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Chapter: Land Uses & Economic Development
Introduction
Sustainable development balances the benefits of new investments, infrastructure, and opportunities
with the negative impacts of new construction on undeveloped land, loss of natural resources, and
industrial pollution. Land uses and economic development include a broad range of development
activities associated with urban life, but these activities usually have similar impacts that affect
sustainability. They all consume limited resources and produce waste. However, development is essential
to enhancing quality of life and providing opportunities for future generations, so it must be managed to
achieve sustainable outcomes. As the Oshkosh community grows, builds wealth, and meets the needs of
its residents, the benefits of growth need to be reinvested into future opportunities and preserving
limited resources for the benefit of all.
This chapter addresses the administration and management of sustainable investments in development
and redevelopment that minimize urban sprawl, promote efficient use of infrastructure, and expand
access to urban amenities while minimizing impacts to the natural environment. Most development
occurs in the private sector, but it is regulated by government. The recommendations in this chapter
focus on ensuring that the regulation and promotion of new construction, industry, and employment
produces long-term benefits and stability across the whole community.
Past Accomplishments
The City of Oshkosh has already made progress towards sustainability with the following
accomplishments:
• Completed a Housing Needs Assessment in 2022, updated in 2024
• Currently developing the former Washington Elementary School into residential lots for
workforce housing and approved an additional 31 lots on Farmington Avenue
• Developed a House Design Book1 and housing building plans for the city’s infill lots to encourage
new construction on vacant lots that fit the historic character of neighborhoods
• Ongoing implementation of the Great Neighborhoods Initiative to provide neighborhood
improvements and rehabilitate buildings with dedicated funding
• Expanded housing options in the zoning code to offer choices to build accessory dwelling units
(ADU), townhomes, and twinhomes across most residential districts.
Background
Building Codes. The State of Wisconsin passed Act 270 (2013) and Act 243 (2017) which limited
municipalities from creating amendments to the International Existing Building Code (IEBC) and Uniform
Dwelling Code (UDC), respectively, that are more or less restrictive than the State code. Municipalities
may, however, incentivize private development to build to a standard that is more restrictive than the
State code. At the time of writing this Plan, Wisconsin uses the 2015 Commercial International Energy
Conservation Code (IECC)2 and the 2009 Residential IECC3 with amendments.4,5
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Tax Increment Financing (TIF)/Tax Incremental District (TID). Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a common
economic development policy used by municipalities throughout Wisconsin to incentivize development
by spending property tax revenue on development projects within a defined project area as defined by
the Tax Increment District (TID). Oshkosh has established 35 TIDs since 1979. Only new property tax
increment (a type of revenue) resulting from new projects may be spent in the TID, but the money may
be spent in a variety of ways to incentivize new development following the approved plan for the TID. TIF
spending is designed to be economically sustainable because it uses money from new developments to
encourage additional new development, continuing the cycle of new development paying for its own
incentives for a defined period of time. After a TID closes, new increment that generates tax revenues by
the development goes to the property tax fund.
Some communities, such as Middleton, WI, have used TIF incentives to encourage environmentally
sustainable development. New developments that meet certain criteria are eligible for TIF including:
• Remediation of contaminated soils – special kind of TID
• Whole-building energy modeling (BEM)
• Renewable energy installations (solar, wind, geothermal)
• Electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure
• Green roofs and blue roofs
• Stormwater best management practices (BMP)
• Water reclamation systems
While many project costs are TIF-eligible, it is important when pursuing TIDs to understand what project
costs are not TIF-eligible. Non-eligible costs generally include anything that is required to meet City or
State requirements or codes, City fees, infrastructure that is normally paid for by special assessments or
similar charges, and “normal” development costs. The decision of how much TIF subsidy to grant a
project is essential to achieving economic development goals. TIF projects often receive between 50-90%
of the increment generated by that project (though some communities provide less than 50%), with the
remainder of the increment going towards other projects and administrative costs. Rather than requiring
that all TIF projects achieve sustainable outcomes – thereby potentially discouraging development, a set
proportion of TIF increment can be made available to all projects (e.g. up to 10%) to encourage adoption
of green building practices.6
Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). Transit-oriented development (TOD) is an approach to land use
planning that recognizes the efficiencies achieved by locating housing, services, and jobs near transit.
