Welcome to the Team!

The Dane County Planning Division recently launched the Housing Chapter Update (HCU) program, a new technical assistance program for municipalities updating the housing chapter of their comprehensive plan. The program supports cities and villages in identifying housing challenges, solutions and tools, and highlighting each community’s unique housing needs, capacity, and priorities. This service is provided at no cost through the Regional Housing Strategy (RHS).

The HCU program helps communities meet eligibility requirements for millions of dollars in funding from the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) for affordable and senior housing, infrastructure development, and redevelopment. WHEDA’s loan programs, the Infrastructure Access Loan, Restore Main Street Loan, and Vacancy-to-Vitality Loan Program. All of these require municipalities to have a housing element adopted within five years from the date of the loan application.

The RHS team is working with the Village of Cottage Grove, and discussing technical assistance opportunities with several other communities including Black Earth. Want to learn more? Please view our HCU Program Fact Sheet. Please contact Alex DeSena, Housing Planner, at DeSena.Alexandria@danecounty.gov with inquiries.

The Dane County Heritage Preservation Commission is comprised of local residents with expertise in history, architectural history, architecture, landscape architecture, and archaeology. The Commission is currently overseeing the Underrepresented Communities Historical Markers program.

In 2024, a public call was issued for nominations of historic sites representing underrepresented groups. In January 2025, the Commission reviewed and rated the submissions. Subsequently, in February 2025, a public hearing was held. During the hearing, the Commission deliberated and selected on four sites:

• Robert Valentine Farm (Rutland)
• Vandenburg Heights Neighborhood (City of Sun Prairie)
• Ada Deer Home (City of Fitchburg)
• Ho-Chunk Village (Town of Dunn)

At the March 17, 2025 meeting, the Commission finalized the list and made decisions regarding the marker designs. Two other sites identified within the City of Madison that were forwarded to the City and State for implementation. 

4,200. That’s how many properties across Dane County were once subject to discriminatory covenants. P&D’s Records and Support team finished searching 330,000 records covering 1900-1969 and recorded and mapped the findings. They are compiled here and summarized in the image above.

On February 20, 2025 the Dane County Board of Supervisors adopted 2024 Resolution 305 Repudiating Racial and Discriminatory Covenants in Dane County Property Records. Simultaneously, the WI Department of Administration released the “Discharge and Release of Discriminatory Restriction Affecting Real Property” form, enabling property owners and buyers to denounce the discriminatory documents for a $30 filing fee. And, the Wisconsin Realtors Association just launched a statewide campaign aimed at helping property owners fill out and file the form, and cover the $30 processing fee. Visit CloseWithaPurpose.org to access this free resource.

P&D is working with the Register of Deeds, Office of Equity and Inclusion, County Executive team, and Board of Supervisors to facilitate, supplement, and enhance WRA, Dane County Historic Society, and other emerging activities from other stakeholders in the coming months. Visit Prejudice in Places | Dane County Planning & Development for the latest events, news, and project background information.

Related Press:

• WKOW Board of Supervisors reject racial restrictions in property deeds | Top Stories | wkow.com
• Madison.com Dane County exhibit reveals 'racial covenants' history 

Senior Planner Brian Standing retired on February 7, 2025 after more than 27 years of dedicated service to Dane County. He has numerous laudable accomplishments to his credit and had an indelible impact on the Dane County community.

As a Senior Planner, Brian was responsible for many of the landmark projects. He:

• Authored the first Dane County Comprehensive Plan,
• Authored multiple Dane County Farmland Preservation Plan updates and farmland preservation zoning districts re-certifications, qualifying county farmers for millions of dollars in state tax credits,
• Led multiple iterations of Dane County’s land use inventory, including the first version to detail agricultural uses throughout the county,
• Managed and staffed the North Mendota Parkway Implementation Oversight Committee,
• Managed and authored the 2019 comprehensive revision of the Dane County Zoning Ordinance (the first such revision in more than 50 years);
• Served as primary staff for Dane County’s 2020 redistricting effort.

Most recently, Brian managed the Cultural Resources Element update, establishing the County’s first Heritage Preservation Commission. He has also established the UW-Madison Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture Planning Assistantship program, that gives graduate students an opportunity to complete real world planning projects such as the Historical Markers Program and the Comprehensive Planning Data and Map Catalog.

Over the many years, he consistently saw his projects through to fruition, capably and professionally; skillfully navigating any issues along the way. He was creative and thorough in his work, constructive, and always a consummate professional.

Of Brian’s many strengths, his ability to use his conviction, dedication to advocate for the Dane County community is one that we all benefited from the most. His civic contributions beyond planning extend far and wide. Whether it’s hosting a program or hosting a show on WORT (Mondays 8 a.m.), or his many hours of Employee Group service to his county colleagues, as member and President of AFSCME, Brian is one-of-a-kind and a civil servant in the truest sense.

We couldn’t be more appreciative of his outstanding service, dedication, and friendship over these past 27 years. While we’ll miss his contributions, we wish him all the best in his well-earned retirement!