Construction Activities

Construction Activities Zoning Permit Procedure and Flow Chart

A Zoning Permit is required when a structure or part thereof is located, erected, moved, reconstructed, extended, enlarged, converted or structurally altered in all areas of the Town of Ottawa and the Village of Lac La Belle; or the shoreland/floodland areas (generally within 1,000 feet of a lake or 300 feet of a stream) in the Towns of Brookfield, Delafield, Eagle, Genesee, Lisbon, Merton and Mukwonago. 

Per the Ordinance definition, a structure includes, but is not limited to, buildings, pergolas, gazebos, signs, swimming pools, hot tubs, patios, decks, sidewalks, walkways, firepits, retaining walls, monuments, entrance gates, and towers.

Permit Requirements

1. Complete the fillable Zoning Permit application form ***Please note: The form must be saved to your local desktop BEFORE filling in the application.***  
   
2. The following supplemental forms may be necessary. See descriptions below for applicability.

• Land Owner Authorized Agent Form if agent is signing forms on behalf of the Owner.
• Preliminary Site Evaluation if lot is served by a private well and/or septic system. Please contact the Environmental Health Division for more information.
• Impervious Surface Permitting Worksheet if proposing improvements on a lot abutting a navigable waterway and within 300 ft. of the waterway or on a lot that does not abut a navigable waterway, but is located entirely within 300 ft. of the waterway.
• Treated Impervious Surface Worksheet and TIS Fact Sheet (fillable) if proposing to exclude impervious surfaces from the impervious surface calculations.
• Nonconforming Use and Structure Value Worksheet if improvements are proposed to a structure with a nonconforming use, or if the structure is located in the floodplain. Contact the Planner of the Day for more information.
• Mitigation Permitting Worksheet (fillable) if one or more of the following apply, which may require mitigation*:

- Lateral expansion of a principal structure within the shore setback.
- Lateral expansion of a principal structure within the wetland setback.
- Relocation of a principal structure within the shore setback.
- Impervious surface percentage that requires mitigation. See below:
General Standard Highly Developed Shorelines (HDS)**
>15%-30% >30%-40% residential use or >40%-60%

*See Mitigation Handbook for more information.
** Contact the Planner of the Day to see if your property qualifies as a HDS,
or once activated, go to https://www.waukeshacounty.gov/interactivemap/.

• Form A if necessary to ensure that the lowest level of a structure meets the 1 ft. separation to seasonal high groundwater requirement.
• Stormwater Permit if extensive land altering activities are proposed to prevent sediment from leaving your site. Please contact the Land Resources Division for more information.

Please contact the Planner of the Day for more information.