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City of Watertown, WI
Dodge / Jefferson County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The following terms, whenever they occur in this chapter, are defined as follows. All other pertinent terms shall be as defined in Chapter 550, Zoning, of the Code of the City of Watertown and in Ch. 236, Wis. Stats.
ACT OF DIVISION
The division of a lot or parcel of land into two or more parcels.
BIKEWAY
A general term describing any or all of the following defined types of facilities used for bikes. A network of bikeways constitutes a bike route system. Class designations are those in the Long Range Bikeway Program:
A. 
BIKE PATH (Class I)A bike route completely apart from a street used by motor vehicles and restricted to bicycles unless designated otherwise.
B. 
BIKE LANE (Class II)A designated lane of a street, restricted to bicycle usage and separated from motor vehicles by a painted line, raised divider or curb.
C. 
MIXED TRAFFIC ROUTE (Class III)A route, designated by signs, along streets used by motor vehicles and bicycles.
CERTIFIED SURVEY MAP
A map or plan of record of a minor subdivision meeting all the requirements of § 236.34, Wis. Stats., and of this chapter.
CLOSED DRAINAGE BASIN
A drainage basin which, during periods of normal rainfall, has no surface outlet.
COMMON COUNCIL
The City of Watertown Common Council.
COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN
A total site plan for an area of land 80 acres or more in size under the control of a developer(s) at the time of submission for review. Said plan specifies and illustrates the location, relationship and nature of all uses, easements, streets, pedestrian paths, bikeways and common open space.
CONDOMINIUM DEVELOPMENT
A real estate development, redevelopment or ownership regime conversion project involving establishment or alteration of the condominium form of ownership for all or part of the development.
DEVELOPER
See "subdivider."
DIVISION OF LAND
The division of a lot or parcel of land into two or more parcels.
DRIVEWAY
A vehicle access from private property to a public street.
ENVIRONMENTAL CORRIDORS
Continuous open space systems based on natural resources and environmentally important lands. The corridors are based primarily on streams, lakes, shorelands, floodplains, waterways and wetlands.
EXTRATERRITORIAL PLAT APPROVAL JURISDICTION
As defined in § 236.02(5), Wis. Stats. (three miles from corporate limits).
FINAL PLAT
The map or plan of record of a subdivision and any accompanying material as required in § 545-6.
GOVERNING BODY
The City of Watertown Common Council.
GREENWAY
An open area of land included under the definition of "parkway," the primary purpose of which is to carry stormwater on the surface of the ground in lieu of an enclosed storm sewer. Greenways may serve the following multiple public purposes in addition to their principal use, including but not limited to vehicular and/or pedestrian traffic, sanitary sewers, water mains, storm sewers, stormwater retention basins, waterways, conservancy areas, environmental corridors, and park development.
LAND DIVISION
The division of a lot or parcel of land into two or more parcels. Also referred to as "division of land."
LAND IN ITS NATURAL UNDEVELOPED STATE
Land which has runoff characteristics equivalent to runoff curve number (CN) 70, as used in the runoff methodology promulgated by the United States Natural Resources Conservation Service National Engineering Handbook.
MASTER PLAN
The comprehensive plan for guiding and shaping the growth and development of the Watertown community, including all of the component parts, as prepared by the Plan Commission and certified to the Common Council. [1]
MINOR SUBDIVISION
The division of a lot or parcel of land for the purpose of transfer of ownership or building development where the act of division creates four or fewer parcels, lots or building sites, any one of which is 35 acres or less in area. A minor subdivision of a lot or parcel shall occur not more than once in five years.
OFFICIAL MAP
The map indicating the location, width and/or extent of existing and proposed streets, highways, parkways, parks, waterways and playgrounds, as adopted by the Common Council pursuant to § 62.23(6), Wis. Stats.
PARCEL
Contiguous lands under the control of a subdivider(s), not separated by streets, highways or railroad rights-of-way.
PARKWAY
Any right-of-way for vehicular traffic, including bicycles or pedestrian traffic, or both, with full or partial control of access and usually located within a park or a ribbon of park-like development. Said parkway may include greenways required for stormwater drainage purposes where the drainage improvement is to include park-like treatment and where pedestrian or vehicular travel, including bicycles, may be permitted.
