Council vacates small alley segment near 13232 Woodward Avenue; rezoning measure to assign Transit-Oriented Development zoning fails

Highland Park — The Highland Park City Council voted to vacate the remaining portion of a public alley adjacent to 13232 Woodward Avenue so the applicant, identified in the packet as DMC Property Management LLC (DMC Group), may consolidate the strip with adjoining property and secure the rear of its parking lot. A separate motion to rezone the vacated strip to Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) failed, leaving the newly vacated parcel without an assigned zoning classification.

Planning staff (Donovan Smith, principal planner with McKinnon Associates/planning manager for Highland Park) told council the alley segment is roughly 10 feet wide and about 40 feet long and that half of the alley had been vacated previously when the parcel was initially site-planned. The applicant seeks the remaining portion to consolidate with two adjacent parcels and to close off the back portion of the lot with a fence for security. Staff said the planning commission held a public hearing and recommended the rezoning to TOD for consistency with adjacent parcels.

Council took two separate votes: one to vacate the alley and a second to assign a TOD zoning classification to the vacated strip.

- 9a, Resolution to vacate a portion of public alley adjacent to 13232 Woodward Avenue (DMC Property Management LLC): Motion made by Councilman Al Shafi (recorded as Al Shafi/Ashafi/Neshafi in transcript), supported by Councilwoman Manuka. Roll-call recorded: Councilman Neshafi — Yes; Councilwoman Martin — No; Councilwoman Manuka — Yes; Council Pro Tem Robinson — No; Council President Thomas — Yes. Motion carries; alley vacation approved.

- 9b, Resolution to rezone the vacated parcel adjacent to 13232 Woodward Avenue to Transit-Oriented Development (TOD): Motion to rezone was moved and seconded; roll-call recorded: Councilman Ashafi — No; Councilwoman Martin — No; Councilwoman Manuka — Yes; Council Pro Tem Robinson — No; Council President Thomas — Yes. With a 2–3 split in the recorded roll call, the rezoning failed, leaving the vacated strip without a zoning assignment.

Staff said the practical effect is the city has released the right-of-way in favor of private ownership, but the parcel will not automatically match the adjacent TOD district unless and until council approves a future rezoning. Several residents and nearby property owners spoke during the meeting: some supported the applicant’s efforts to secure and improve the parking area and reduce trespass and illicit activity, while other nearby residents and community speakers expressed concern about loss of public access, expectations set earlier about community gardens and public uses, and how garbage pickup and emergency access would continue. Planning staff responded that routine trash pickup access would continue in the current pattern and that nothing in the vacation would remove existing trash access routes.

Why it matters: Vacating small right-of-way segments can allow property consolidation and site security improvements but also removes a public corridor; because council did not reassign a zoning classification, the vacated strip is currently an unzoned private parcel pending any future rezoning decision. Residents urged the council to ensure public access for services and to consider broader neighborhood impacts in any future site changes.

What’s next: Planning staff said the applicant may return with further site or fence permit applications; if the applicant wishes the parcel to carry TOD zoning, a future rezoning application will be required and must go through planning commission and council processes.