Providing Economic Development, Geographic Information Systems, Intergovernmental Cooperation, Land Use Planning and Transportation Assistance since 1973
The Oneida County Comprehensive Plan will help guide County decision makers on a wide array of issues over the next twenty years. Below are the most recent version of each chapter for review, including proposed changes from the most recent meeting they were reviewed at:
The Planning and Development Committee passed a resolution on 7/23/2025 recommending the Plan for adoption to the County Board. Please see Oneida County’s website for agendas regarding the County Board’s consideration of the Plan for adoption.
The Oneida County Housing Study examines which prices, configurations, and styles of housing are needed the most along with a list of strategies the County and its municipalities can use to maintain existing housing stock while expanding the availability of new construction countywide. Oneida County Economic Development Corporation partnered with NCWRPC to conduct this study.
The purpose of a Comprehensive Plan is to guide future growth and development in the Town over the next 10 to 20 years. A comprehensive plan provides the vision and direction for natural resource protection, housing and economic development, transportation and community facilities, land use, intergovernmental relations, and other factors that together form the community’s future. Comprehensive planning was enacted to encourage long-range planning for communities and provide consistency in land use decision making. The Comprehensive Plan is a guide that elected officials, residents, and business owners can use for directing growth and redevelopment in the community. The Comprehensive Plan is a long-range policy document consisting of goals, objectives, and policies prepared to meet the State’s definition of a comprehensive plan as defined under Section 66.1001.
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs are an opportunity to make walking and bicycling to school safer for children in grades K-8, and to increase the number of children who choose to walk and bicycle. On a broader level, SRTS programs can enhance children’s health and well-being, ease traffic congestion near the school, and improve community members’ overall quality of life.
Planning Process In 2022, the North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission and the School District of Rhinelander won a WisDOT SRTS planning grant to create a SRTS Plan for several schools in the District. In the fall of 2023, the City and District began SRTS Planning with the assistance of the North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (NCWRPC). The NCWRPC guided the Rhinelander SRTS Task Force through the planning process.
The following schools are part of Rhinelander SRTS Planning: James Williams Middle School Central Elementary Crescent Elementary Northwoods Community Elementary Pelican Elementary
Rhinelander SRTS Task Force Robert Thom, Director of Business Services, School District of Rhinelander Kyle Raleigh, Principal, James Williams Middle School Paul Johnson, Principal, Central Elementary Alex Bontz, Principal, Crescent Elementary Gayle Daniel, Principal, Northwoods Community Elementary Candice Cook, Principal, Pelican Elementary Lloyd J. Gauthier, Jr., Chief, Rhinelander Police Department Patrick Reagan, Rhinelander City Administrator & Dept. of Public Works Director Fred Heider, AICP, Planner, North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission
We have been creating economy overviews for all ten of our counties along with Centergy and Grow North regions. We have reports from 2018 to 2024 – More information is about EMSI reports HERE. We also have historic reports back to 2013 if you are intrerested.
The purpose of a Comprehensive Plan is to guide future growth and development in the Town over the next 10 to 20 years. A comprehensive plan provides the vision and direction for natural resource protection, housing and economic development, transportation and community facilities, land use, intergovernmental relations, and other factors that together form the community’s future. Comprehensive planning was enacted to encourage long-range planning for communities and provide consistency in land use decision making. The Comprehensive Plan is a guide that elected officials, residents, and business owners can use for directing growth and redevelopment in the community. The Comprehensive Plan is a long-range policy document consisting of goals, objectives, and policies prepared to meet the State’s definition of a comprehensive plan as defined under Section 66.1001.
Every few years, NCWRPC updates basic demographic and economic development information in the form of County Profiles, which provide a snapshot of current economic trends and opportunities for economic growth. Included is a map of business park locations where acreage is available as well as contacts for various economic development agencies and programs.
Federal transit law requires that any projects selected for funding under the Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities (formerly titled Elderly and Disabled Capital Assistance Program) must be derived from a “locally developed, coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan”. This requirement was implemented as part of the SAFETEA-LU legislation and the requirement continues under the new transportation legislation, FAST Act (Fixing America’s Surface Transportation). The purpose of the coordinated planning process is to have stakeholder involvement in the assessment of elderly and disabled transportation, and to provide strategies and goals to improve those transportation alternatives. These coordinated plans were last completed in 2019 and are due to be updated for 2023.
Oneida County Forestry, Land, and Recreation Department (FLRD) updates its Outdoor Recreation Plan every 5 years to identify outdoor recreation needs that affect the future of outdoor recreation in the County.
This Outdoor Recreation Plan (ORP) focuses upon FLRD managed outdoor recreation facilities, and also list projects within the towns. Rhinelander’s ORP will be referenced in this plan. All listed nature based and active recreation based projects become eligible for competitive federal and state outdoor recreation grant money when this plan is adopted by County or local municipality by resolution.
Non-profit groups, foundations, and the general public may also use this document to coordinate their own private efforts for developing outdoor recreation facilities.
If a local government is going to use the County Outdoor Recreation Plan as their own, then the local government needs to pass a resolution stating that the: “Oneida County Outdoor Recreation Plan, 2024-2028” is adopted as the local government’s plan too.
The primary purpose of this outdoor recreation plan is to provide continued direction toward meeting the current and future recreation needs of the City of Rhinelander.
This Outdoor Recreation Plan (ORP) was prepared pursuant to Wisconsin Statute §23.30 Outdoor Recreation Program. This section serves “to promote, encourage, coordinate, and implement a comprehensive long-range plan to acquire, maintain, and develop for public use, those areas of the state best adapted to the development of a comprehensive system of state and local outdoor recreation facilities and services…”
