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<br />REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION <br />Date: 4/21/2025 <br />Item No.: 7.a. <br />Department Approval City Manager Approval <br /> <br /> <br />Item Description: Public Hearing and Approve Resolutions Approving the Vacation of <br />Multiple Streets Easements and Rights-of-Way <br />1 <br />2 Background <br />3 Over the past several years, staff has identified rights-of-way that the City no longer needs <br />4 for public benefit. Some of these rights-of-way were dedicated to the City for future <br />5 roadways that were never constructed, some were partial right-of-way dedications, while <br />6 others were alley dedications. In all the cases, the City has no plans to construct a future <br />7 roadway. <br />8 <br />9 By vacating these rights-of-way, the area will revert to the underlying property owners. The <br />10 owners will benefit from having more control over the former right-of-way areas. This also <br />11 helps with confusion and disagreements over how the right-of-way area should be <br />12 maintained in regards to vegetation control and debris management. <br />13 <br />14 Some of the corridors have utilities or trails within the right-of-way. However, since a <br />15 roadway will not be constructed, an easement would be more appropriate for the identified <br />16 vacation area. Where it is appropriate, the proposed resolution will reserve utility easement <br />17 rights in the vacated areas. <br />18 <br />19 On April 11, 2022, Council authorized staff to begin the vacation process for these <br />20 locations. Staff has brought four phases of vacations previously, and these four vacation <br />21 areas are part of Phase 5. Additional public hearings are anticipated later this summer with <br />22 staff anticipating a total of six phases. <br />23 <br />24 The vacation resolutions were publicly noticed in the newspaper on March 11, 2025 and <br />25 March 18, 2025, and a mailing to the affected residents postmarked March 25, 2025, per <br />26 State Statute requirements. Affidavits of Publication and Mailing are available in the office <br />27 of the City Engineer. <br />28 <br />29 Specific to Vacation Area V (Aldine Street), the City has received feedback from residents <br />30 indicating that the neighborhood uses this right-of-way (ROW) corridor as an informal <br />31 walking trail. Although this segment is not identified on the City's Pathway Master Plan, if <br />32 the Council wishes to preserve the corridor for potential future trail use, staff recommends <br />33 vacating only the western 20 feet and retaining the eastern 30 feet for that purpose. Should <br />Page 1 of 3 <br />Qbhf!:!pg!216 <br /> <br />