Design Dane!

"Preservation of open spaces in Dane County has long been recognized as an important goal to protect the quality of life enjoyed by county residents. Preservation and protection of green-ways, green spaces and environmental corridors are important..."

-Dane County Board, Resolution 280,1989

Compile a comprehensive atlas of important natural resources for landowners, citizens, local communities and the county to use in making development decisions.

Update ordinances regulating development on shoreland, wetlands and steep slopes to protect water quality, scenic beauty, and fish and wildlife habitat. Streamline the procedure for applicants. Create buffers around county parks and other publicly owned lands to shield them from the impacts of neighboring development.

Increase protection for our lakes and rivers by implementing the county's construction site erosion control standards throughout Dane County.

Control flooding by creating a county-wide stormwater management program to handle rainfall that flows off of fields, roofs, roads and parking lots.

Implement a groundwater protection strategy, particularly for areas where contaminants threaten our clean drinking water supply.

Link Jobs, Housing and Transportation

Auto use has grown faster than population in Dane County and traffic congestion is increasing. Smart community strategies link our jobs to where we live. Dane County should offer people a range of travel and housing choices so everyone can get to work easily. This can happen if we:

Fifty-two thousand Done County residents - comparable to the population of La Crosse - commute to the City of Madison to work; another 17,000 people from outside Dane County drive to jobs here every day.

-Dane County Regional Trends, 1997

Foster planning that links jobs, housing and transportation. For example:

Work with the Dane County Economic Summit Council to link job development with more convenient transportation and better housing options.

Encourage employers to reduce vehicle traffic, for example, by offering flex-time scheduling and work-at-home options.

Create Rural Scenic Byways to protect two-lane, low-volume, scenic highways.

Develop a multi-modal transportation plan and target the county's dollars to maintain current roads and support sensible growth. Study other transportation options and continue feasibility studies of commuter rail.

Prepare a county housing plan and target county economic and housing development funds to encourage sensible, efficient growth that links jobs and housing to affordable transportation.

Between 1990 and 2020, the population of Dane County is expected to increase 33%. However, daily vehicle miles of travel will grow by 43% and vehicle hours of travel will increase 72%.

-Dane County Regional Planning Commission staff

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Revised: July 14, 1998