I’ve written about this before, but it’s more relevant now than ever. The issue of platted vacant lots with assigned tax key numbers being labeled as “unbuildable” by local municipalities. These are not lots that were created by some crazy homeowner who divided his lot into two and now wants to sell half of it. These are lots that were platted years and years ago, by the city engineers, and lots that the municipalities have greedily been taxing since their inception. These lots should be buildable. They should be, but on paper, they aren’t. Reasons as to why such a lot would be deemed unbuildable abound, but generally it’s because they lack the total square footage required in a specific zoning district, or because they lack a certain minimum lot width or length. Williams Bay for instance, requires that lots me 60′ wide to be considered “standard”. Corner lots, many of which are pie shaped, cannot meet this requirement, through no fault of their own.
Property owners mindlessly pay their taxes every year on these parcels, only to find out that they’re unbuildable when they decide to sell them. There is a simple, quick fix to this problem. Apply the required setbacks to these lots, so that the setbacks match the zoning requirements. Then apply the zoning districts minimum home square footage requirements. If the setbacks are met, the size requirements are met, and the lot is part of an original plat, with its’ own tax bill, it’s BUILDABLE!
If you feel the same way, reply to me in my comments section, by clicking on my name (David) at the headline. Tell me you support this idea, and we’ll bundle the responses together along with a letter to the Village of Williams Bay, or any other County municipality that needs a little dose of common sense. It’s high time we gave some relief to property owners who are being taxed as though their lots are indeed buildable, and allow them to sell these parcels at their own discretion.