Adopt: Various governmental rules, programs, funding decisions, comprehensive plans, and more, need to go through an official review process with elected officials – the Common Council and the Mayor. The Common Council votes on whether to approve (adopt) or deny the proposal.

Annexed: Areas of (town) land are added to a city or village’s boundaries through annexation. All of the area in Milwaukee County is within city and village boundaries. No cities or villages in Milwaukee County can expand (annex).

Board of Zoning Appeals: The government board which reviews requests for Variances from the Zoning Code and Special Use requests. Sometimes called BOZA.

Bulk Standards: The set of design standards in a Zoning Code that set limits on the size, location, and shape of a building.

Density: How many housing units fit into a land area. Density can be measured in different ways. A few examples are the number of homes on one property, the number of homes on a block, or the average number of homes in a neighborhood or across the city.

Design Standards: The rules in a Zoning Code that guide how a building or property should look and work.

Dwelling Unit or Housing Unit: A home where one person or group of people live. It has space for living, sleeping, cooking, and a bathroom.

Facade: The outside wall of a building, usually facing a street.

Human-Scale: a size or design that feels comfortable and easy for people to walk by and interact with.

Housing Element: The Housing Element is a part of Milwaukee’s citywide Comprehensive Plan. The goals, policies, and strategies in the Housing Element set a collective vision for housing and neighborhoods in Milwaukee and provide a roadmap for the future.

Land Use: the classification of land based on the activity that takes place. For instance, a duplex (two-family dwelling) is a residential land use.

Land Use Table:a chart within the Zoning Code which says which land uses are allowed in each district. Uses are sorted into 4 categories:

• Permitted Use – a land use which is allowed within a certain zoning district.

• Limited Use – a land use which is allowed within a zoning district if it meets additional standards. If the standards are not met limited uses become special uses.

• Special Use – a land use which is allowed in a zoning district only with approval from the Board of Zoning Appeals.

• Prohibited Use – a land use which is not allowed in a zoning district.

Lot / Parcel / Property: A privately owned piece of land.

Lot Area/ Lot Size – the measure of the size of a property.

Lot Coverage – the rules that limit how much of a lot can be covered by buildings.

Variance: Permission to follow a zoning rule differently than the Zoning Code normally requires. For example, a property owner might request a variance to build closer to a property line than the usual setback allows. The Board of Zoning Appeals decides whether to grant a variance. A variance is only approved when there is a valid reason that the zoning rule cannot reasonably be followed on that specific property. Variance requests include an opportunity for public comment.

Zoning: the set of rules that tell you what you can or cannot do with land. It includes both a written document of rules and a map that shows what zone each piece of land is part of. Each piece of land has zoning by the municipality that it is part of.

Zoning Code: The written rules of the City, which describe what is allowed to happen within each zoning district.

Zoning District: The grouping of land that specific rules apply to, as defined in the Zoning Code and shown on the Zoning Map. (More information below)

Zoning Map: A map of the city showing the zoning district each property is located within.

Zoning Map change request: To change the zoning district that is assigned to a property on the Zoning Map, a property owner submits an application to the City. The application explains the reason for the change. City staff researches and reviews the request based on the Comprehensive Plan and surrounding land uses and creates a staff report. The staff report details why they recommend approving or denying the request based on their research. The request is then reviewed at two public hearings – City Plan Commission and Common Council’s Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee. Finally, the full Common Council will vote on whether to approve or deny a zoning map change.

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Additional Information about Zoning Districts

Below is general information about the zoning districts that allow housing. More information about each of these districts is available in the Appendices of the Housing Element’s Benefit and Harm Analysis. A map of zoning districts that allow housing is available here: engage.milwaukee.gov/housing-tune-up/zonin...

• RS Districts (RS1-RS6) are Residential Single-Family Districts

• RS Districts allow one single-family homes and sometimes an Accessory Dwelling Unit. The lowest density is Single-Family zoning district is RS1, meaning this has the largest properties with one home. RS1 properties are found in the far northwest are of Milwaukee. An RS6 property could have the same size home, but the property’s boundary would be smaller. RS6 properties are common on the edges of the original city boundaries – north of Capitol, south of Oklahoma, west of 60th.

• RT Districts (RT1- RT5) are Residential Two-Family Districts

• RT1, RT2, and RT3 districts allow single-family homes, two-family homes, and sometimes an Accessory Dwelling Unit. RT1 is the lowest density whereas RT5 is the highest density. RT4 is one of Milwaukee’s most common zoning districts and it allows up to four housing units on one property. RT5 is a newer zoning district that isn’t on the Zoning Map, and it allows up to 8 housing units on one property.

• RM Districts (RM1-RM7) are Residential Multi-Family Districts. These districts vary in what is allowed in terms of height and lot coverage. For example, lower-density RM districts like RM1 can only have 3 stories.

• RO Districts (RO1-RO2) are the Residential Districts that allow both residential and office uses.

• Commercial/Mixed-Use Districts include the districts listed below. All of these districts allow single-family homes to multi-family, and mixed use buildings of various sizes. Though, lower-density housing types may have extra standards to meet.

• LB1-LB3 – Local Business. This zoning is typically found on busier roads when you see a mix of commercial and mixed-use buildings. LB2 is the most common district found on commercial corridors

• CS – Commercial Service. CS properties are in area where personal and business services fit into the areas, but extensive retail is not typical.

• NS1-NS2 – Neighborhood Shopping. NS is intended for residential and neighborhood-serving commercial uses.

• RB1-RB2 – Regional Business. Larger commercial centers

• IM – Industrial Mixed. Is intended for the conversion of industrial or warehousing into residential, commercial or office uses.

• C9A-C9G – Downtown Districts. Higher density office and residential with some districts intended more for civic uses and retail uses.