Orchard Hills Project Gets Rezoning and Preliminary Plat Approval

The controversial Orchard Hills housing development in the Town of Washington has received approval for rezoning and its preliminary plat.

The land has been a point of contention between the City of Eau Claire and Town of Washington for years. The town has sued the city twice since 2022 in an effort to keep the land, but both sides eventually came to an agreement and the lawsuit was dismissed.

As part of the agreement, the developers behind Orchard Hills were ordered to pay $100,000 to the Town of Washington over three years for road expenses. Their development must also feature single family homes.

Eau Claire officials say as the population of the city grows they need to expand their land and utility services. When the Town of Washington began the process of converting part of their territory into a village, the Eau Claire City Council passed a resolution stating they expect to annex more land in the future for utility expansion.

The City of Altoona has also annexed land from the town for a development project. Their Whitetail Woods development would add 175 lots for single family, twin home, and multiple family housing. Residents of the town have expressed the same traffic and population concerns for that project.

While that resolution holds no weight in a future annexation attempt, it will be included as part of the town’s review process for incorporation. The Town of Washington has also filed a petition for the incorporation after receiving over 600 signatures from residents in the proposed village territory.

Regardless of efforts by the town to prevent more annexation, the Orchard Hills development is well on its way to becoming a reality.