The City of Eau Claire Plan Commission on Nov. 3 postponed a decision on a rezoning and site‑plan amendment for a commercial building at 10 West Madison St., including a proposed drive‑through tenant, citing unresolved traffic safety concerns and pending technical reports.

Planner Noel presented the application as a rezoning and general development plan amendment to a planned unit development approved in 1997 for a site along West Madison near the Chippewa River and Oxford Avenue. Noel said the landowner seeks to split the lot, retain ownership of a smaller parcel and use a ground lease for the new building. The site is not in the 100‑year flood plain, but staff noted steep slope conditions on adjacent city property, screening and dumpster enclosure deficiencies, and a submitted stormwater plan that requires revision. Parks and Waterways reviewed the project and “recommended denial,” Noel said, urging that no new outfalls be placed to the river; staff asked that runoff be retained on site or conveyed to Madison Street catch basins.

City engineer Al Rinca told commissioners the most significant unresolved issue is traffic. Rinca described existing queuing on westbound Madison Street, limited left‑turn storage near the Kwik Trip driveway and constrained sight lines where the current Dollar General building closely abuts the sidewalk. “The intersection's had 22 car accidents at it in the last 5 years,” Rinca said, and noted seven accidents specifically tied to the adjacent driveways in that period. He said the only realistic mitigations could be a dedicated turn/bypass lane and changes to driveway locations or traffic controls, measures he called potentially costly. A traffic impact analysis (TIA) was not yet available; Rinca said staff expected it in “about 3 to 4 weeks.”

Applicant Michael Cone, speaking for property owner Legacy Commercial Property, said the parcel has stood vacant since 1997 and the owner wants to improve the site’s appearance and address chronic trash and sheltering issues. Cone said the applicant has a long‑term lease with Dollar General that limits “any significant changes to ingress/egress” and warned that major modifications could affect tenant agreements. Mike Mead, a franchise representative, said the project team had submitted revised elevations and landscaping the afternoon of the hearing and that stormwater plans were being reworked to tie to Madison Street catch basins. “We don't generate that much as a Dunkin',” Mead said when asked about traffic generation, adding that most drive‑through demand is coffee, while the location also includes an ice‑cream component.

A member of the public, Jeremy Gregert, who rides the adjacent bike trail frequently, urged caution. “I don't think it is a good choice to have a drive‑through land use,” Gregert said, citing pedestrian and bicycle safety along the river corridor and the intersection circulation issues.

Commissioners raised two recurring concerns: safety and the site’s fit with downtown design expectations. Staff noted the project was filed under the old code (allowing some features now restricted under the October land development ordinance) and that the comprehensive plan and new urban commercial district encourage buildings oriented toward the street, reduced setbacks and materials that support a more urban Cannery District character. Several commissioners urged the applicant to consider reorienting the building to face Madison, to reduce the large (95‑foot) setback shown on the submitted plan, and to explore alternatives for the drive‑through alignment so the building is not separated from the river and trail.

Given the pending TIA, the safety questions about egress and the unresolved design concerns, the commission voted 7–1 to postpone action on the rezoning and site‑plan amendment to the Dec. 1 meeting. Commissioner Leonard cast the sole vote against postponement. The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council along with staff materials and the forthcoming TIA.

The meeting began with a consent agenda that included approval of the Oct. minutes and final plats for Creekside and Sherman Creek; that consent agenda passed 8–0 earlier in the meeting. Next steps for the Madison Street application are a revised stormwater plan, the TIA, updated cross‑access easements and any design changes the applicant elects to make before the Dec. 1 hearing.

Staff and applicants said they will work to provide the TIA and revised drawings in time for the Dec. 1 Plan Commission meeting; council will receive the commission's recommendation after that meeting.