Sauk County, WI Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)

Sauk County Code Chapter 41, the Airport Zoning ordinance jointly administered with Richland County for the Tri-County Regional Airport under Sec. 41.01, establishes five overlay zones layered on top of each municipality's own zoning. Zone 4, the Noise Control Overlay District created by Sec. 41.12, exists specifically 'to minimize the conflict between allowed uses and the noise generated in this zone due to aviation activities, overflights and use of the Airport.' Sec. 41.12(1)(a) requires every use in the zone to conform to both the overlay ordinance and the primary zoning ordinance, and Sec.

41.12(1)(b) bars uses or structures that would create electrical interference with navigational signals, confuse pilots about which lights are airport lights, cause glare, or otherwise impair visibility near the Airport. Dimensional limits under Sec. 41.12(1)(c) borrow directly from the underlying zoning: height is capped at whatever the official Height Limitation Map allows, setbacks track the primary zoning ordinance, and minimum lot area follows the primary zoning ordinance as well, so Zone 4 does not print its own separate numeric limits. Sec. 41.07 makes clear the overlay operates alongside the primary zoning ordinance and that the more restrictive of the two controls whenever they conflict.

Sec. 41.16 requires a land-use permit from the Zoning Administrator before any structure over 200 square feet or 35 feet tall goes up anywhere in Zones 1 through 5, including Zone 4, and Sec. 41.15 gives the Zoning Administrator 20 days to act on that permit.