Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Alley Vacation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Stayton planning commission recommends vacation of alley between N. First and N. Second avenues
Summary
On May 27 the Stayton Planning Commission voted to recommend that the City Council vacate an alley between North First and North Second avenues (land use file 5-02/25). Staff said the applicant has the required signatures and recommended preserving a public utility easement; the recommendation goes to City Council on June 16.
The Stayton Planning Commission on May 27 voted to recommend that the City Council vacate an alley between North First Avenue and North Second Avenue running from East Pine to East First Street (land use file 5-02/25). The recommendation will be considered by the City Council at its June 16 meeting.
The recommendation follows an application from James Baxter, who told the commission he owns property abutting the alley and asked to close the easement so he and neighboring property owners could install a fence. "There has been people that have been parking in the alleyway...and there's been multiple times...where I've tried to drive my vehicle through there and haven't been able because people park there," Baxter said, adding he has dealt with loitering and littering in the alley.
Planning staff said Baxter supplied the signatures or property interests required under state law and that most parcels around the alley are owned by a single person, giving Baxter "greater than two thirds" of the affected property interest needed to file for vacation. Staff also reported that the local utility identified an overhead wire and asked that a public utility easement be reserved if the alley is vacated. "SCTC did say that they have a wire that serves First Avenue there so that they would require an easement," staff said during the hearing.
Commissioners asked whether property owners use the alley for access and whether gates or other arrangements would be needed if the alley were closed. Baxter said he has discussed fencing and a surveyor would mark property lines before fencing. Staff recommended the commission include a public-utility easement in its recommendation and suggested marking utilities on the survey record before final action.
Commissioner Melissa Satkowski moved that the Planning Commission recommend that the City Council vacate the alley and adopt the draft order presented by staff; Commissioner Pete Bellas seconded. The commission called the question and the motion passed by voice vote; the recommendation will be forwarded to City Council for final action on June 16.
Staff also noted a prior code-enforcement contact near the site and said the city had sent notice to property owners adjacent to the alley. The commission discussed that similar alley vacations have occurred elsewhere in Stayton, and that utility access and easement language will be handled if the council approves the recommendation.
