Town of Washington Reaches Milestone in Effort to Incorporate

WASHINGTON, Wis (WCFW) – The town of Washington reached an important milestone in the years-long process of becoming a village to prevent further land annexations.

The town’s plan to incorporate most of its territory as a village has proven very popular among local residents. Town officials began circulating a petition to begin the process in September, receiving hundreds of signatures from residents in support of the move.

The decision to pursue incorporation is based on the annexation of land from the town of Washington by the cities of Eau Claire and Altoona. The cities annexed the land for utility expansion and housing projects like the Orchard Hills housing development. The Orchard Hills development began accepting reservations for potential tenants earlier this year.

Area residents say they’re concerned about increased traffic and changes to the fabric of their neighborhoods with the introduction of higher density housing. Incorporation as a village would provide the town of Washington with increased legal protections against further annexation attempts by Eau Claire and Altoona.

The petition was later withdrawn for technical changes and circulated again. The updated petition also received well over the 50 signatures needed for the Town to bring it to court.

Last week, the Eau Claire County Circuit Court approved the petition. The approval gives the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s Incorporation Review Board 180 days to approve the petition as well, or send it back for changes. If approved by the agency, the town of Washington will hold a referendum vote on incorporating as a village.

The process will still take years to complete, but the Eau Claire County Circuit Court approval of the petition marks a significant milestone. The review process will also need to include a resolution passed by the city of Eau Claire stating that it expects to annex more land for utility expansion.