Eau Claire is presently updating its Comprehensive Plan and other nearby communities are creating town plans.  Michelle Balas, an organizer of the event, says that "it is time to let policy makers know what kind of growth the citizens want."  Ask Balas:  "Will the growth that is being planned 'Trick' taxpayers out of a fair share of the community's resources, or 'Treat' us all to greater health and prosperity?"

The Tour leaves Banbury Place (800 Wisconsin Ave.) at 10 am and will last about two hours.  Following the event, participants are invited to go inside for lunch and action oriented activities back at Banbury Place.  The $5 registration fee for the Tour includes lunch.

Local media are invided to a mid-week media tour of the Sprawl route on Wed., Oct. 27.  This special preview tour will include the commentary of Brett Hulsey, a Midwestern leader of the Sierra Club's "Sprawl Costs Us All" campaign.

The media tour will conslude with a visit to the Eau Claire Comprehensive Plant Update Commission's meeting at the City Hall where representatives of the Urban Sprawl Forum will present the commission with a "Community Report Card" designed to guide development in a way that will foster healthy communities.  Urban Sprawl Forum members are urging the commission to include the report card in the update Comprehensive Plan.