Annexation for controversial subdivision reaches Eau Claire Plan Commission

May 16—EAU CLAIRE — Annexing land for a new housing subdivision that's been opposed by neighboring town of Washington residents will be discussed at tonight's(Monday, May 16) Eau Claire Plan Commission meeting.

Landowners Laverne Stewart and Todd Hague have petitioned to have Eau Claire city limits extended around their parcels, which are southwest of Lowes Creek County Park.

Annexing their property from the town of Washington into Eau Claire will allow the city to extend municipal water and sewer service there, fostering development on the land that has been used for agriculture.

To connect the privately-owned parcels to the city, a western portion of the county park would be annexed as well. The county-owned parkland to be annexed in the city could not be developed as there is a deed restriction on it preventing that from happening.

Between the public and private lands petitioned for annexation, the city would grow by about 438 acres.

A local development team had previously proposed a housing subdivision on 238 acres owned by Stewart in 2021 and earlier this year. Then proposed as a rural development of homes with well water and septic systems, the project faced opposition from neighbors and did not get approval from the county government.

Named Orchard Hills for being close to Ferguson's Orchards, the new subdivision was proposed on land north of Deerfield Road and west of Mischler Road. The development team that proposed the Orchard Hills subdivision was made of CE Wurzer Builders, Holzinger Homes, Chippewa Valley Excavating and Trend Stone Surfaces.

The project went through a few revisions, ultimately leading to a plan for 107 lots for single-family homes. The County Board had been scheduled to vote in March on a rezoning request to allow that, but the developers decided in February to seek a postponement.

Scott Allen, Eau Claire's community development director, said the city hasn't received a proposal yet from the developers showing how many homes they'd plan to build on the land, should the annexation be approved. Development plans and plat maps for a new subdivision as well as a vote on rezoning the land for it would come after a decision on annexation, he said.

Neighbors already started speaking out during a City Council meeting last week to voice their continued opposition to adding a significant number of homes to the area.

"The density is the big issue that compromises our safety," Cynthia Hunt, who lives close to the proposed annexation, told the council on May 9.

Her concerns about increasing traffic on the rural roads that would come with more homes was echoed by Tina Ball, another town of Washington resident who lives nearby.

The two local roads bordering the property to be annexed — Deerfield Road and Mischler Road — are rural roads with poor sight distance, blind hills and they lack shoulders, Ball said.

Before the Plan Commission votes tonight, there will be a public comment portion of its meeting where people will be able to give their opinions on the annexation.

The Plan Commission is scheduled to vote tonight on its recommendation on the annexation, which would go the following week to the City Council for its decision.

Last week the city sent out a news release summarizing the annexation request and answering common questions about it. That document explained how landowners with property bordering Eau Claire can petition for annexation, which helps the city grow.

"Eau Claire is a growing community, and we have a recognized need for additional housing, and this new development allows for this growth to occur with sufficient municipal services," the news release stated. "This type of growth provides additional tax revenue to allow the city to adjust services to meet the new growth."

Established Eau Claire neighborhoods including Putnam Heights and Princeton Valley had once been created by annexing land to the city, and now appear seamlessly as part of it, the news release stated.

Annexing the Stewart and Hague properties could add between $600 million and $700 million in property value to Eau Claire when they are fully developed, according to estimates included in the document.