What: application VAC26-0001 to vacate about 4,037 square feet of unimproved public alley right-of-way between Valley Avenue and Lincoln Avenue, in a multifamily zone.
Where it stands: On November 4 the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval to the City Council, with one commissioner opposed. Staff found no pedestrian, vehicle, emergency or utility need for the strip and said several adjacent owners already have pavement, landscaping or retaining walls in it.
Next: The applicant and the city attorney's office are working out fair market value; the City Council public hearing will be set afterward. Any sale to abutting owners is a separate Council decision, all-or-nothing among the owners.
Staff presented the six vacation approval criteria and recommended approval. The applicant's representative said the owner of six of the eight properties is exploring options, including a possible sale or redevelopment. An abutting owner worried about the cost of buying the strip and about existing encroachments; the commission was told fair market value and conveyance are for the City Council. Motion to approve passed, one opposed.