Architectural conservancy districts
Wis. Stat. § 66.1007
in effect(1) In this section:
(a) “Architectural conservancy district” means an area within a municipality consisting of contiguous parcels subject to general real estate taxes, other than railroad rights-of-way.
(b) “Board” means an architectural conservancy district board appointed under sub. (3) (a).
(c) “Chief executive officer” means a mayor, city manager, village president or town chairperson.
(cm) “Historic property” means any building or structure that is any of the following:
1. Listed on, or has been nominated by the state historical society for listing on, the national register of historic places in Wisconsin or the state register of historic places.
2. Included in a district that is listed on, or has been nominated by the state historical society for listing on, the national register of historic places in Wisconsin or the state register of historic places, and has been determined by the state historical society to contribute to the historic significance of the district.
3. Included on a list of properties that have been determined by the state historical society to be eligible for listing on the national register of historic places in Wisconsin or the state register of historic places.
(d) “Local legislative body” means a common council, village board of trustees or town board of supervisors.
(e) “Municipality” means a city, village or town.
(f) “Operating plan” means a plan that is adopted or amended under this section for the development, redevelopment, maintenance, operation and promotion of an architectural conservancy district and that includes all of the following:
1. The special assessment method applicable to the architectural conservancy district.
2. The kind, number and location of all proposed expenditures within the architectural conservancy district.
3. A description of the methods of financing all estimated expenditures and the time when related costs will be incurred.
4. A description of how the creation of the architectural conservancy district promotes the orderly development of the municipality, including its relationship to any municipal master plan.
5. A legal opinion that subds. 1. to 4. have been complied with.
(g) “Planning commission” means a plan commission under s. 62.23 or, if one does not exist, a board of public land commissioners or, if neither exists, a planning committee of the local legislative body.
(2) A municipality may create an architectural conservancy district and adopt its operating plan if all of the following are met:
(a) An owner of real property located in the proposed architectural conservancy district designated under par. (b) petitions the municipality for creation of an architectural conservancy district.
(am) At least 50 percent of the properties included within the proposed architectural conservancy district are historic properties.
(b) The planning commission designates a proposed architectural conservancy district and adopts its proposed initial operating plan.
(c) At least 30 days before the creation of the architectural conservancy district and adoption of its initial operating plan by the municipality, the planning commission holds a public hearing on the proposed architectural conservancy district and initial operating plan. Notice of the hearing shall be published as a class 2 notice under ch. 985. Before publication of the notice, a copy of that notice, a copy of the proposed initial operating plan and a copy of a detail map showing the boundaries of the proposed architectural conservancy district shall be sent by certified mail to all owners of real property within the proposed architectural conservancy district. The notice shall state the boundaries of the proposed architectural conservancy district and shall indicate that copies of the proposed initial operating plan are available on request from the planning commission.
(d) Within 30 days after the hearing under par. (c), the owners of property to be assessed under the proposed initial operating plan having a valuation equal to more than 40 percent of the valuation of all property to be assessed under the proposed initial operating plan, using the method of valuation specified in the proposed initial operating plan, or the owners of property to be assessed under the proposed initial operating plan having an assessed valuation equal to more than 40 percent of the assessed valuation of all property to be assessed under the proposed initial operating plan, have not filed a petition with the planning commission protesting the proposed architectural conservancy district or its proposed initial operating plan.
(e) The local legislative body votes to adopt the proposed initial operating plan for the municipality.
(3)
(a) The chief executive officer shall appoint members to an architectural conservancy district board to implement the operating plan. Board members shall be confirmed by the local legislative body and shall serve staggered terms designated by the local legislative body. The board shall have at least 5 members. A majority of board members shall own or occupy real property in the architectural conservancy district.
(b) The board shall annually consider and may make changes to the operating plan, which may include termination of the plan, for its architectural conservancy district. The board shall then submit the operating plan to the local legislative body for its approval. If the local legislative body disapproves the operating plan, the board shall consider and may make changes to the operating plan and may continue to resubmit the operating plan until local legislative body approval is obtained. Any change to the special assessment method applicable to the architectural conservancy district shall be approved by the local legislative body.
(c) The board shall prepare and make available to the public annual reports describing the current status of the architectural conservancy district, including expenditures and revenues. The report shall include an independent certified audit of the implementation of the operating plan that shall be obtained by the municipality. The municipality shall obtain an additional independent certified audit upon termination of the architectural conservancy district.
(d) Either the board or the municipality, as specified in the operating plan as adopted, or as amended and approved under par. (b), shall have all powers necessary or convenient to implement the operating plan, including the power to contract.
(4) All special assessments received from an architectural conservancy district, all other appropriations by the municipality and all other moneys received for the benefit of the architectural conservancy district shall be placed in a segregated account in the municipal treasury. No disbursements from the account may be made except to reimburse the municipality for appropriations other than special assessments, to pay the costs of audits required under sub. (3) (c) or on order of the board for the purpose of implementing the operating plan. On termination of the architectural conservancy district by the municipality, all moneys collected by special assessment that remain in the account shall be disbursed to the owners of specially assessed property in the architectural conservancy district in the same proportion as the last collected special assessment.
(5) A municipality shall terminate an architectural conservancy district if the owners of property assessed under the operating plan having a valuation equal to more than 50 percent of the valuation of all property assessed under the operating plan, using the method of valuation specified in the operating plan, or the owners of property assessed under the operating plan having an assessed valuation equal to more than 50 percent of the assessed valuation of all property assessed under the operating plan, file a petition with the planning commission requesting termination of the architectural conservancy district, subject to all of the following conditions:
(a) A petition may not be filed under this subsection earlier than one year after the date on which the municipality first adopts the operating plan for the architectural conservancy district.
(b) On and after the date on which a petition is filed under this subsection, neither the board nor the municipality may enter into any new obligations by contract or otherwise to implement the operating plan until 30 days after the date of hearing under par. (c) and unless the architectural conservancy district is not terminated under par. (e).
(c) Within 30 days after the filing of a petition under this subsection, the planning commission shall hold a public hearing on the proposed termination. Notice of the hearing shall be published as a class 2 notice under ch. 985. Before publication of the notice, a copy of that notice, a copy of the operating plan and a copy of a detail map showing the boundaries of the architectural conservancy district shall be sent by certified mail to all owners of real property within the architectural conservancy district. The notice shall state the boundaries of the architectural conservancy district and shall indicate that copies of the operating plan are available on request from the planning commission.
(d) Within 30 days after the hearing held under par. (c), every owner of property assessed under the operating plan may send written notice to the planning commission indicating, if the owner signed a petition under this subsection, that the owner retracts the owner’s request to terminate the architectural conservancy district or, if the owner did not sign the petition, that the owner requests termination of the architectural conservancy district.
(e) If on the 31st day after the hearing held under par. (c), the owners of property assessed under the operating plan having a valuation equal to more than 50 percent of the valuation of all property assessed under the operating plan, using the method of valuation specified in the operating plan, or the owners of property assessed under the operating plan having an assessed valuation equal to more than 50 percent of the assessed valuation of all property assessed under the operating plan, after adding subsequent notifications under par. (d) and after subtracting any retractions under par. (d), have requested the termination of the architectural conservancy district, the municipality shall terminate the architectural conservancy district on the date that the obligation with the latest completion date entered into to implement the operating plan expires.
(6)
(a) A municipality may terminate an architectural conservancy district at any time.
(b) This section does not limit the authorities of a municipality to regulate the use of or specially assess real property.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/66.1007Fetched: 10/7/2026