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Proposal to buy easement for Westlake emergency access fails after residents oppose plan
Summary
A $7,500 proposal from Cochrane to prepare easement documents for an emergency exit from the Westlake subdivision failed after discussion; board members and residents debated whether Hawthorne access required additional easements and whether the board had approved earlier larger proposals.
The Board of Aldermen on Sept. 16 rejected a proposal to authorize $7,500 for Cochrane to prepare easement documents for an emergency access from the Westlake subdivision. The motion failed after discussion and a voice vote showed opposition.
Public Works Commissioner Bergman said the planned work was intended to provide a gated, rocked emergency exit—not a paved roadway—and said the city already has a 50‑foot right-of-way in the Hawthorne area used for emergency access. Bergman described the plan as "just gated, kinda rock it just as a mercy exit" to allow residents to exit in case the subdivision's primary entrance was blocked.
Some aldermen and residents recalled that an earlier, larger Cochrane proposal had been discussed and voted down; participants referenced figures in the $22,000–$27,000 range when describing the previous packet materials, but the board did not adopt that larger proposal at the Sept. 16 meeting. The $7,500 item was described by staff as a narrowed proposal limited to easement preparation for the Westlake emergency access only. After discussion, the board voted and the motion failed.
Commissioner Bergman said if the board later approves easement acquisition the city would install a gate, rock the access and add signage limiting the route to emergency use and one-way traffic; any additional paving or widening would be separate future decisions.
