TOWN OF UNION COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2018 - 2038 Prepared by the Town of Union Plan Commission with assistance from the Eau Claire County Department of Planning and Development February 2018 TOWN OF UNION COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2018-2038 TABLE OF CONTENTS THE ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITY ELEMENT ........................................................................... 1 SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE ............................................................................................................... 3 POPULATION ...................................................................................................................................... 3 COMPONENTS OF THE POPULATION ..................................................................................................... 5 EDUCATION ........................................................................................................................................ 9 EMPLOYMENT ..................................................................................................................................... 9 INCOME .......................................................................................................................................... 13 SOCIO-ECONOMIC FORECASTS ...................................................................................................... 15 POPULATION PROJECTION ................................................................................................................ 15 HOUSEHOLD PROJECTION................................................................................................................. 17 EMPLOYMENT PROJECTION ............................................................................................................... 17 ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES ......................................................................................................... 21 COMMUNITY OPINION SURVEY .......................................................................................................... 21 VISION STATEMENT .......................................................................................................................... 21 CONCLUSION.................................................................................................................................... 21 THE HOUSING ELEMENT ................................................................................................................ 23 HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS AND TRENDS ................................................................................. 23 HOUSING PROJECTIONS .................................................................................................................. 27 HOUSING PROGRAMS IN EAU CLAIRE COUNTY ........................................................................... 30 NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT .......................................................................................................... 43 NEIGHBORHOOD PRESERVATION, REHABILITATION AND RESTORATION ............................................... 44 GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES .............................................................................................. 45 THE TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT ............................................................................................ 46 OVERVIEW .......................................................................................................................................... 46 TRANSPORTATION ............................................................................................................................ 54 GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES .............................................................................................. 57 THE UTILITIES AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES ELEMENT ................................................ 59 EXISTING UTILITY AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES CONDITIONS .................................................. 59 FORECASTED UTILITY AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES NEEDS ..................................................... 63 GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES .............................................................................................. 64 THE AGRICULTURE, NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES ELEMENT ............. 65 AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES .......................................................................................................... 65 NATURAL RESOURCES ..................................................................................................................... 77 CULTURAL OR HISTORIC RESOURCES .......................................................................................... 89 GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES .............................................................................................. 90 NATURAL RESOURCES MAPS SERIES ........................................................................................... 92 THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ELEMENT ........................................................................ 111 COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................ 111 LABOR FORCE AND EMPLOYMENT CHARACTERISTICS AND TRENDS ................................... 111 FEDERAL AND STATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS .............................................. 115 LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLANS AND PROGRAMS ................................................... 118 NEW INDUSTRIES OR BUSINESSES DESIRED ............................................................................. 118 STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES................................................................................................... 119 i THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ELEMENT, CONT’D OPPORTUNITIES FOR BROWNFIELD DEVELOPMENT ................................................................ 119 DESIGNATION OF SITES ................................................................................................................. 119 GOAL, OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES ............................................................................................... 120 THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION ELEMENT ............................................... 121 GROWTH TRENDS & PLANNING ACTIVITIES IN ADJACENT COMMUNITIES ............................ 121 REVIEW OF OTHER GOVERNMENTAL UNITS ............................................................................... 122 INTERGOVERNMENTAL PLANS, AGREEMENTS AND RELATIONSHIPS .................................... 124 POTENTIAL ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES .................................................................................. 124 INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION AND PLANNING ........................................................... 125 GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES ............................................................................................ 126 THE LAND USE ELEMENT ............................................................................................................ 128 TOWN OF UNION LAND USE CONTEXT ......................................................................................... 128 UNION LAND USE ISSUES ............................................................................................................... 135 DEVELOPMENT LIMITATIONS ......................................................................................................... 138 POPULATION AND LAND USE PROJECTIONS .............................................................................. 143 PLANNED LAND USE ........................................................................................................................ 144 GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES ............................................................................................ 149 THE IMPLEMENTATION ELEMENT ........................................................................................... 155 ACTION PLAN .................................................................................................................................... 156 PLAN INTEGRATION AND CONSISTENCY ..................................................................................... 158 PLAN MONITORING AND EVALUATION ......................................................................................... 158 PLAN AMENDMENTS AND UPDATES ............................................................................................. 159 APPENDIX I – Community Survey………….………………………………………………………..160 APPENDIX II – ETJ Area Land Use Plan…………………………….……………………………..173 APPENDIX III – Town of Union Outdoor Recreation Plan…………………...……………..193 LIST OF TABLES 1. HISTORIC POPULATION AND PERCENT CHANGE, TOWN OF UNION ....................................... 3 2. COMPARATIVE POPULATION CHANGE, TOWN OF UNION, EAU CLAIRE COUNTY, STATE OF WISCONSIN AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES .................................................... 4 3. HISTORICAL POPULATION AND POPULATION CHANGE, EAU CLAIRE COUNTY BY MCD ................................................................................................................................................... 5 4. COMPONENTS OF POPULATION CHANGE, EAU CLAIRE COUNTY ........................................... 6 5. POPULATION BY AGE AND SEX, TOWN OF UNION ..................................................................... 7 6. POPULATION BY AGE, TOWN OF UNION ...................................................................................... 8 7. POPULATION BY RACE, TOWN OF UNION ...................................................................................