Preston council approves ordinance vacating portion of First South between Fourth and Sixth West

The Preston City Council voted to vacate a portion of a future right-of-way shown on the city's major street plan, approving Ordinance 2025-1 to remove the proposed continuation of First South between Fourth and Sixth West.

The ordinance was introduced, the council waived readings on three separate days, and after a roll-call the council approved the ordinance. Mayor (name not specified) and city staff had opened a public hearing before the vote; the only written public comment on file supported the vacation.

Applicant Craig Thomas told the council he originally owned roughly 12 acres including the parcel at issue and that he had sold the western portion to the county eight years earlier. "I still own about 2 acres on the east end of that, which my son-in-law and daughter want to build a house on that," Thomas said during the hearing. He told the council the existing county use of the adjacent land effectively prevents the planned road extension and described the vacation as a formality for his future building plans.

Sean Alverson, the city's director of city planning, summarized the city's review. He said that while the council generally avoids removing streets from the major street plan because of long-term connectivity concerns, "in this particular area I don't necessarily find that to be the case." Alverson explained the likely routing conflicts with an existing home and county equipment yard and noted alternative access options that could serve nearby parcels.

City Attorney Lyle Fuller explained the legal backdrop: normally a development that triggers a street extension would require the developer to build the road, and the city could use eminent domain to acquire property if it truly needed the right-of-way. Fuller said that, given the presence of an existing house on the alignment, the city was unlikely to exercise eminent domain to force the extension.

Only one written public comment was read into the record, from Robert Koren of 760 South First East, who said he supported the vacation and suggested vacating additional segments of 100 South as a cleanup to the comprehensive road plan.

After a brief period for questions and without in-person speakers opposing the vacation, the council closed the public hearing and moved forward with ordinance action. The city clerk read a summary of Ordinance 2025-1, and the council approved it in a roll-call vote. The council recorded that Councilman Tom Thomas recused himself from the item and Councilman Terry Larson was absent for the meeting.

The ordinance takes the future continuation of First South off the city's major street plan for the stretch west approximately two blocks from its present stopping point at 400 West; the ordinance summary and effective date were read once and placed on the record.