Facing a surge in development proposals ranging from private golf courses to solar energy farms, the Town of Ashippun is taking steps to protect its agricultural roots. During a recent planning meeting, local leaders moved forward with a proposal to transition the town toward farmland preservation-style zoning.
Robert Guenther, a dairy farmer and member of the Town of Ashippun Planning Commission, tells Mid-West Farm Report about the strategic shift aimed at maintaining the community’s rural character.
The town, located in the southeast corner of Dodge County, has recently become a next frontier for development due to its proximity to rapid growth in neighboring Waukesha County. For Guenther, the move is about proactive management rather than reactive opposition.
“We’re just trying to get ahead of the development, do some planning, try to get it done right,” he says. “Do a little stuff pre instead of waiting till it comes here and then have to deal with it.”
The debate in Ashippun also highlights the balance between landowner rights and the collective needs of the community. While some argue that new developments bring in much-needed tax revenue, Guenther points to the hidden costs of infrastructure and services. He notes that while farmland typically generates more revenue than it consumes in services, residential or commercial development often costs the town more than it brings in.
One of the primary catalysts for the zoning change is the friction caused by a private golf course proposal situated directly across from a 400-cow dairy operation. Guenther argues that such proximity creates an “extreme conflict of land use” that could have been avoided with more rigorous planning.
“I think for now, it has been slowed that it can’t do all the work that it wanted to do,” Gunther updates Mid-West Farm Report about the golf course project. “And it’s just a matter of getting some of these legalities straightened out.”
The transition to farmland preservation zoning is expected to be a six-to-eight-month process, involving county applications and public hearings. Local leaders are urging residents to stay involved in the coming months to ensure the final plan reflects the community’s vision for the future of Dodge County.
