New private road standards for proposed subdivisions were revealed recently to the Vilas County Zoning Committee while reviewing a complete re-draft of the county subdivision control ordinance. The current county subdivision ordinance did not contain private road easement standards although most municipalities have local road access ordinances that identify height and width clearances, primarily for ambulances and fire department vehicles responding to emergencies.
Subdivisions of different sizes have different requirements. New private road easements serving one or two parcels will have a easement width of 20 feet, a minimum of 20 feet cleared width, and 20 feet height clearance.
Private road easements serving three to eight parcels must have a minimum easement width of 33 feet, cleared width of 24 feet, and a 20 foot height clearance. An 18 foot wide roadbed must have four inches compacted gravel. Easements serving more than eight lots must be a minimum of 66 feet, have a cleared width of 30 feet, a 20 foot height clearance, and a 20 foot wide roadbed with a minimum of four inches compacted gravel. One official felt these standards will make it easier for lot owners to bring these private easement roads up to town road standards should they want to.
The zoning committee will continue to review the draft for presentation at a future public hearing and presentation to the full county board.
