Vernon County planning commission delays setting acreage trigger for subdivision review after parcel-split review
May 01, 2026 | Vernon County, Wisconsin
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The Vernon County Planning Commission met Feb. 11, 2026, in the Vernon County Board Room and voted to postpone deciding the minimum acreage that will trigger compliance with a proposed subdivision/land-division ordinance while staff capacity concerns are evaluated. Chair Charlie Jacobson led the session, which also included a presentation of five years of parcel-split data.
Monique Hassman presented county data showing decreases in parcel splits since 2020 across all measured size bands: under 5 acres fell from 104 to 60; 10-acre splits from 45 to 32; 15-acre splits from 28 to 20; 20-acre splits from 38 to 19; and splits over 20 acres from 100 to 61. Hassman framed the data as evidence that the county should balance the regulatory goals of a subdivision ordinance with realistic staff capacity to implement and enforce new rules.
Commissioners continued editing the definitions in a draft ordinance guiding subdivision and land-division review. Chair Charlie Jacobson said the commission would wait until the March meeting to set the minimum acreage that would trigger compliance; members reported a tentative consensus favoring either a 10- or 15-acre threshold but emphasized that staff workload and enforcement capacity should inform the final choice.
The commission also handled routine business: Supervisor Sandy Schweiger moved, and Odessa Hemmersbach seconded, to approve the Jan. 7 minutes; the motion carried with all voting in favor. The commission set its next meeting for March 11 at 2:00 p.m. and adjourned at 3:48 p.m. after a motion to adjourn by Supervisor Schweiger, seconded by Ben Caldwell, carried unanimously.
Next steps on the ordinance include continued review of defined terms and a formal decision on the acreage threshold at the March meeting. The commission also raised a procedural question about whether a county subdivision ordinance is mandatory or optional for towns; that question was left for future clarification.
Monique Hassman presented county data showing decreases in parcel splits since 2020 across all measured size bands: under 5 acres fell from 104 to 60; 10-acre splits from 45 to 32; 15-acre splits from 28 to 20; 20-acre splits from 38 to 19; and splits over 20 acres from 100 to 61. Hassman framed the data as evidence that the county should balance the regulatory goals of a subdivision ordinance with realistic staff capacity to implement and enforce new rules.
Commissioners continued editing the definitions in a draft ordinance guiding subdivision and land-division review. Chair Charlie Jacobson said the commission would wait until the March meeting to set the minimum acreage that would trigger compliance; members reported a tentative consensus favoring either a 10- or 15-acre threshold but emphasized that staff workload and enforcement capacity should inform the final choice.
The commission also handled routine business: Supervisor Sandy Schweiger moved, and Odessa Hemmersbach seconded, to approve the Jan. 7 minutes; the motion carried with all voting in favor. The commission set its next meeting for March 11 at 2:00 p.m. and adjourned at 3:48 p.m. after a motion to adjourn by Supervisor Schweiger, seconded by Ben Caldwell, carried unanimously.
Next steps on the ordinance include continued review of defined terms and a formal decision on the acreage threshold at the March meeting. The commission also raised a procedural question about whether a county subdivision ordinance is mandatory or optional for towns; that question was left for future clarification.
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