PLAN COMMISSION
The City of Watertown Plan Commission.
PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT
Any zoning district which allows diversification and variation in land development to achieve an improved living environment and to preserve open space.
PLAT
A map of a subdivision.
PRELIMINARY PLAT
A map delineating the features of a proposed subdivision as described herein, submitted to the Plan Commission for preliminary consideration prior to the final plat.
PRIME AGRICULTURE LAND
Lands containing Class I, II and III soils and other lands having a history of agricultural production.
REPLAT and RESUBDIVISION
The process of changing or the map which changes the boundaries of a recorded plat or a part thereof. The legal division of a larger block, lot or outlot within a recorded plat, without changing the exterior boundaries of said block, lot or outlot, is not a replat. See § 236.36, Wis. Stats.
STREET
A public way for vehicular and pedestrian traffic, whether designated as a street, highway, thoroughfare, parkway, thruway, road, avenue, boulevard, lane, place, or however otherwise designated.
A. 
Arterial streets and highways. Those streets which provide for rapid movement of concentrated volumes of traffic over relatively long distances.
(1) 
Principal arterials. Streets serving the major interstate and interregional traffic corridors and providing the highest mobility level and a high degree of access control.
(2) 
Primary arterials. Streets serving major regions or connecting important cities and major intracommunity corridors in the metropolitan area. These routes provide high mobility and a high degree of access control.
(3) 
Standard arterials. Those streets which more commonly provide for intermediate length trips, thus serving through traffic movement in trade areas or feeding traffic to the principal and primary arterial streets from lower activity areas not served by such routes.
B. 
Collector streets. Streets which provide moderate-speed movement of persons and goods between major arterials and/or activity centers. They are basically local streets which because of directness of routing and higher capacity receive higher volumes of traffic to be distributed from or collected toward nearby arterial streets.
C. 
Local streets. Streets designed for low speeds and low volumes which provide access from low traffic-generating areas to collector and arterial systems.
(1) 
Industrial street. A local street serving an industrial, office or commercial area as defined in Chapter 550, Zoning.
(2) 
Residential streets.
(a) 
Residential, typical. A standard residential street.
(b) 
Residential, major. A street located within and/or between plats or other residential development which serves to connect local streets to collector or arterial streets.
D. 
Marginal access streets (frontage roads). Streets parallel and adjacent to arterial streets and highways which provide access to abutting properties and separation from through traffic.
E. 
Alley. A public right-of-way which affords a secondary means of access to abutting property.
F. 
Cul-de-sac streets. Streets closed at one end with turnarounds.
G. 
Dead-end streets. Streets closed at one end without turnarounds. These are prohibited.
STRUCTURE
Anything constructed or erected, the use of which requires more or less permanent location on the ground, or attached to something having permanent location on the ground, excepting public utility facilities and appurtenances attached thereto.
SUBDIVIDER
Any person, firm, partnership, corporation, association, estate, trust or other legal entity requesting review or action on a plat, minor subdivision or condominium.
SUBDIVISION
The division of a lot or parcel of land for the purpose of transfer of ownership or of building development, where:
A. 
The act of division creates five or more parcels or building sites of 35 acres each or less in area; or
B. 
The act of division creates five or more parcels or building sites of 35 acres each or less in area by successive divisions within a period of five years.
URBAN SERVICE AREA
That area which the City of Watertown that the Common Council has designated as the area within which it expects the provision of the full range of urban facilities and services. For purposes of this chapter, the full range of services includes, but is not limited to, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, water supply and distribution, fire service and police, parks and open space, recreation, schools and transportation. The designated urban service area may include areas in which other local governments will provide these services consistent with the land use plans for Dodge and Jefferson Counties and policies of the City of Watertown.
WATERWAYS
Rivers, streams, creeks, ditches, drainage channels, watercourses, lakes, bays, ponds, impoundment reservoirs, retention and detention basins, marshes and other surface water areas, regardless of whether the areas are natural or artificial.
ZONING CODE
Chapter 550, Zoning, of the Code of the City of Watertown.
[1]
Editor's Note: In the City of Watertown, the document titled "City of Watertown Comprehensive Plan" is on file at the office of the City Clerk.