Zoning Ordinance Revisions

The purpose of the Rice County Zoning Ordinance is to

  • Implement the Rice County Comprehensive Land Use Plan.
  • Protect the public health, safety, comfort, convenience and general welfare.
  • Protect and preserve agricultural land.
  • Promote orderly development of residential, commercial, industrial, recreational and public areas.
  • Conserve the county’s natural and scenic beauty.
  • Conserve the county’s natural resources, including wetlands and woodlands.
  • Provide for the compatibility of different land uses and the most appropriate use of land throughout the county.
  • Minimize environmental pollution.

Input Requested

With the adoption of the 2040 Rice County Comprehensive Plan, one of the next steps is to update all relevant land use ordinances to be consistent with the new comprehensive plan. The plan is to review items by first, focusing on those needing minor refinement or relatively short discussions, followed by looking at those needing more complex analysis with more in-depth longer discussions. 

The goal is to hold a series of joint work sessions, that will include members from both the Rice County Board of Commissioners and members of the Rice County Planning Commission to discuss and propose revisions to the Rice County Zoning Ordinance.

Rice County invites residents to provide input on potential Zoning Ordinance revisions by clicking on the Your Input is Requested image above or by emailing [email protected].

To view the current Rice County Zoning Ordinance by chapter, go to our Rice County Zoning Ordinance page or click on the Rice County Zoning Ordinance logo at the top of the page.