As one of his final acts, Wisconsin’s attorney general ruled that Oneida County can maintain their single-family housing zoning designation in a pair of lakefront areas.

Oneida County had asked the attorney general to make a ruling regarding the zoning of two lakes located in Sugar Camp. The shore area is located about 175 miles northwest of OshKosh.

In 1987, the county changed the zoning from general use to single-family for an area around Sugar Camp Lake. In 1991, landowners on neighboring Indian Lake asked the county to establish single-family zoning in its area, which the county did.

The town of Sugar Camp does not have a comprehensive zoning plan, so the county took the action.

The single-family zoning designation has applied to those two lake areas since the 1987 and 1991 petitions to change the zoning were granted. Still, the county sought clarification as to whether the town could have single-family zoning designations around the two lakes, and the outgoing attorney general’s ruling confirmed that.

In his decision, the attorney general said the county was within its rights to zone the shorelands for single-family housing and didn’t violate the law.

The zoning ruling means that single-family housing is all that can be built in the two areas around Sugar Camp Lake and Indian Lake. Residents can rest assured that without a zoning change, multifamily or commercial buildings can’t be built in those areas.

Oneida County is dotted with lakes. Should property owners around those lakes want a single-family designation, they must seek a zoning change from the existing general zoning. An attorney experienced in real estate law can represent them in hearings in front of the county board that makes such decisions.