Ridgetop Protection Area (RPA) Building Guidelines (truncated; Source: Town of Vermont Comprehensive Plan)

The RPA is defined as any location that is located above the shoulder of the ridge. The shoulder is the point at which the local slope changes from greater than 20% to less than 20%. On the Town of Vermont website is a map depicting the approximate representation of the RPA, limited by the accuracy and resolution of the Dane County slope data.

If you are requesting homesite approval, please review the Ridgetop Area Building Verification Form. Consult the Planning Commission if you have questions related to RPA criteria.

To facilitate protection of this area, all new residences and residential accessory buildings located within the RPA are subject to the following constraints:

The maximum height is limited to 28 feet. The maximum height is measured from the high point of the building to the average ground level around the building. The average ground level is the average of the four highest points of the four outside corners of the building. The ground level at each point is the original natural ground level or finished ground level, whichever is lower.

We recognize that by the above definition, some sites that are minimally visible from roadways and neighboring properties may still fall within RPA. In such cases, the Plan Commission may at its discretion approve a variance to the height limit.

Please refer to Section 10.4 of the Town of Vermont Comprehensive Plan related to RPAs for complete guidelines.