Doing so is aimed at reducing traffic, reducing the amount of parking needed to support developments,
improving housing affordability, increasing ridership on public transportation, and creating a healthier,
more walkable environment. Typically, transit-oriented development approaches use a variety of
strategies to allow for increased density and reduced parking requirements based on proximity to transit
stops. The typical distance from a transit stop where transit-oriented development is promoted ranges
from ¼ mile to 1 mile, depending on the capacity and service area (catchment) of the transit service. For
bus stops, the typical catchment is around ¼ mile, while commuter rail and regional rail can be upwards
of ½ mile or 1 mile. This is based on the typical distance the average transit customer walks between the
transit stop and their origin and destination.
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Sustainable Development vs. Urban Sprawl. Several factors contribute to sustainable development and
land use. Foremost among these factors is efficient and compact, environmentally sensitive, and
responsible use of land. These factors are goals of the City of Oshkosh’s Comprehensive Plan. Failure to
effectively achieve these goals results in urban sprawl, or uncontrolled, low-density development on the
periphery of the city.
The City of Oshkosh has increasingly tended towards sprawling development, characterized by:
• Decreasing numbers of residential units per acre of residential land in both single-family and
multi-family developments
• Decreasing population per acre of residential land
• Increasing proportion of overall land dedicated to single-use and single-family residential
development
These trends compounded with decreasing average household sizes and plateauing population growth
make it likely that the economic burden of funding public services and infrastructure will increase per
household because there is more infrastructure to maintain and fewer taxpayers from which to collect
revenue. Infill development, or development that uses existing infrastructure rather than requiring new
infrastructure on undeveloped lands, is a viable strategy as recommended by the Comprehensive Plan to
reduce urban sprawl and develop sustainably. The City can focus on improving services during infill
development rather than expanding services to new areas, such as utilities, roads, and parks. For
example, the 2024 Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (CORP) update identifies goals for ensuring
access to parks. The City of Oshkosh provides 6.22 acres of park per 1,000 residents, and the Winnebago
County Community Park provides an additional 270 acres available to the whole community. Making full
use of existing park properties and other government services rather than stretching resources to serve
areas that are not currently developed is a sustainable approach to improving quality of life without
increasing urban sprawl.
Impact Fees. Impact fees are a sustainable growth strategy that requires new developments to pay for
new public infrastructure, such as sewers, streets, and parks. Many communities in Wisconsin utilize
impact fees for new infrastructure created by new developments utilizing city services to offset the
increased taxpayer burden. Impact fees can be a powerful tool to ensure that new growth occurs
sustainably, and they can prevent new development from straining local budgets. New housing
developments that utilize existing infrastructure are not charged fees as long as they do not create the
need for new infrastructure, creating a natural incentive for infill development versus sprawl. Impact fees
can be established over specific zones, or they can be established over the entire community, depending
on what they pay for. Wisconsin state law (Wis. Stats. 66.0617) requires new impact fees to be
established following an impact fee assessment and public hearing to ensure they are being fairly
implemented. New fees that are established must be proportionate to new development, and are
restricted from being spent on existing infrastructure deficits. New impact fees are also required to
demonstrate they will not have a negative impact on housing affordability and cities may choose to
exempt certain low-income housing developments from impact fees as long as that cost burden is not
shifted onto impact fees paid by other developments.
