Town of Bennett fence permit

How to file for a fence permit in the Town of Bennett

Steps based on douglascountywi.gov — Land Use Permit Information

1. Call Douglas County Planning & Zoning (715-395-1380) to ask whether your fence needs a land use permit and what the fee is.
2. If one is needed, complete the Land Use Permit application with a site sketch showing buildings, sanitary system, well and the fence location, signed by the owner.
3. Return it with the correct fee to Planning & Zoning, Courthouse Room 206, 1313 Belknap St., Superior.
4. Call Diggers Hotline (811) at least 3 business days before digging.

Paying

Fee set by the County Zoning Committee (amount not found)

Permit good for

Construction permits expire 12 months after issuance if no building activity has begun (§8.2(3))

What to submit

• Land use permit application signed by the owner (Authorization of Agent form if someone else signs)
• Site sketch showing all buildings and accessory structures, sanitary system, well and the project site location
• Project description (proposed use and dimensions)
• 'Site Staked' box marked

Other rules to know

• The Town of Bennett follows the Douglas County zoning ordinance, so fence permits come from the county zoning office, not the town.
• Douglas County Zoning Ordinance 8.0 §1.1 applies to the unincorporated portions of the county. §8.2(1) requires a land use permit before a structure is built, moved or structurally altered, and 'Structure' is defined as 'anything constructed or erected' (§II). Open fences are called 'minor, readily removable structures' (§4.2(1)(e)), but no section says in terms that a fence needs a land use permit, so ask Planning & Zoning.
• Open fences and posts are excluded from the visual clearance rule at intersections (§4.2(2)); fences under 5 ft are excluded from airport height limits (§4.3(1)).
• The land use permit fee is set by the County Zoning Committee (§8.2(1)); the amount was not found online.
• Shoreland zoning can add rules for parcels next to streams, lakes and wetlands.
• The Town of Gordon's page confirms its land is under county-wide zoning (county land use permit first, then a Town building permit for buildings). Other towns' pages do not describe zoning.
• UDC inspectors listed on the county town pages: Rob Lietha, 218-393-6482 (Amnicon, Bennett, Cloverland, Gordon, Hawthorne, Highland, Lakeside, Maple, Solon Springs, Wascott); Brian Conley, 715-399-8611 (Oakland, Parkland, Summit, Superior).
• Town clerks (Douglas County Town & Village Officials pages): Amnicon: Gary Kane, Clerk-Treasurer, cell 218-391-9134, [email protected] (town hall 715-364-2316); Bennett: Morgan Fowler, Clerk, 715-817-5994, [email protected] (town hall 715-375-2394); Brule: Diane R. Nelson, Clerk, 218-591-0693, [email protected] (town hall 715-372-4872); Cloverland: Melissa Tonn, Clerk, 715-363-0339, [email protected] (town hall 715-363-2357); Dairyland: Tammy Baer, Clerk, 715-244-3635, [email protected] (town hall 715-244-3000); Gordon: Denise Wohlbier, Clerk/Treasurer, 715-376-2693, [email protected]; Hawthorne: Debra Wermter, Clerk, 715-374-3641, [email protected] (town hall 715-374-3130); Highland: Nora Anne Moss, Clerk, 218-391-3754, [email protected] (town hall 715-374-2886); Lakeside: Jon Winter, Clerk, 218-391-3326 or 715-394-9629, [email protected] (town hall 715-364-2359); Maple: Shereen Johnston, Clerk, 715-919-0865, [email protected] (town hall 715-363-2506); Oakland: Clerk position listed as vacant; town hall 715-399-0206; Parkland: Suzy St. Marie, Clerk, 218-428-6475, [email protected] (town hall 715-398-6016); Solon Springs: Mick Salmen, Clerk, 715-378-2295, [email protected]; Summit: Dan Corbin, Clerk, 715-319-4982, [email protected] (town hall 715-399-2693); Superior: Carolyn Jones, Clerk, 715-399-8385, [email protected]; Wascott: Jeannette Atkinson, Clerk-Treasurer, 715-466-4252, [email protected].

Before you dig

Call Diggers Hotline at 811 (or file online at diggershotline.com) at least 3 business days before digging post holes. Find your lot corner markers and keep the fence on your side of the line. County parcel maps can be off by several feet; if you're not sure where the line is, a licensed land surveyor can stake it.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Summarized from the Town of Bennett's own ordinances, forms and permit pages. Each link opens the original.

Ordinance: Douglas County Zoning Ordinance 8.0 §§4.2, 8.2

1. douglascountywi.gov — ZoningOrdinance8.0
2. douglascountywi.gov — Land Use Permit Information
3. douglascountywi.gov — Land Use Application Procedure Checklist
4. douglascountywi.gov — Planning Zoning
5. gordonwi-douglas.gov — building permit land use
6. douglascountywi.gov — Town Village Officials
7. douglascountywi.gov — Amnicon
8. douglascountywi.gov — Bennett
9. douglascountywi.gov — Brule
10. douglascountywi.gov — Cloverland
11. douglascountywi.gov — Dairyland
12. douglascountywi.gov — Gordon
13. douglascountywi.gov — Hawthorne
14. douglascountywi.gov — Highland
15. douglascountywi.gov — Lakeside
16. douglascountywi.gov — Maple
17. douglascountywi.gov — Oakland
18. douglascountywi.gov — Parkland
19. douglascountywi.gov — Solon Springs
20. douglascountywi.gov — Summit
21. douglascountywi.gov — Superior
22. douglascountywi.gov — Wascott