You're Invited!
The City of Janesville, in partnership with consulting firm GRAEF, is hosting an open house event to present an overview of the proposed changes in the new Zoning Ordinance, answer questions, gather input, and ensure continued transparency in the project's development. The project team has prepared a complete draft of the Zoning Ordinance rewrite available for viewing using the links below.
Open House Details
When: June 18, 2026 at 5:30pm - 7:00pm, presentation at 5:45pm
Where: Janesville Hedberg Public Library, 316 South Main Street, Janesville, WI
This open house will provide the public with another opportunity to engage with the proposed draft ordinance in its entirety. As public participation is key to this effort, the City encourages residents, business owners, and other stakeholders to attend the open house to understand the structure of the new code, ask targeted questions related to specific concerns, and provide input on the draft as the project team works towards adoption of the new Zoning Ordinance. The City is committed to ensuring that the updated Zoning Ordinance reflects the goals and visions of the entire community.
Use this website to view updates, public meeting announcements, draft documents and records, provide comments, and get involved. A brief informational video is included below to gain an overview of the project.
Draft Ordinance and Supporting Materials
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Zoning Ordinance [Full draft]PDF (7.03 MB)
View the full draft zoning ordinance for public comment.
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Summary MemoPDF (277.67 KB)
This memo summarizes the changes in the latest draft compared to the most recent version shared with the Plan Commission.
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PresentationPDF (6.02 MB)
View the slides from the presentation given by the project team at the May 6, 2026 Plan Commission
Overview
The current City of Janesville Zoning Ordinance was adopted in 1981 - with parts of the subdivision ordinance written in the 1970's. The current zoning ordinance is in need of a substantial update in order to provide greater opportunity for continued growth and success of the community.
The City of Janesville recently updated the Comprehensive Plan - setting a vision for the future of the community including potential changes to the zoning code and subdivision ordinance. An updated Janesville land development code will be simplified, responsive to market conditions, and facilitate high-quality development.
The City is conducting community engagement throughout this process to allow for public input and provide transparency in the update process. As the project progresses, please return to this site to find project updates, ways to get involved, and provide feedback. Public meeting dates, a community survey, and announcements will be shared on this site and on the City website.
Overview video:
Project Timeline
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Timeline item 1 - complete
Spring 2024 - Summer 2024: Research & Data Gathering
Project team analyzes and current Zoning and Subdivision Code issues and opportunities.
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Timeline item 2 - active
Summer 2024-Spring 2026: Public Engagement
Project information is available online. Community members can take the community survey and provide input for the zoning rewrite leading up to the two Open House events. Periodically, the Plan Commission will hold public meetings to discuss the zoning rewrite.
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Timeline item 3 - complete
November 14, 2024: Public Open House #1
Nov 14, 2024: The project team will engage the public in an Open House format to review the existing conditions of the zoning and land division codes. Together with the community, the project team will identify issues and opportunities to improve the zoning and land division codes.
Time: 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Hedberg Public Library, 316 S. Main Street
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Timeline item 4 - complete
February 3, 2025: Plan Commission Presentation
Presentation by Consulting Firm GRAEF on the update process for Recodification of the Zoning & Subdivision Ordinance.
Recorded for viewing at the City website
Materials from this meeting are available under the Public Engagement section on this website.
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Timeline item 5 - complete
March 17, 2025: Plan Commission Presentation
Presentation of draft zoning district standards for consideration and discussion by the Plan Commission. View the draft standards under the Project Documents tab on this site.
Recorded for viewing at the City website
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Timeline item 6 - complete
April 21, 2025: Plan Commission Presentation
Presentation of updated draft zoning district standards for consideration and discussion by the Plan Commission. View the draft standards under the Project Documents tab on this site.
Recorded for viewing at the City website
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Timeline item 7 - complete
July 7, 2025: Plan Commission Presentation
Presentation of updated draft zoning district standards for consideration and discussion by the Plan Commission. View the draft standards under the Project Documents tab on this site.
Recorded for viewing at the City website
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Timeline item 8 - complete
September 15, 2025: Plan Commission Presentation
Presentation of the restructured code format including updated Table of contents, Article 5: Land Uses, and Dimensional Standards for consideration and discussion by the Plan Commission. Additionally, a guided discussion by the consultant team around alternative development options for housing (Accessory Dwelling Units, Tiny Homes, and Mixed Residential Housing) will be presented.
View the draft standards under the Project Documents tab on this site.
Recorded for viewing at the City website
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Timeline item 9 - complete
October 20, 2025: Plan Commission Presentation
Presentation of Article 4: Specific Procedural Requirements and Article 8: Alternative Development Options.
View documents shared to date under the Project Documents tab on this site.
Recorded for viewing at the City website
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Timeline item 10 - complete
November 17, 2025: Plan Commission Presentation
Presentation of Article 6: Development Standards
View documents shared to date under the Project Documents tab on this site.
Recorded for viewing at the City website
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Timeline item 11 - complete
December 15, 2025: Plan Commission
Presentation of Article 1: General Provisions, Article 2: Interpretation, Construction, and Definitions, Article 3: General Procedural Requirements, and Chapter 36: Land Division.
View documents shared to date under the Project Documents tab on this site.
Recorded for viewing at the City website
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Timeline item 12 - complete
April 6, 2026: Plan Commission
Presentation of updated Land Use Table and Dimensional Standards Table from Articles 5 and 6.
View documents shared to date under the Project Documents tab on this site.
Recorded for viewing at the City website
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Timeline item 13 - complete
May 6, 2026: Plan Commission
Presentation of the first complete draft of the Zoning Ordinance for public comment.
View documents shared to date under the Draft Documents page on this site.
Recorded for viewing at the City website
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Timeline item 14 - active
Spring 2026: Review and Adoption of Zoning Ordinance (Text and Map) and Subdivision Ordinance
One or more public meetings will be held at the Plan Commission to review the final drafts of the zoning and land division ordinances. The draft will then move onto City Council for consideration of final adoption.
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Timeline item 15 - active
June 18, 2026: Public Open House #2
The project team will engage with the community to review the proposed draft updates to the zoning and subdivision ordinance. Feedback will be considered for the final draft of the ordinance before consideration for local adoption.
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Timeline item 16 - incomplete
TBA: Public Open House #3
The project team will engage with the community to review the draft zoning map.
