The Town of Three Lakes recognized not only the need to comply with the requirements of Wisconsin Statute 66.1001 but also stated the expressed goal of not having to fall under the jurisdiction of the Oneida County plan by virtue of not having completing its a unique and specific plan of its own. The Town sees an opportunity to engage in the first broad-based, holistic, comprehensive long-range planning exercise in the Town's long and rich history.
The plan identified community development needs and was a direct reflection of the desires of the Town's residents, land owners and business community. As part of the overall planning process, a vision statement for the Town was created to assist in providing direction in developing the comprehensive plan.
The vision statement for Three Lakes reads: Three Lakes is an exceptionally friendly, alluring Northwoods community that emphasizes quality of life for all generations. We enjoy an unspoiled environment, while creating sustainable economic opportunities in technology, tourism, cultural arts and agriculture. Three Lakes: our world whispers quality of life.
The Town of Three Lakes Comprehensive Plan will assist local and county officials implement the goals, objectives and policies outlined therein and to serve as a guide for making future decisions in each of the nine plan elements addresses. The plan will also assist with development and management issues by addressing long-range needs and concerns regarding growth, development and preservation of the community while simultaneously identifying short-term tactical initiatives that can be undertaken now and which are in concert with the overall goals.
The comprehensive plan assists in:
- identifying areas appropriate for development or preservation;
- recommending types of land uses for specific areas;
- directing housing that can best serve the community;
- providing detailed objectives and policies to implement the overall plan goals.
This comprehensive plan was prepared in accordance with Wisconsin's Comprehensive Planning legislation contained in Wisconsin Statute 66.1001. The plan is organized into sections associated with the nine elements outlined in the legislation: 1) Issues & Opportunities, 2) Housing, 3) Transportation, 4) Utilities & Community facilities, 5) Natural, Agricultural & Cultural Resources, 6) Economic Development, 7) Intergovernmental Cooperation, 8) Land Use, and 9) Implementation.
THE PLANNING PROCESS
The overall process began in May of 2007 when the Three Lakes Town Board of Supervisors initiated a call for citizen volunteers to create a Three Lakes Community Planning Committee. The official name for the committee was later changed by volunteers to Three Lakes Town Action Group, or TAG, to reflect the need for not only long-range planning but also to initiate short-term improvements identified during the planning process. In keeping with state statutory requirements, the Town Board officially chartered TAG as a Town commission in April of 2008.
During the time it was a chartered Town committee, TAG's duties and responsibilities were defined in the TAG By-Laws that were adopted in April of 2008 and which reflected the nine required elements of the statute. TAG provided overall direction, input and management in the development of the comprehensive plan. TAG kept the Three Lakes Town Board of Supervisors informed by means of frequent reports at regularly scheduled Town meetings. In addition, TAG sought first-hand input from the elected town officials in special meetings with the Town Board as well as with other Town commissions and committees.
The planning process included: a) multiple facilitated forums for citizens and residents of the community, with care and attention given to the different age and demographic groups; b) an economic development survey distributed to every business in the Township; and c) a residential survey mailed to every household in the Township. These surveys included questions intended to allow residents and business owners to share their assessment of the current situation in the Town and to obtain opinions regarding the Town's future. Information from the surveys was used throughout the planning process and provided critical data that, once transformed into information, provided solid direction to TAG.
TAG also developed a list of Issues & Opportunities confronting the community. These were compiled from a vast amount of research and input at the local as well as country, regional and state levels. Both national and even international trends which could potentially affect a twenty-year plan were considered. Using the well-known and accepted methodology of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (or S.W.O.T.) an analysis of all the input yielded a synthesis of key issues.
All of these processes were helpful in establishing a baseline for developing the comprehensive plan.
Wisconsin Statute 66.1001 required municipalities to adopt written procedures that are designed to foster the widest possible range of public participation and input throughout the planning process. The main goal of the public participation plan was to make all citizens of the community aware of the plan's progress and to offer the public opportunities to make suggestions or comments during the planning process. Throughout the planning process the public was afforded several opportunities to participate directly in the development of the comprehensive plan.
The Town of Three Lakes adopted a public participation plan for use in the overall development of the Town of Three Lakes Comprehensive Plan.
Plenary meetings of the entire TAG committee (held monthly), Officer meetings (held monthly), and Sub-Committee meetings (held at various weekly and monthly intervals) were all conducted in accordance with Wisconsin Open Meeting and Open Records law.
The recommended draft comprehensive plan was distributed to all adjoining and overlapping jurisdictions and others required to receive the plan by statute and made available to the public via hard copy at the Demmer Memorial Library and the Town Office, as well as on the Internet.
A public hearing on the final draft of the comprehensive plan was held prior to adoption by the Town.
Community Forum Results
Important Assets to Protect
World Famous Chain-of-Lakes and Tourism
Three Lakes Schools
Caring, friendly, home-town, multi-generational, family-oriented atmosphere
Demmer Library (Top 3 in State)
Three Eagle Bike and Walking Trail
Areas of Focus and Development
Economic opportunities for young families
Good-paying technology-based jobs
Affordable housing
Expansion of fitness & health offerings
Cultural, performing and visual arts
Cranberry agriculture and related business
