The purpose of a Comprehensive Plan is to guide future growth and development in the Town over the next 10 to 20 years. A comprehensive plan provides the vision and direction for natural resource protection, housing and economic development, transportation and community facilities, land use, intergovernmental relations, and other factors that together form the community’s future. Comprehensive planning was enacted to encourage long-range planning for communities and provide consistency in land use decision making. The Comprehensive Plan is a guide that elected officials, residents, and business owners can use for directing growth and redevelopment in the community. The Comprehensive Plan is a long-range policy document consisting of goals, objectives, and policies prepared to meet the State’s definition of a comprehensive plan as defined under Section 66.1001.
Wisconsin Rapids Safe Routes To School – 2024
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs are an opportunity to make walking and bicycling to school safer for children in grades K-8, and to increase the number of children who choose to walk and bicycle. On a broader level, SRTS programs can enhance children’s health and well-being, ease traffic congestion near the school, and improve community members’ overall quality of life.
Planning Process
In 2022, the North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission and the Wisconsin Rapids School District won a WisDOT SRTS planning grant to create a SRTS Plan for several schools in the District. In the fall of 2023, the City and District began SRTS Planning with the assistance of the North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (NCWRPC). The NCWRPC guided the Wisconsin Rapids SRTS Task Force through the planning process.
The following schools are part of Wisconsin Rapids SRTS Planning:
Wisconsin Rapids Area Middle School
Grant Elementary
Grove Elementary
Howe Elementary
Mead Elementary
THINK Academy
Washington Elementary
Woodside Elementary
Wisconsin Rapids SRTS Task Force
Ronald Rasmussen, Superintendent, WRPS
Tracy Ginter, Wisconsin Rapids Area Middle School Principal, WRPS
Tina Wallner, Grove Elementary Principal, WRPS
Tina Miller, Howe Elementary Principal, WRPS
Amber Applebee, Mead Elementary Principal, WRPS
Kelly Schaeffer, Washington Elementary Principal, WRPS
Julie Kolarik, Woodside Elementary Principal, WRPS
Edwin Allison, Director of Buildings and Grounds, WRPS
Aaron Nelson, Business Services, WRPS
Officer Dan Pelot, Student Resource Officer, WRPS
Joe Eichsteadt, PE, City Engineer, City of Wisconsin Rapids
Kyle Kearns, Community Development Director, City of Wisconsin Rapids
Kristie Egge, MPH, Supervisor of Strategic Initiatives, Wood County Health Department
Hannah Wendels Scott, FoodWIse Nutrition Educator, Wood County, UW-Madison Extension
THINK Academy
Kevin Whipple, Village of Rudolph President
Christine Slattery, THINK Academy Principal, WRPS
Roland Hawk, Wood County Highway Commissioner
Grant Elementary
Sharon Schwab, Town of Grant Chairperson
Nikki Calteux, Grant Elementary Principal, WRPS
Nathan Check, Portage County Highway Commissioner
Staff
Fred Heider, AICP, Planner, North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission
School Data
-Parent Survey AGGREGATE Results (All elementary and middle school parent surveys were tabulated together in this report.)
Wisconsin Rapids Area Middle School
-Parent Survey Results
Map 3A – Site Assessment (Not available yet.)
Map 4A – Transportation (Not available yet.)
Map 5A – School Routes (Not available yet.)
Map 6A – Recommendations (Not available yet.)
Grant Elementary
-Parent Survey Results
Map 3B – Site Assessment
Map 4B – Transportation
Map 5B – School Routes
Map 6B – Recommendations (Not available yet.)
Grove Elementary
-Parent Survey Results
Map 3C – Site Assessment (Not available yet.)
Map 4C – Transportation (Not available yet.)
Map 5C – School Routes (Not available yet.)
Map 6C – Recommendations (Not available yet.)
Howe Elementary
-Parent Survey Results
Map 3D – Site Assessment (Not available yet.)
Map 4D – Transportation (Not available yet.)
Map 5D – School Routes (Not available yet.)
Map 6D – Recommendations (Not available yet.)
Mead Elementary
-Parent Survey Results
Map 3E – Site Assessment (Not available yet.)
Map 4E – Transportation (Not available yet.)
Map 5E – School Routes (Not available yet.)
Map 6E – Recommendations (Not available yet.)
THINK Academy
-Parent Survey Results
Map 3F – Site Assessment
Map 4F – Transportation
Map 5F – School Routes
Map 6F – Recommendations (Not available yet.)
Washington Elementary
-Parent Survey Results
Map 3G – Site Assessment (Not available yet.)
Map 4G – Transportation (Not available yet.)
Map 5G – School Routes (Not available yet.)
Map 6G – Recommendations (Not available yet.)
Woodside Elementary
-Parent Survey Results
Map 3H – Site Assessment (Not available yet.)
Map 4H – Transportation (Not available yet.)
Map 5H – School Routes (Not available yet.)
Map 6H – Recommendations (Not available yet.)
