Providing Economic Development, Geographic Information Systems, Intergovernmental Cooperation, Land Use Planning and Transportation Assistance since 1973
Wood County’s Parks & Forestry Department updates its Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces Plan (Outdoor Rec. Plan) every 5 years to identify essential outdoor recreation needs that affect the future of outdoor recreation in the County.
This Outdoor Rec. Plan (ORP) focuses upon County managed outdoor recreation facilities, and also list projects within the towns and villages. Local governments with their own ORP are 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.
All communities within Wood County without their own Outdoor Recreation Plan become eligible to apply for recreation grants when the County adopts this plan 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.
2025 Planning Timeline
Winter 2024-2025 — Staff park analysis, plans reviewed, & demographic data analysis.
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 Wisconsin Rapids School District 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 Wisconsin Rapids SRTS Task Force through the planning process.
The following schools are part of Wisconsin Rapids SRTS Planning: Wisconsin Rapids Area Middle School Grant Elementary Grove Elementary Howe Elementary Mead Elementary THINK Academy Washington Elementary Woodside Elementary
Wisconsin Rapids SRTS Task Force Ronald Rasmussen, Superintendent, WRPS Tracy Ginter, Wisconsin Rapids Area Middle School Principal, WRPS Tina Wallner, Grove Elementary Principal, WRPS Tina Miller, Howe Elementary Principal, WRPS Amber Applebee, Mead Elementary Principal, WRPS Kelly Schaeffer, Washington Elementary Principal, WRPS Julie Kolarik, Woodside Elementary Principal, WRPS Edwin Allison, Director of Buildings and Grounds, WRPS Aaron Nelson, Business Services, WRPS Officer Dan Pelot, Student Resource Officer, WRPS Joe Eichsteadt, PE, City Engineer, City of Wisconsin Rapids Kyle Kearns, Community Development Director, City of Wisconsin Rapids Kristie Egge, MPH, Supervisor of Strategic Initiatives, Wood County Health Department Hannah Wendels Scott, FoodWIse Nutrition Educator, Wood County, UW-Madison Extension
THINK Academy Kevin Whipple, Village of Rudolph President Christine Slattery, THINK Academy Principal, WRPS Roland Hawk, Wood County Highway Commissioner
Grant Elementary Sharon Schwab, Town of Grant Chairperson Nikki Calteux, Grant Elementary Principal, WRPS Nathan Check, Portage County Highway Commissioner
Staff Fred Heider, AICP, Planner, North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission
School Data -Parent Survey AGGREGATE Results (All elementary and middle school parent surveys were tabulated together in this report.)
Wisconsin Rapids Area Middle School -Parent Survey Results Map 3A – Site Assessment (Not available yet.) Map 4A – Transportation (Not available yet.) Map 5A – School Routes (Not available yet.) Map 6A – Recommendations (Not available yet.)
Grove Elementary -Parent Survey Results Map 3C – Site Assessment (Not available yet.) Map 4C – Transportation (Not available yet.) Map 5C – School Routes (Not available yet.) Map 6C – Recommendations (Not available yet.)
Howe Elementary -Parent Survey Results Map 3D – Site Assessment (Not available yet.) Map 4D – Transportation (Not available yet.) Map 5D – School Routes (Not available yet.) Map 6D – Recommendations (Not available yet.)
Mead Elementary -Parent Survey Results Map 3E – Site Assessment (Not available yet.) Map 4E – Transportation (Not available yet.) Map 5E – School Routes (Not available yet.) Map 6E – Recommendations (Not available yet.)
Washington Elementary -Parent Survey Results Map 3G – Site Assessment (Not available yet.) Map 4G – Transportation (Not available yet.) Map 5G – School Routes (Not available yet.) Map 6G – Recommendations (Not available yet.)
Woodside Elementary -Parent Survey Results Map 3H – Site Assessment (Not available yet.) Map 4H – Transportation (Not available yet.) Map 5H – School Routes (Not available yet.) Map 6H – Recommendations (Not available yet.)
The Wood County Comprehensive Plan will help guide County decision makers on a wide array of issues over the next twenty years. As of Spring 2025, the Plan’s Housing Element has been completed in the form of a Housing Report which can be viewed below. The remaining 8 Comprehensive Plan elements will be developed over 2025 and 2026. Click the links below to learn more:
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 broadband strategy presented at narrowing the digital divide in Wood County by enhancing broadband connectivity and accessibility. Additionally, this strategy will pinpoint obstacles and objectives related to expanding infrastructure and promoting broadband adoption. Consequently, Wood County will be in a stronger position to seek and, hopefully, secure BEAD funding for broadband deployment.
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.
Please identify important routes, propose new routes, locate areas of concerns, and show us destinations which you like to walk or bike to. Interactive Map
The development of the Wood County Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan will involve many people including an advisory group. This bicycle planning document is intended to help local governments, non-profits, businesses, and individuals improve walking and bicycling within Wood County.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) encourages planning for bicyclists at the local level. Guidelines for accommodating travel by bicycles when roadways are reconstructed, or new roads are built, are available and their use is encouraged by WisDOT. When this plan is adopted, then road improvement grants (up to 80% state funds & 20% local funds) become available for local governments to competitively apply for.
The Wood County Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan includes:
An inventory of bicycling conditions and sidewalks, bicycle and pedestrian crashes with vehicles, and bicycle and pedestrian use areas. Researching where crashes occurred will show where some problem areas exist. Other problem locations will be found through analysis of the bicycling conditions on each major road.
Locations of potential bicycle routes and recommendations for roadway improvements. Maps will show where people are riding and where they plan to ride when it is safer to do so. Recommendation may include bicycle lanes in high traffic areas, and possibly no change along roads used more by bicyclists than vehicles (e.g. low volume roads).
Recommend solutions. The plan will include a combination of education, encouragement, engineering, and enforcement strategies to increase walking and biking.
EMSI / Lightcast delivers economic reports to regional planners who want expert analysis and detailed, hard-to-find data. Our consultants combine EMSI’s comprehensive labor market data and seasoned economic analysis to produce reports that analyze a broad range of workforce, education, and economic development issues. Unlike other consulting groups, we mine our own data and tailor it to create effective reports that communicate to all audiences. EMSI’s custom economic analysis includes the following major types:
Impact studies (education, workforce, and industry)
