Section 233.03. Procedures for review.

  The following procedures apply to review by the department, district office or reviewing municipality of proposed certified survey maps, condominium plats and other land divisions:

(1)   Conceptual review.

(a) Before the lots are surveyed and staked out, the land divider shall submit a sketch to the department's district office for review. The sketch shall indicate roughly the layout of lots and the approximate location of streets, and include other information required in this chapter.

(b) Unless the land divider submits a preliminary plat under s. 236.12 (2) (a) , Stats., the land divider shall have the district office review the sketch described in par. (a) .

(c) There is no penalty for failing to obtain conceptual review; the conceptual review procedure is encouraged to avoid waste that results from subsequent required changes.

(2)   Preliminary and final plat review. The department shall conduct preliminary and final subdivision plat review under s. 236.12 , Stats., when the land divider or approving authority submits, through the department of administration's plat review office, a formal request for departmental review of the plat for certification of non-objection as it relates to the requirements of this chapter. The request shall be accompanied with the land division map and the departmental review fee. No submittal may be considered complete unless it is accompanied by the fee.

(3)   Preliminary and final review for land divisions occurring under s. 236.45 and s. 703.11, stats. The department shall review preliminary and final land division maps under ss. 236.45 and 703.11 , Stats., when the approving authority, or the land divider, when there is no approving authority, submits a formal request for departmental review for certification of non-objection as it relates to the requirements of this chapter. The request shall be accompanied with the land division map and the departmental review fee. No submittal may be considered complete unless it is accompanied by the fee. Additional information required is the name and address of the register of deeds, any approving agency, the land division map preparer and the land divider. This information is to be submitted to the district office.

(4)   Preliminary and final review for land divisions occurring under s. 236.34 and by other means not prescribed by statutes. The department shall conduct preliminary and final review of land division maps under s. 236.34 , Stats., or under any other means not prescribed by statutes, when the land divider submits a formal request for departmental review for certification of non-objection to the land division as it relates to the requirements of this chapter. The request shall be accompanied with the land division map and the departmental review fee. No submittal may be considered complete unless it is accompanied by the fee. Additional information required is the name and address of the register of deeds, any approving agency, the land division map preparer and the land divider. This information shall be submitted to the district office or to the department.

(5)   Time limit for review.

(a) Except as provided in pars. (b) to (d) , not more than 20 calendar days after receiving a completed request to review a land division map, the department, district office or reviewing municipality shall do one of the following:

1. Determine that the land division is a technical land division. Upon determining that a land division is a technical land division, the department, district office or reviewing municipality shall certify that it has no objection to the land division map and shall refund all fees paid for review of that land division map.

2. Provide written notice to the land divider either objecting to or certifying that it has no objection to the land division.

(b) The department and district offices are not required to complete conceptual reviews under sub. (1) within a specified time, but shall endeavor to complete a conceptual review under sub. (1) within 30 calendar days after receiving the completed request.

(c) If a special exception is requested under s. Trans 233.11 , the department, district office or reviewing municipality shall complete its review of the land division map within the time limit provided in s. Trans 233.11 (6) .

(d) A request is considered complete under this subsection unless, within 5 working days after receiving the request, the department, district office or reviewing municipality provides written notice to the land divider stating that the request is incomplete and specifying the information needed to complete the request. On the date that additional information is requested under this subdivision, the time period for review ceases to run, but resumes running upon receipt of the requested information.

(e) If the department, district office or reviewing municipality fails to act within the time limit provided in this section or s. Trans 233.11 (6) , the department, district office or reviewing municipality shall be considered to have no objection to the land division map or special exception.

(6)   District authority to review land division maps. Beginning on February 1, 2001, each district office may review land division maps under this chapter. The department shall develop implementing procedures to assure consistency and uniformity of such reviews among district offices and shall provide uniform guidance in figure 3 of procedure 7-50-5 of the department's facilities development manual dated December 1, 2000.

(7)   Municipal authority to review land division maps. The department may, upon request, delegate to a city or village authority to review and object to any proposed land division that abuts a state trunk highway or connecting highway lying within the city or village. The department shall develop a uniform written delegation agreement in cooperation with cities and villages. The delegation agreement may authorize a city or village to grant special exceptions under s. Trans 233.11 . Any decision of a reviewing municipality relating to a land division map or special exception is subject to the appeal procedure applicable to such decisions made by the department or a district office, except that the department may unilaterally review any such decision of a reviewing municipality to ensure conformity with the delegation agreement and this chapter and may reverse or modify the municipality's decision as appropriate. No reviewing municipality may change its setback policy after executing a delegation agreement under this section, except by written amendment to the delegation agreement approved by the department.

(8)   Appeals.

(a) Department review. Except as provided in this paragraph and par. (b) , a land divider, governmental officer or entity, or member of the general public may appeal a final decision of a district office or reviewing municipality regarding a land division map, special exception, or consequence of a failure to act to the secretary or the secretary's designee. Appeals may be made not more than 20 calendar days after that final decision or failure to act. The secretary or the secretary's designee may reverse, modify or affirm the decision. Not more than 60 calendar days after receiving the appeal, the secretary or secretary's designee shall notify the appealing party and the land divider in writing of the decision on appeal. If the secretary or secretary's designee does not provide written notice of his or her decision within the 60-day limit, the department is considered to have no objection to the final decision of the district office or reviewing municipality. The department may not unilaterally initiate a review of a decision of a district office certifying non-objection to a land division map, with or without a special exception. The department may unilaterally review any decision of a reviewing municipality relating to a land division map to ensure conformity with the delegation agreement and this chapter, and may reverse or modify the municipality's decision as appropriate. No person may appeal a conceptual review under sub. (1) .

(b) Judicial review.

1. `Chapter 236 land divisions.' Judicial review of any final decision of the department, district office or reviewing municipality relating to a land division that is subject to ch. 236 , Stats. , shall follow appeal procedures specified in that chapter.

2. `All other land divisions.' Judicial review of any final decision of the department, district office or reviewing municipality relating to a land division that is not subject to ch. 236 , Stats. , shall follow the procedures specified in ch. 227 , Stats. , for judicial review of agency decisions.

Cr. Register, January, 1999, No. 517 , eff. 2-1-99; am. (intro.), (2), (3) and (4), r. and recr. (5), cr. (6) to (8), Register, January, 2001, No. 541 , eff. 2-1-01; Reprinted to correct printing error in (3) Register January 2004 No. 577 .

Note

The appropriate department address is Access Management Coordinator, Bureau of Highway Development, 4802 Sheboygan Avenue, Room 651, P. O. Box 7916, Madison, WI 53707-7916. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 The appropriate department address is Access Management Coordinator, Bureau of Highway Development, 4802 Sheboygan Avenue, Room 651, P. O. Box 7916, Madison, WI 53707-7916. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 The 20-day time limit for action on a review without any special exception or variance is also established by statute for subdivision plat reviews in sec. 236.12(3) and (6), Stats. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Guidelines established under this subsection are not considered "rules", as defined in s. 227.01 (13) , Stats., and so are not subject to the requirements under s. 227.10 , Stats. However, this rule references uniform guidance by date so that future revisions to that uniform guidance will become effective only if ch. Trans 233 is amended. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Land divisions subject to plat approval under s. 236.10 , Stats., shall follow the procedures specified in s. 236.13(5) , Stats. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Final administrative decisions which adversely affect the substantial interests of any person, whether by action or inaction, whether affirmative or negative in form, are subject to judicial review as provided in ch. 227 , Stats. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1