City of Wausau Comprehensive Plan 2017 City of Wausau Mayor Robert Mielke City Council Lisa Rasmussen, President Pat Peckham Romey Wagner David E. Nutting Tom Neal Gary Gisselman Becky McElhaney Karen Kellbach Joe Gehin Sherry Abitz Dennis Smith Plan Commission Robert B. Mielke, Chair Eric Lindman Pat Peckham Gary Gisselman Ron Zahrt Andrew Brueggeman Bruce Bohlken City Planner Brad Lenz, AICP Prepared with the assistance of: North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission ii Table of Contents Plan Chapters 1 Background and Demographics - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -1 2 Natural Resources - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -11 3 Housing - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 19- 4 Transportation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 31- 5 Utilities and Community Facilities - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 43- 6 Economic Development - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -53 7 Downtown - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 79- 8 Cultural Resources - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -93 9 Land Use - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -101 10 Intergovernmental Cooperation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -111 11 Implementation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 115- - - City of Wausau Comprehensive Plan 2017 iii Tables Table 1 Demographic Change - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5- Table 2 Persons 17 Years of Age and Younger - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -6 Table 3 Persons 65 Years of Age and Older - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -6 Table 4 Total Households - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -7 Table 5 Persons 25 and Over Who Have Completed Four or More Years of High School - - - - -8 Table 6 Person 25 and Over Who Have Completed Four or More Years of College - - - - - - -8 Table 7 Total Employed Persons Age 16 and Older - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -9 Table 8 Median Household Income - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9- Table 9 Per Capita Income - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -9 Table 10 Racial Composition - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -10 Table 11 Total Housing Units - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -21 Table 12 Year Structure Built - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -21 Table 13 Type of Structure - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -22 Table 14 Seasonal Housing Units - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -22 Table 15 Average Household Size - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -23 Table 16 Owner Occupied Units - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -23 Table 17 Renter Occupied Units - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -23 Table 18 Median Value for Specified Owner-Occupied Housing Units - - - - - - - - - - - 23- Table 19 Median Gross Rent - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 24- Table 20 Percent of Households That Spent 30% or More of Income on Housing Costs - - - - 24- Table 21 Household Projections - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -24 Table 22 Average Household Size Projections - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -25 Table 23 Employment by Sector - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -57 Table 24 Employment by Occupation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -60 Table 25 Wausau Area Location Quotient - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 61- Table 26 Employment by Sector Projections - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -66 Table 27 Employment by Occupation Projections - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -67 Table 28 Major Employers - Marathon County - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -69 Table 30 Downtown Type of Structure - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -83 Table 31 Downtown Age of Housing Unit - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -83 Table 32 Downtown Housing Vacancy - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -84 Table 33 Downtown Household Type - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -85 Table 34 Downtown Households by Size - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -85 Table 35 Downtown Retail Trade and Food & Drink Gap - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -87 Table 36 Downtown Business Leakage - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -88 Table 37 National Register of Historic Places - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -97 Table 38 Existing Land Use - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 103- Table 39 Annexation Trends - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 103-- - Table 40 Projected Five-Year Land Use Demand - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -104 Table 41 Land Assessment Values - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 105- iv Maps Map 1 Location - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Chapter 1 Map 2 Natural Resources - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Chapter 2 Map 3 Soils - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Chapter 2 Map 4 Transportation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Chapter 4 Map 5 Metro Ride Bus Routes - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Chapter 4 Map 6 Utilities and Community Facilities - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Chapter 5 Map 7 Historic Districts and Landmarks - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Chapter 8 Map 8 Existing Land Use - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Chapter 9 Map 9 Annexations - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Chapter 9 Map 10 Tax Exempt Lands - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Chapter 9 Map 11 Future Land Use - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Chapter 9 Map 12 Planning Area - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Chapter 9 Figures 1 Neighborhood Groups - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -27 2 Survey Economic Areas - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -56 3 Downtown Block Groups - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -79 4 Downtown Traffic - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -87 5 Downtown Development Sites - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -91 Charts 1 Top Survey Responses - What is the best thing about Wausau? - - - - - - - - - - -4 2 Top Survey Responses - What is one thing you would change to improve Wausau - - - -4 3 Wausau Area Location Quotient Analysis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -62 4 Worker In-Migration - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -65 5 Worker Out-Migration - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -65 6 Downtown Population by Age - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -82 7 Downtown Occupancy Status - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 84 -- 8 Percent of Downtown Population Spending > 30% of Income on Housing - - - - - - 86- Attachments A Public Participation Plan - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -121 B Adoption Resolution - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 122- City of Wausau Comprehensive Plan 2017 v Page Left Intentionally Blank vi Chapter One Background and Demographics Background come out of the northwest from late fall through spring and from the south during the remainder of the year. Wind This is the first of eleven chapters that makeup the City speed generally ranges from 4 to 15 miles per hour. of Wausau’s Comprehensive Plan. This plan replaces the previous plan adopted in 2005. Natural resources are described and mapped in greater detail in Chapter 2 of this plan. The City of Wausau is located in the middle of Marathon County. Wausau is the county seat and has a population Planning Context of 39,106, which is about 30 percent of the total county Planning and zoning has been a function of local units population. Wausau is one of six cities and 15 villages in the of government for over 50 years in Wisconsin. Existing county, see Map 1. authority for planning is provided in state statutes, including The City is located at the crossroads of two major highways §. 59, 60, 61 and 62. in Central Wisconsin, HWY 51 which runs north-south and Over the years almost every city, village and county HWY 29 which runs east-west. Wausau is the largest city in has developed various plans, from land use plans, to north-central Wisconsin and is the 17th largest city in the master plans to development plans. The comprehensive state by 2010 population. A detailed community history can planning law (§.66.1001) requires all jurisdictions within be found in the Cultural Resources chapter. the state that exercise control over land-use to prepare a comprehensive plan by 2010. It lays out the nine required Natural Setting elements of the plan and requires a public participation The City of Wausau is located on the Wisconsin River, process. Jurisdictions that do not have a comprehensive which runs into Lake Wausau to the south of the city. The plan in place by the deadline may not engage in actions that Wisconsin River dominates the surface hydrology of the impact land-use. The statute outlines the requirements area with numerous streams flowing into it. Wetlands are that must be satisfied, specifically for those that utilize the scattered throughout the city mostly surrounding streams. State grant program to develop their plan. The Wisconsin River divides the city into two distinct areas, Fourteen state planning goals are suggested. These goals, the westside of the Wisconsin River and the eastside of the however, are not mandates for specific provisions that must