Eau Claire council hears package of Century Code amendments and fee proposals, public hearings set stage for vote

City of Eau Claire staff presented public hearings Monday on a multi-part Century Code update that would replace and align the city’s land development rules and update related city code and fee schedules, including a proposed $100-per-inch fee in lieu for high‑value tree preservation and a new park impact fee assessment authorized by state law.

The package, presented by planning staff (Noel), included revisions to Title 17 (the Land Development Ordinance or LDO), cross‑references and repeals in Titles 5, 14, 16 and 19 to reflect the LDO, and proposed changes to the city’s 2025 schedule of fees and licenses. Planning commission members recommended approval of the LDO edits and related cleanup items.

The amendments refine multiple land‑use sections: they clarify rules for plan unit developments and confirm vested rights while requiring amendments to move projects toward compliance with the new code; they add explicit language for residential accessory structures and caps on detached garages (no larger than 1,500 square feet in the revised language); they reinstate a flag‑lot provision in the subdivision chapter copied from current code; and they…