Make questions or comments about the planning here.
(Email link to submit comments on this plan.)
Wood County Comprehensive Plan and Housing Study 2024
The Wood County Comprehensive Plan will help guide County decision makers on a wide array of issues over the next twenty years. The comprehensive plan’s housing chapter will also contain a robust study to help attract needed housing to the County. Click the links below to learn more:
EMSI Reports – Economy Overview
We have been creating economy overviews for all ten of our counties along with Centergy and Grow North regions. We have reports from 2018 to 2024 – More information is about EMSI reports HERE. We also have historic reports back to 2013 if you are intrerested.
Wood County Broadband Plan
The broadband strategy presented at narrowing the digital divide in Wood County by enhancing broadband connectivity and accessibility. Additionally, this strategy will pinpoint obstacles and objectives related to expanding infrastructure and promoting broadband adoption. Consequently, Wood County will be in a stronger position to seek and, hopefully, secure BEAD funding for broadband deployment.
Town of Saratoga Comprehensive Plan 2023
The purpose of a Comprehensive Plan is to guide future growth and development in the Town over the next 10 to 20 years. A comprehensive plan provides the vision and direction for natural resource protection, housing and economic development, transportation and community facilities, land use, intergovernmental relations, and other factors that together form the community’s future. Comprehensive planning was enacted to encourage long-range planning for communities and provide consistency in land use decision making. The Comprehensive Plan is a guide that elected officials, residents, and business owners can use for directing growth and redevelopment in the community. The Comprehensive Plan is a long-range policy document consisting of goals, objectives, and policies prepared to meet the State’s definition of a comprehensive plan as defined under Section 66.1001.
Wood County Economic Profile 2024
Every few years, NCWRPC updates basic demographic and economic development information in the form of County Profiles, which provide a snapshot of current economic trends and opportunities for economic growth. Included is a map of business park locations where acreage is available as well as contacts for various economic development agencies and programs.
Wood County Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan 2023
The Wood County Ad Hoc Bike & Pedestrian Committee is overseeing the development of the Wood County Bike & Pedestrian Plan.
See below for historical plan and meeting information:
1995 Wood County Bike & Pedestrian Plan
Draft Plan Maps
Map 1—Existing Facilities
Map 2—ATV Routes & Trails
Map 3—Snowmobile Trails
Map 4—Traffic Counts
Map 5—Bike Suitability
Map 6—Functional Classification
Map 7—Crash Data
Interactive Map
Please identify important routes, propose new routes, locate areas of concerns, and show us destinations which you like to walk or bike to.
Interactive Map
The development of the Wood County Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan will involve many people including an advisory group. This bicycle planning document is intended to help local governments, non-profits, businesses, and individuals improve walking and bicycling within Wood County.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) encourages planning for bicyclists at the local level. Guidelines for accommodating travel by bicycles when roadways are reconstructed, or new roads are built, are available and their use is encouraged by WisDOT. When this plan is adopted, then road improvement grants (up to 80% state funds & 20% local funds) become available for local governments to competitively apply for.
The Wood County Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan includes:
An inventory of bicycling conditions and sidewalks, bicycle and pedestrian crashes with vehicles, and bicycle and pedestrian use areas. Researching where crashes occurred will show where some problem areas exist. Other problem locations will be found through analysis of the bicycling conditions on each major road.
Locations of potential bicycle routes and recommendations for roadway improvements. Maps will show where people are riding and where they plan to ride when it is safer to do so. Recommendation may include bicycle lanes in high traffic areas, and possibly no change along roads used more by bicyclists than vehicles (e.g. low volume roads).
Recommend solutions. The plan will include a combination of education, encouragement, engineering, and enforcement strategies to increase walking and biking.
Town of Saratoga Outdoor Recreation Plan 2023-2027
The primary purpose of this outdoor recreation plan is to provide continued direction toward meeting the current and future recreation needs of the Town of Saratoga.
This Outdoor Recreation Plan (ORP) was prepared pursuant to Wisconsin Statute §23.30 Outdoor Recreation Program. This section serves “to promote, encourage, coordinate, and implement a comprehensive long-range plan to acquire, maintain, and develop for public use, those areas of the state best adapted to the development of a comprehensive system of state and local outdoor recreation facilities and services…”
Town of Seneca Comprehensive Plan 2022
The purpose of a Comprehensive Plan is to guide future growth and development in the Town over the next 10 to 20 years. A comprehensive plan provides the vision and direction for natural resource protection, housing and economic development, transportation and community facilities, land use, intergovernmental relations, and other factors that together form the community’s future. Comprehensive planning was enacted to encourage long-range planning for communities and provide consistency in land use decision making. The Comprehensive Plan is a guide that elected officials, residents, and business owners can use for directing growth and redevelopment in the community. The Comprehensive Plan is a long-range policy document consisting of goals, objectives, and policies prepared to meet the State’s definition of a comprehensive plan as defined under Section 66.1001.
