Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How was the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission formed?
A: The Capital Area Regional Planning Commission (CARPC) was created on May 2, 2007, by Executive Order #197 of Wisconsin Governor James Doyle pursuant to §66.0309 Wis. Stats. The creation was requested in the form of adopted resolutions See Draft Resolution by local units of government in Dane County representing over 87% of the population and equalized property valuation in the county. The territory of the CARPC is Dane County and the cities and villages with incorporated areas in Dane County.

Q: Who appoints Commissioners?
A: The Commission is composed of thirteen Commissioners appointed by the Mayor of the City of Madison (4 appointments), the Dane County Executive (3 appointments), the Dane County Cities and Villages Association (3 appointments), and the Dane County Towns Association (3 appointments).

Q: How Long Does the USA/LSA amendment process take?
A:The Amendment process requires a public hearing with a 30 Day notice. The public hearing notice is disseminated only after CARPC staff has compiled a report analyzing the proposal. The report is released concurrent with the public hearing notice. The Commission encourages applicant units of government to meet with CARPC staff as early as possible in the conceptual phase of a development project. The Commission also encourages applicants to present conceptual development plans to CARPC at one of its regular meetings to solicit feedback and comment prior to further detailed planning work. A submittal is determined to be complete when the CARPC staff has determined that a submittal includes all elements required to evaluate the potential impacts of the proposal, and to determine that the measures proposed to mitigate the adverse impacts of the development are likely to succeed. The Commission may delay action after the public hearing if it concludes that significant unanswered questions regarding the proposal remain, and to allow staff time to work with the applicant to address these issues. A flowchart of the suggested process is available here.

Once the Commission takes action on a proposal, it is submitted to the Department of Natural Resources for review and approval (A process that takes at minimum 45 days). The whole amendment process, from the time of receipt of a complete submittal, generally takes at minimum four to five months.

Q: Is there a appeals process for a CARPC or DNR approval?
A:CARPC decisions regarding amendments to the Dane County Water Quality Plan can be appealed to the Department of Natural Resources which has the final say in the matter.