By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
The longstanding marriage between the Village and Town of Rochester was officially dissolved more than five years ago.
But efforts to bring the two formerly separate municipalities into one harmonious union have been ongoing and reached finality, recently.
The Village Board on June 9 voted in favor of a new zoning ordinance that lays out a series of regulations throughout the community.
While none of the zoning changes will significantly alter the face of the merged Village of Rochester, the ordinance is a final step toward creating a unified municipality.
Creating a unified zoning code has been an extensive process and was discussed at length at municipal meetings throughout the year. Residents also were given an opportunity to weigh in during public hearings.
“This has been a work in progress,” Clerk-Treasurer Betty Novy said as she presented a recommended final draft to the board for adoption.
Several changes have been enacted, including night parking restrictions in certain areas of the village. The ordinance states no more than two residents can park in the street during overnight hours.
“To a certain extent, I think people should be able to park in the streets,” Trustee Chris Bennett commented. “Their tax money pays for it.”
Bennett recounted some of the overnight parking restrictions he encountered while living in Milwaukee, but furthered his comments by stating, “I realize you’re comparing apples to aircraft carriers when you look at Rochester and Milwaukee.”
Another change implemented by the ordinance is the official designation of the village’s former municipal building along Main Street. It has been rezoned from institutional to business use as a precursor toward bringing a commercial development into the site.
Other issues that were under review include when burning is permitted within the community. Initially, it was restricted from noon to 5 p.m., but was extended earlier since a handful of residents expressed a desire to burn in the morning when there is still dew on the grass.
Another issue scrutinized relates to fencing and other types of barriers along property lines. For the time being, Novy said a permit is not be necessary, although the issue could be revisited at a later date.
Since early this year, the board has leafed through a 226-page document with Novy that gave a thorough overview of the various forms of land use throughout the community.
As a community with a mix of rural farmsteads and suburban-style subdivisions, Rochester already had many different types of zoning in place. The new document is designed to recognize the diversity throughout the community.
Prior to the consolidation of the two Rochesters, the village had 10 zoning designations for residential, commercial and other uses. The former township had far more, including large sections zoned for agricultural use.
The new ordinance, Novy said, is designed to simplify the process. At the same time, other designations have been incorporated into the code, including some areas designated for historic use.
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