Issue date: 9/4/08 Section: News

A protest sign is displayed on the door of Just Local Foods, 772 First Ave., one of several businesses that would have been torn down to accomodate the building of a new jail.

Sophomore Angelica Timbush never doubted that the rezoning of land near the river wouldn't go through. Once more people got involved in the issue, it was like a snowball effect, she said. And now that the project is put on hold, Timbush had one thing to say.

"Fantastic."

Earlier this summer, a formal petition was filed against the jail-rezoning project, Eau Claire City Council member and economics professor Thomas Kemp said. More than 20 percent of property owners adjacent to the land set aside for rezoning signed the formal petition. In order to be successful, at least 20 percent of landowners had to sign, Kemp said.

However, Kemp said if the Eau Claire City Council had a 75 percent 'yes' vote on the subject, it could overrule the petition. The Leader Telegram discovered that more than three of the eleven City Council members planned to vote no. After realizing this, the Eau Claire County Board pulled the rezoning request from the City Council agenda, Kemp said.

"The county's calling the shots, not the city," he added.

If the rezoning request had ended up on the City Council agenda, Kemp said, the council would have had two things to consider: whether the rezoning request was legal and whether it was consistent with the City Comprehensive Plan.

The City Comprehensive Plan, finalized in 2005, includes Eau Claire's plans for future growth, Kemp said. It was developed by city and county officials, community members, students and business owners. The plan includes details for future roads, parks, housing, UW-Eau Claire, river usage and more.

While the request was legal, Kemp said he was not confident about it being consistent with the plan.

"I was concerned about a lack of clarity about the Comprehensive Plan with regards to jail rezoning," he said.

With that in mind, Kemp said he was ready to vote no to the rezoning request.

Since withdrawing their request for rezoning, the County Board has set up a commission to look at alternative plans for the project, Kemp said. The commission will be made up of about 15 people. Its members will include county board members, city council members and community members, Kemp added.

Continued...

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