Janesville · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Janesville public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use map amendment
The city has a draft zoning map updating zoning across Janesville, with a public open house at Hedberg Public Library on October 6. This affects what can be built on properties citywide.
Property-owner notification of rezonings
Commissioners pressed staff on whether the city will individually notify the roughly 28,000 property owners whose zoning may change. State law doesn't require individual notice — the city gets to decide — and staff will consult the city attorney and consider options like utility-bill inserts.
Contributing vs. non-contributing designations review
The list of contributing and non-contributing properties hasn't been updated since 1990, and some commissioners think it's time for a relook — especially since non-contributing owners pay the rules without getting tax credit benefits.
Rezoning of 265 E. Memorial Drive
A former light-industrial lot with an existing single-family home is being rezoned to residential so the owner can sell it — buyers currently can't get a mortgage on an M1-zoned property. The old commercial building on the site burned and was demolished in 2024; foundation removal is being handled separately by the Building Division.