Cross Plains Votes Monday on Bluff and Hillside Protection Ordinance
- Kate Baldwin
- Jun 6
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 24
The Cross Plains Village Board meets Monday, June 8th to vote on proposed changes to the village's bluff and hillside protection ordinance.
The meeting is scheduled for Village Hall, but turnout is expected to be high. Check the village website before you go — it may be moved to the fire station. Cross Plains agenda page.
The Cross Plains Plan Commission met on June 1st to hold a public hearing on the proposed amendments. Multiple residents spoke during the hearing raising concerns about erosion, flooding, maintaining Black Earth Creek water quality, and maintaining the viewshed. Andy Morton spoke on behalf of BECWA, in support of current protections. The commission then worked through three separate proposed ordinance changes, each voted on individually as recommendations to the Village Board.
Hilltop Edge buffer: The commission voted to recommend reducing the Hilltop Edge buffer — the protected zone measured back from the top of a bluff — from 150 feet to 100 feet. This would allow structures and land disturbance closer to bluff edges than current rules permit, though still farther than the developer had originally requested.
Hillside disturbance exceptions: The commission voted to recommend expanding the list of activities allowed on hillsides and hilltops that would otherwise be prohibited. The approved exceptions include construction of public stormwater facilities, recreational amenities such as trails and overlooks (subject to approval by the Parks and Recreation director), private roads and accessways, and golf course features — with bathrooms removed from that list during discussion.
Tree clearing rules: The commission voted to recommend changes to what tree removal does not count toward the village's existing 30% woodland clearing limit. The most significant change would exempt poor and fair-quality trees, a category including species like black walnut, black cherry, and hackberry. This single exemption effectively more than doubles the amount of clearing allowed under the 30% cap. Other recommended exemptions include invasive or nuisance species (such as buckthorn and honeysuckle) and trees removed for utility corridors, easements, access routes, and walking trails. The commission also added an overall ceiling of 40% total tree removal regardless of how many other exemptions apply. Taken together, these changes would allow substantially more trees to be cleared on a given site than current rules permit.
All three recommendations now go to the Village Board for a final vote Monday night (6/8):
Existing village/county/state stormwater management and infiltration requirements are still in place for the areas affected by the revisions to the Hillside/Bluff Protection Ordinance.
These ordinance changes would apply village-wide — not just to Marchstone. The Village of Cross Plains also exercises extraterritorial jurisdiction over subdivision plats within roughly 1.5 miles of its borders, so the hillside rules can apply beyond village limits as well.
Here are the proposed changes that are shown in "packet" on the village website that the Village board will review on Monday related to the hillside ordnance and development:
(This is just a portion of the whole 103 page packet, which includes written comments and other subjects.)
