Waukesha County, WI Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)
Key Facts
- Review trigger
- New building or addition over 50% of footprint
- Max height
- 4 stories; flat roofs banned at 4 stories
- Storefront glazing
- At least 40% of street facade
- Siding
- Aluminum/vinyl banned on visible sides
- Sidewalk width
- Minimum 5 feet in retail frontage
- Boundary change
- Requires Section 39 zoning amendment
Summary
In the Downtown Okauchee District of the Town of Oconomowoc, any new building, an addition over 50% of an existing building's footprint, or an exterior color or material change requires site plan and plan of operation review under Section 33(j). Aluminum and vinyl siding are banned on visible facades, neon paint is barred, and storefront windows must fill 40% of the street-facing wall.
(j) Commercial, Mixed-Use, Public and Institutional, and Multiple-family Use Design and Site Requirements: In order to foster economic growth and ensure an attractive, vibrant, and accessible Downtown Okauchee area, the following design and site requirements shall be applied to commercial, mixed-use, public and institutional, or multiple-family projects. The requirements of this subsection apply to any new Building or an addition to a Building that exceeds fifty percent (50%) of the Building Footprint of the existing Structure. ... Any exterior color or material change to a Building must comply with the provisions of this subsection and be reviewed and approved as part of the site plan/plan of operation process. ... 3. Building materials: ... Aluminum and vinyl siding are prohibited, except for use on non-primary facades not highly visible from public roads, walkways, primary customer parking areas, and neighboring residential or public uses. ... 7. Building color: No neon or fluorescent colors are permitted. The exterior color palate of all Buildings must be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood.
Full Breakdown
Waukesha County's Shoreland Protection Ordinance carves the Downtown Okauchee District out for stricter architectural control than the rest of unincorporated Oconomowoc. Section 33(j) applies to any new commercial, mixed-use, public/institutional or multi-family building, to any addition exceeding 50% of the existing building footprint, and to any exterior color or material change; each must clear the site plan/plan of operation process and, where applicable, the Conditional Use process. Building materials must be aesthetically compatible on every side visible to the public; aluminum and vinyl siding are prohibited except on non-primary facades hidden from roads, walkways, parking areas and neighboring uses (aluminum and vinyl soffits are still allowed).
Storefront windows on mixed-use or commercial buildings must cover at least 40% of the primary street facade at pedestrian level, with an organized rhythm on upper-floor windows. No neon or fluorescent exterior colors are permitted, and the palette must be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood. Height is capped at four stories, and a fourth story must be designed into the roofline; flat roofs are banned on four-story buildings except for limited rooftop-mechanical areas, and no structure may show more than three stories from the waterfront side.
Sidewalks through predominantly retail or restaurant frontage must be at least five feet wide, exclusive of bench or cafe space, and streets must include streetscape amenities such as street trees, benches and pedestrian-scale lighting. Parking must sit to the rear or side of buildings except where topography or lot width makes that impractical, subject to landscaping/screening rules. Any Development must document to the county that the Town of Oconomowoc has confirmed sewer requisitions are available. Changing the district's boundaries, use zones or regulations requires a formal zoning amendment under Section 39, not administrative approval alone.
Violations & Fines
Development that skips the required site plan/plan of operation review, or that does not conform to the material, window-coverage, height or roof standards of Section 33(j), is not approved by the Plan Commission and Zoning Administrator and cannot proceed to a building permit. The Zoning Administrator enforces the district's standards administratively; unauthorized construction or an unapproved exterior change is treated as a zoning violation under the ordinance's general enforcement provisions, and district boundary or regulation changes attempted without a Section 39 zoning amendment are void.
Frequently Asked Questions
What triggers design review in Downtown Okauchee?
Can I side my building with vinyl in this district?
How tall can a building be in Downtown Okauchee?
Who approves the design of a new building here?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Waukesha County
Compare Waukesha County to another location·View the Wisconsin zoning overlays & bonuses overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.