Infill Development. Infill development is any development constructed on property that previously
contained buildings. While infill development benefits from existing streets, utilities, and proximity to
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other developments, there are several factors that make infill development difficult compared to
greenfield development (i.e. development on vacant, not previously developed lands). Barriers to infill
development include higher land costs, constrained sites, potentially contaminated soils and/or the need
to demolish existing structures, and restrictive zoning policies. Most communities, including Oshkosh,
struggle to encourage infill development instead of greenfield development, resulting in urban sprawl. It
is important to address and reduce these barriers to infill development to achieve sustainable
development. Oshkosh’s Redevelopment Authority is focused on reducing barriers to development and
spurring investment by assembling and marketing City owned properties for private development. Most
of these properties are infill sites that benefit from additional stewardship and recruitment for
investment, such as several residential lots that provide new housing choices for community members to
live and stay in Oshkosh. This supports the community’s growth goals in a sustainable manner by
encouraging compact, efficient use of existing land in the city.
For additional information on the resources outlined in this chapter, check out:
1 House Design Book: https://www.amazon.ie/Oshkosh-House-Design-Office-Jonathan/dp/B0DSVZYLR4
2 Commercial International Energy Conservation Code (IECC):
http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/admin_code/sps/safety_and_buildings_and_environment/361_366/363
3 Residential IECC:
http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/admin_code/sps/safety_and_buildings_and_environment/320_325/322
4 Wisconsin Uniform Commercial Building Code FAQ | Wisconsin Department of Safety:
https://dsps.wi.gov/Documents/Programs/CommercialBuildings/FAQAct270.pdf
5 Building Regulations in Wisconsin | League of Wisconsin Municipalities: https://www.lwm-info.org/610/Building-
Regulations
6 Tax Incremental Finance (TIF) – Project Costs FAQ | Wisconsin Department of Revenue:
https://www.revenue.wi.gov/Pages/FAQS/slf-tif-projexp.aspx
Goal(s):
a) Expansion: Ensure policies facilitate construction at appropriate density and site design to
minimize undeveloped land consumption and de-emphasize vehicle-dependent development.
b) Infill: Reduce barriers to infill development to steer development toward the urban core.
c) Land use mix: Promote a mix of complementary land uses at sufficient densities and proximity to
support commercial viability, healthy lifestyles, and access to urban amenities.
d) Diversification: Promote a mix of sectors in the local economy with planning and small
business/entrepreneurship to improve resilience to economic shifts.
Recommendations
1. Transit Oriented Development (TOD). Create incentives for transit-oriented development near
transit stops.
o Lead Responsibility: Planning Division
o Time Frame: Medium (3-5 years)
o Implementation Details:
▪ Create a defined TOD Boundary, such as ¼ mile from transit stops.
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▪ Deploy specific incentives for development within the TOD Boundary, such as
residential unit density bonuses, height bonuses, and reduced off-street parking
requirements. Consider a bonus between 20-40% of current standards.
▪ Consider creation of a TOD Zoning Overlay District to facilitate the
implementation of TOD incentives.
2. Infill Development. Revise the zoning code to accommodate market-based standards for new
development in the central city to ensure that infill, by-right development is viable and
competitive with greenfield development.
o Lead Responsibility: Planning Division
o Time Frame: Priority (<3 years)
o Implementation Details:
▪ Revise the zoning code for market-based density, bulk, and parking standards by
identifying market-rate development and housing models in the region that is
suitable for the central city and changing standards to accommodate those
building types without the need for exceptions, special permits, or intensive
public reviews.
▪ Consider switching to a more user-friendly interface for the zoning code to
improve navigability and ease-of-use by the development community and the
community at-large.
▪ Reduce the prevalence of conditional use permits required for desirable
developments in the central city, especially mixed-use residential developments.
3. Adaptive Reuse. Incentivize preservation of existing buildings by reducing barriers to
rehabilitation.
o Lead Responsibility:
o Time Frame: Priority (<3 years)
o Implementation Details:
▪ Create exceptions in the zoning code for adaptive reuse developments for
standards they may have trouble conforming to, such as parking minimums,
setbacks, and lot coverage. Do not create exceptions for site improvements such
as landscaping and environmental feature preservation that contribute to the
overall sustainability of a project.
