan provides information on existing land use and land use trends in the City of Janesville. Long-range land use planning allows municipalities to phase and guide development in a manner that maintains community character, protects sensitive environmental features, and provides efficient municipal services. This chapter includes maps showing existing land uses in the City at three scales and provides current land use data and analysis.
Chapter 4: Transportation:
This chapter of the Comprehensive Plan includes background information used to guide policies toward the future development and maintenance of various modes of transportation in the City of Janesville. The chapter also compares the City’s transportation policies and programs to State and regional transportation plans.
Volume 1 Ch 4 - Transportation
Chapter 5: Utilities and Community Facilities:
This chapter of the Comprehensive Plan describes local utilities and community facilities including water, sewer, municipal buildings, libraries, police and fire services, schools, and parks. Public utilities and community facilities comprise the framework for servicing existing development and growth in the Janesville area. The chapter includes data on school district enrollment as well as details on recreational facilities and civic organizations in the City of Janesville.
Volume 1 Ch 5 - Utilities and Community Facilities
Chapter 6: Housing and Neighborhood Development:
This chapter of the Comprehensive Plan describes housing trends and existing conditions in the City of Janesville. Housing not only provides shelter, but neighborhoods also help to establish a community’s “sense of place”. The information in this chapter will shape policies and recommendations regarding housing in the city. The chapter includes data on the City’s existing housing stock as well as housing and development programs.
Volume 1 Ch 6 - Housing & Neighborhood Development
Chapter 7: Economic Development:
This chapter of the Comprehensive Plan contains a compilation of background information that will inform goals, policies, and programs to promote the retention, stabilization, and expansion of the economic base in the City of Janesville. This chapter includes an assessment of new businesses and industries that are desired in the City, an assessment of the City’s strengths and weaknesses with respect to attracting and retaining businesses and industries, data and analysis on the City’s labor force, an inventory of environmentally contaminated sites, and an inventory of county, regional, and state economic development programs.
Volume 1 Ch 7 - Economic Development
Chapter 8: Intergovernmental Cooperation:
This chapter of the Comprehensive Plan contains a compilation of background information on neighboring and overlapping jurisdictions relevant to the City’s planning efforts. Volume 2 outlines strategies for cooperation, collaboration, and minimizing potential and existing conflicts.
Volume 1 Ch 8 - Intergovernmental Cooperation
Chapter 9: Public Health:
This chapter of the Comprehensive Plan provides background information about how health is influenced by the built environment as well as an analysis of Janesville’s built environment to identify barriers that influence residents’ decisions to drive cars versus using active transportation modes. The chapter identifies a quality of life framework which is used to inform policies, programs, and initiatives that reduce barriers and increase access to a healthy, active life for Janesville residents.
Issues and Opportunities:
This chapter of the Comprehensive Plan provides an overview of demographic trends and background information necessary to develop an understanding of the changes taking place in the City of Janesville. The chapter includes data on population, household and employment trends and forecasts, age distribution, educational attainment levels, and employment and income characteristics.
Volume 1 Opportunity and Issues Summary
Volume 2: Policies and Recommendations
PART A
Chapter 1: Policy Plan Introduction:
This chapter of the Comprehensive Plan provides an overview of the Plan’s organization, purpose, goals, and vision. Additionally, the general themes, which are woven throughout each of the Plan’s individual chapters, are described in this chapter. A glossary of defining terms, which are used throughout the Plan, can also be found here.
Volume 2 Part A - Policy Plan Introduction
Chapter 2: Land Use Recommendations:
This chapter of the Comprehensive Plan guides Janesville’s land use decision-making. The chapter contains data for future land use demand projections, along with a compilation of goals, objectives, policies and recommended programs to guide the future preservation and development of lands in the City of Janesville and its extraterritorial jurisdiction. It also includes a map showing recommended future land uses and provides a description on each of the future land use designations depicted on the future land use map.
Chapter 3: Natural Resources:
This chapter of the Comprehensive Plan provides a framework for sustainably protecting, preserving, and managing the natural resources in the City of Janesville and its extraterritorial jurisdiction for future generations to come. The recommendations provided in this chapter will be used to guide City decision-making regarding the overall physical development of the area. This includes providing guidance to determine areas that may not be suitable for development based on environmental opportunities and constraints, including unfavorable soils, floodplains, wetlands, and groundwater impacts.
