Town of Minong fence permit

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

Steps based on co.washburn.wi.us — zoning

1. Call Washburn County Zoning at (715) 468-4690 and ask whether your fence needs a land use permit (fences are not named in the County Code) and what setbacks apply to your lot.
2. If a permit is needed, get the land use application from the Zoning page (Washburn County Zoning, Courthouse lower level, 10 4th Avenue, Shell Lake) and pay by check or cash.
3. Call Diggers Hotline (811) at least 3 business days before digging.

Other rules to know

• The Town of Minong follows the Washburn County zoning ordinance, so fence permits come from the county zoning office, not the town.
• No fence rule or fence permit was found. The County's land use permit page says a permit is 'Needed before a structure is erected, placed, moved, expanded, or structurally altered', naming decks, patios, retaining walls, stairways and accessory buildings larger than 64 square feet 'among others'; fences are not named. The County Code (Sec. 38-507) lists 'signs, decks, patios, retaining walls, walkways, stairs, fire pits, mobile homes... and most agricultural structures' and does not name fences; Sec. 38-508 exempts accessory buildings under 65 sq ft that meet setbacks. Structures that don't need a permit must still meet setbacks.
• In the shoreland, Sec. 38-740(c)(2)(d) lists 'the construction or maintenance of fences for the pasturing of livestock' among uses needing no zoning permit. Sec. 38-682 allows the County zoning committee to require fences or walls for screening; fence and wall design must be 'appropriately designed for the function intended'. The Code (2021 recodification) has no definition of 'fence' in Sec. 38-6.
• Coverage: The Town of Birchwood says Washburn County Zoning (715-468-4690) handles its zoning permits; the Town of Brooklyn says it follows Washburn County zoning and has no separate town zoning application; the Town of Minong sends building permits and rezoning to Washburn County Zoning Administration. County zoning is stated to cover shoreland (1,000 ft of lakes, 300 ft of rivers) and floodplain in all unincorporated areas, and the County says 18 of 21 towns have adopted its Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance without naming them. The other 18 towns are listed separately as unconfirmed.
• County Zoning staff: Zoning Administrator Trisha Saletri, [email protected]; Zoning Administrative Assistant Jessica Mechtel, [email protected]. P.O. Box 506, 10 4th Avenue, Shell Lake, WI 54871 (lower level of the Courthouse); Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; check or cash only. Building (UDC) permits come from an inspector hired by the town, not the County.
• Town clerks: Town of Birchwood, Nicci Minnick (Clerk/Treasurer), 715-354-7047 or 715-651-3864, [email protected], N1549 County Road T, Birchwood, WI 54817; Town of Brooklyn, 715-520-7867, [email protected], N10399 Lakeside Rd, Trego, WI 54888 (clerk not named); Town of Minong, 715-466-5916, [email protected], W7095 Nancy Lake Road, Minong, WI 54859 (office 8 AM to 3 PM Mon-Thu). Town of Birchwood UDC inspector: Jon Mattson, Atlas Inspections, 715-648-5444; Town of Minong UDC inspector: Jon Boss, Boss Inspection, 715-634-7161.
• Same-name traps: Washburn County is a different county from the City and Town of Washburn (Bayfield County); Town of Birchwood is separate from the Village of Birchwood; Town of Minong is separate from the Village of Minong. Washington County's site (washcowisco.gov) is NOT Washburn County and was not used.

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 Minong's own ordinances, forms and permit pages. Each link opens the original.

Ordinance: Washburn County Code Ch. 38 Land Development, Sec. 38-507 Cases where zoning permit is required

1. co.washburn.wi.us — zoning
2. energyzoning.org — Zoning ordinance (archived copy)
3. tn.birchwood.wi.gov — forms and permits
4. tn.birchwood.wi.gov — directory
5. brooklyntownwashburnwi.gov — general 4
6. brooklyntownwashburnwi.gov
7. townofminong.wi.gov — building zoning
8. townofminong.wi.gov — info