About the Comprehensive Plan

La Crosse County is a diverse and growing place with a rich history and an exciting future. Our Comprehensive Plan - Envision 2050 - is a vision for how we build that future together. The plan is a collective effort that prioritizes our ambitions and reflects our values. Envision 2050 guides La Crosse County’s budgets, land use, housing, transportation, economic development, farmland preservation, and natural resource policies for the current generation of residents and beyond.

A Comprehensive Plan is:

• A long-range planning document that must be updated at least once every 10 years.
• A description of the existing condition of the county, including land use, demographics, and the local economy, and a vision for the future, taking into consideration various risks and opportunities.
  
• An opportunity for the community to agree on the values and vision that should guide the county’s decision-making process.
• A combination of data, statistics and public input that includes expertise, personal stories, and values that can be drawn upon throughout the planning process and beyond.

La Crosse County Comprehensive Plan - Envision 2050 (2022-2050)_2024 Amendment_FINAL

The State of Wisconsin’s 1999 comprehensive planning law (Wis. Stats. 66.1001) requires that all land use decisions in the county be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan and documents in its appendices also serve as the County's Farmland Preservation Plan, which qualifies residents for farmland preservation tax credits.

The plan establishes a vision for the future of La Crosse County and a roadmap for how we get there. The videos below provide an overview of what each chapter covers, including policy recommendations. Please explore the links below to watch the videos. PDF copies of the PowerPoint used in the videos are linked below each corresponding video.

Overview - 

Overview Video

2021 Comprehensive Plan Overview

Future Land Use -

Future Land Use Video

Future Land Use Chapter

Cultural and Natural Resources -

Cultural and Natural Resources Video 

Cultural and Natural Resources Chapter

Utilities and Community Facilities -

Utilities and Community Facilities Video

Utilities and Community Facilities Chapter

Equity -

Equity Video

Equity Chapter

Housing -

Housing Video

Housing Chapter

Farmland Preservation -

Farmland Preservation Video

Farmland Preservation Chapter

Farmland Preservation Plan Appendix B 2022

Intergovernmental Cooperation -

Intergovernmental Cooperation Video

Intergovernmental Cooperation Chapter

Sustainability -

Sustainability Video

Sustainability Chapter

Economic Development -

Economic Development Video

Economic Development Chapter

Transportation -

Transportation Video

Transportation Chapter

Implementation -

Implementation Video

Implementation Chapter

If you have suggestions for our Comprehensive Plan after viewing these videos, please send them to Charlie Handy - [email protected]

We also encourage you to explore data on the County, using our DATA HUB - data-hub-lacrossecounty.hub.arcgis.com/. 

Charles Handy, Community Development Manager

Administration Center - Rm. 1300

212 6th Street North
La Crosse, WI  54601

Phone: (608) 785-5919

Office Hours:  8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Weekdays

  Dillon Constant, County Planner 

  Administration Center - Rm. 1300

  212 6th Street North
  La Crosse, WI  54601

  Phone: (608) 789-7806

  Office Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Weekdays

Our Mission

The mission of the Zoning, Planning & Land Information Department is:

• To assist and advise individuals, businesses, professionals and governmental communities by uniformly administering all chapters of the La Crosse County Code of Ordinances pertaining to land use.  
• To balance individual property rights with the health, safety and welfare of the public by instituting appropriate land use and growth management controls and by carrying out comprehensive planning efforts to provide the most efficient delivery of public services.  
• To coordinate a land information system, which is thorough, accurate and accessible for use by the public and private sector.