▪ Continue to utilize grant programs for the rehabilitation of publicly visible
elements of older buildings (i.e. facades, signs, awnings, windows, etc.) such as
the Historic Rehabilitation Program and the Oshkosh Healthy Neighborhoods
Good Neighbor Grant.
▪ Explore the creation of new historic districts to unlock funding for building
preservation costs, but ensure the City has the administrative capacity to
manage these districts.
4. Sustainable Construction. Create green building incentives to encourage sustainable practices in
new construction (i.e. local, sustainable building materials, energy efficiency improvements,
renewable energy, stormwater management, etc.).
o Lead Responsibility:
o Time Frame: Priority (<3 years)
o Implementation Details:
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▪ Create a green building checklist that lists sustainable building practices that
align with the City of Oshkosh’s sustainability goals. (same as Energy, Utilities, &
Facilities implementation detail under Green Construction.)
▪ Explore density, height, and parking bonuses as green building incentives for
meeting the requirements of the green building checklist.
▪ Include the green building checklist as a proportion of the scoring criteria in
RFPs for development procurements.
▪ Identify items from the green building checklist that are TIF-eligible project costs
for inclusion in the City’s TIDs.
▪ Consider offering up to an additional 10% of TIF increment to projects that
include green building checklist elements.
5. Sustainable Growth. Discourage sprawling development patterns and reduce opportunities for
low-density development on the city’s periphery by ensuring newly annexed residential lands
permit urban residential densities (>5 units/acre) or do not permit residential subdivision at all
(i.e. permit urban residential densities, conservation/ recreational land, or non-residential land
uses such as commercial or industrial. Do not permit farmstead/estate/low-density suburban
development).
o Lead Responsibility: Planning Division
o Time Frame: Long (5-10 years)
6. Site Sustainability. Enhance environmental feature preservation requirements and decrease
negative environmental impacts (i.e. erosion, runoff, etc.) during construction.
o Lead Responsibility: Planning Division/ Department of Public Works/ Engineering
o Time Frame: Priority (<3 years)
o Implementation Details:
▪ Adopt wetland and woodland preservation and mitigation requirements for new
development projects as part of the land division and site plan review processes.
▪ Review construction staging requirements to prevent damaging construction
activities within the drip line of existing trees.
▪ Review the erosion control ordinance to minimize topsoil erosion during
construction and landscaping, such as requiring temporary vegetative cover of
disturbed areas, protecting buffer zones along water bodies, and using structural
controls to trap sediment on-site.
7. Parks. Utilize park space efficiently to provide social and environmental benefits by targeting
improvements to increase utilization, accessibility/appropriateness to all demographics, and
provide ecosystem services.
o Lead Responsibility: Planning Division
o Time Frame: Priority (<3 years)
o Implementation Details:
▪ Update the Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (CORP) to reflect the total
park inventory of the community, inclusive of County and State properties.
▪ Match park and recreation needs with opportunities to improve underutilized
park properties.
▪ Explore public-private partnerships to provide parks and outdoor public places in
areas of existing deficit or where recommended expansion of park properties is
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less feasible (i.e. publicly accessible parks and pocket parks as parts of private
developments).
▪ Explore strategies to encourage homeowners and businesses to create
welcoming outdoor atmospheres on and around their properties, such as on
larger lots or community gardens, empty to promote informal social spaces
across the community.
▪ Ensure new developments that expand the urban footprint of Oshkosh include
adequate provisions for outdoor recreational spaces, parks, and/or
trails/walking paths.
8. Retention. Collaborate with local businesses and industries to identify opportunities and threats
to expansion, stability, and long-term success while staying in Oshkosh.
o Lead Responsibility: Economic Development
o Time Frame: Ongoing
9. Expansion. Identify strategies to attract regional industries underrepresented in Oshkosh and
provide pathways to increased presence in the city.
o Lead Responsibility: Economic Development
o Time Frame: Ongoing