Volume 2 Ch. 3 Natural Resources
Chapter 4: Agricultural Resources:
This chapter of the Comprehensive Plan provides a framework for sustainably protecting, preserving, and managing the agricultural resources in the City of Janesville and its extraterritorial jurisdiction for future generations to come. The recommendations provided in this chapter will be used to guide City decision-making regarding the overall physical and economic development in the area. This includes providing guidance to best support and maintain current agricultural operations occurring within the planning boundary alongside achieving social goals related to health and well-being.
Volume 2 Ch. 4 Agricultural Resources
Chapter 5: Historic and Cultural Resources:
This chapter of the Comprehensive Plan provides a framework for preservation of the diverse set of resources in the City of Janesville. Cultural resources encompass a broad range of historical, archeological, recreational, entertainment, artistic, educational, and other attributes and attractions of the City. The recommendations provided in this chapter will be used to guide future City initiatives related to cultural resources in order to help advocate the overall goal of making the City a vital, livable community which honors its past while building on a successful future.
Volume 2 Ch. 5 Historic and Cultural Resources
Chapter 6: Transportation:
This chapter of the Comprehensive Plan includes the goals, objectives, policies, and recommended programs to guide the future development and maintenance of various modes of transportation in the City of Janesville. Several maps are also included within this chapter which identify future transportation infrastructure improvements. The chapter is primarily intended to forward the recommendation of the City’s Long-Range Transportation Plan, and in noted instances, elaborate or provide new recommendations that should be considered in future updates to the Long-Range Transportation Plan.
Chapter 7: Utilities and Community Facilities:
This chapter of the Comprehensive Plan describes future directions related to local utilities and community facilities, including water, sewer, municipal buildings, libraries, police and fire services, schools, and parks. The chapter includes goals, objectives, policies, and recommended programs to be used as a guide for future maintenance and development of these facilities, along with a map of existing and future facilities. Additionally, the City utilizes both a Strategic Plan and Capital Improvement Program to identify, schedule and fund major infrastructure projects, including more detailed planning and study.
Volume 2 Ch. 7 Utilities and Community Facilities
Chapter 8: Housing and Neighborhood Development:
This chapter of the Comprehensive Plan establishes goals, policies, and programs to assure that there is an adequate supply of housing to meet present and future demand in the City of Janesville. Additionally, the chapter provides a framework for complete neighborhoods and outlines strategies and goals for complete neighborhood development. The recommendations included in this chapter are intended to ensure that housing and neighborhood development practices forward the City’s goal of achieving high-quality neighborhoods – both old and new.
Volume 2 Ch. 8 Housing and Neighborhood Development
Chapter 9: Economic Development:
This chapter of the Comprehensive Plan contains goals, objectives, policies, and recommended programs to retain, grow and expand the economic base in Janesville. An economic development strategy enables effective development through local and regionally driven economic development and planning processes. The recommendations included in this chapter are intended to help guide, and direct engagement of, public officials, private sector leaders, employers, community organizations, and community members in creating a pathway to achieve ongoing growth and development.
Volume 2 Ch. 9 Economic Development
Chapter 10: Intergovernmental Cooperation:
This chapter of the Comprehensive Plan includes goals, policies, and programs for joint planning and decision making; incorporates by reference all plans and agreements to which the City of Janesville is a party under §66.0225, §66.0301, §66.0307, and §66.0309, Wisconsin Statutes; and identifies known existing or potential conflicts between this Comprehensive Plan and the plans of adjacent cities and towns, counties, states, and school districts.
Volume 2 Ch. 10 Intergovernmental Cooperation
Chapter 11: Implementation:
This chapter of the Comprehensive Plan provides a roadmap for implementation actions by identifying priority programs and actions, as well as describing how the Plan is used, monitored, and updated to maintain its relevance to the City. The chapter includes a compilation of programs and specific actions to be completed in a state sequence, as required under Wisconsin Statutes.
Volume 2 Ch. 11 Implementation
PART B
Sub Area Plans:
This section of the Comprehensive Plan is organized into sub-areas representing four quadrants of the City and the City’s planning area. The recommendations and policies within these sub-area plans are intended to supplement the goals, objectives, policies, programs and recommendations included in the City-wide Policy Plan by providing a closer look at each sub-area of the City. Each sub-area contains a detailed future land use map, key recommendations, and additional special interest areas.
Volume 2 Part B - Sub-Area Plans
Appendix A:
This section includes information about amendments made to the future land use map, suggested areas for future amendments to the future land use map to expand planned mixed use areas, and signed resolutions by the Plan Commission and Common Council of the City of Janesville.
Additional Materials:
Plan Update Steering Committee Materials