The Zoning Administrator acts on behalf of the Town Board and the Plan and Review Commission. They are responsible for the administrations and enforcement of the Land Use Ordinance 17-88, and are also invested with the responsibilities of Building Inspector. These responsibilities include:
- Issuing Land Use Permits – No structure can be built, moved or structurally altered and no land use can be substantially altered until a Land Use Permit has been issued.
- Issuing Conditional Use Permits when authorized by the Town Board
- Surveying the Town when necessary to identify and record non-conforming uses and structures
- Making onsite inspections
- Investigating and reporting violations of these ordinances to the Plan and Review Commission and the Town Board
- Issuing citations
Click to apply digitally
Matters involving sanitary permits for septic systems, holding tanks, etc. are regulated by Sawyer County. (Visit Sawyer County Government)
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources regulates shoreline and waterway activities. (Visit DNR – Wisconsin)
Guide to the Zoning Process
This page has been developed to communicate the approval processes required by the Town of Spider Lake for various land use, development or alternation projects. As the Town's ordinances are more restrictive than those of the County in a few areas, please read and understand the relevant sections of the Town's Land Use Ordinance 17-88 before planning your project or contacting the Town Zoning Administrator for questions or clarification. as indicated in the Ordinance, you - the property owner - are accountable for knowing what is permissible. By extension, your builders, contractors and maintenance staff need to also understand the Ordinance prior to commencing your activity.
A Land Use Permit is required to build/alter a structure, or alter your land. The situations to the right are intended to help you find the basic requirements and limitations for your project. This is not a definitive list and in no way replaces the guidance and judgement of the Zoning Administrator, but will provide relevant information in advance of any consultations or application. Please review the table of contents of the Land Use Ordinance 17-88 for other issues/topics. If you click on any topic in the table of contents, you will be taken to that section.
An overview of the Town's zoning process and key provisions of the Land Use Ordinance are summarized in the Building and Zoning Regulations Guide which you can access by clicking here.
Please be aware of the Permit Review and Approval Process:
- The Plan and Review Commission (PRC) meets the first Wednesday of every month at 6PM
- Permit Applications on properties with shoreland or wetlands require a site visit and approval of the PRC before being issued. Please ensure all required information is provided in order to prevent unnecessary delays to issue your permit.
So you want to make a change to your property? Great! Please be aware that the Town of Spider Lake has a Land Use Ordinance in place which will inform your planning process. The links below will provide direct access to specific sections relevant to your project. While these won't cover everything you need to know, they reflect key considerations and will enable you to ask more specific question of the Town's Zoning Administrator. Please remember that Building Permits are required before any building is erected, moved or structurally altered. Permits are also required for patios, decks, walkways and grading in shoreland areas. We hope this gets you started. Please contact the Zoning Administrator as you get ready to submit your building or land use permit application.
I want to:
(NOTE: If you are using the Chrome browser on a Mac or PC or the Edge browser on a PC, the links below will take you directly to the applicable section of the Land Use Ordinance. If you are using Safari, the link will take you to the beginning of the Land Use Ordinance. Scroll down to the applicable section name in the Table of Contents and click on it. You will be taken to the applicable section. We are investigating a more direct link. Please bear with us.)