The City Council received a public hearing presentation on April 10 for a developer’s application to vacate a section of East Ninth Street (60‑foot right‑of‑way) between Main Street and Virginia Avenue and to convert adjacent alley rights‑of‑way to utility and access easements.

Smith Engineering representative Scott Hicks and applicant representatives described the request as part of an infill development intended to reorganize traffic flow for an expanded vehicle dealership and to remove a street segment from the city’s pavement‑maintenance inventory. Hicks told the council the change would allow one‑way circulation for dealership customers, reduce city maintenance costs and permit redevelopment following flood damage to the area.

City engineering staff provided cost estimates associated with not repaving the street and recommended converting the alley to an easement while retaining a 20‑foot access corridor running from Main to Virginia for emergency access. Engineering staff also noted utility lines within the alleys and said the vacation would be conditioned on preserving utility easements and accommodating fire‑department vertical clearances.

During the hearing, city staff and councilors raised two process issues not settled at the Planning & Zoning hearing: (1) a newly adopted municipal ordinance requires a mayor/manager written determination that surplus real property is not needed for municipal purposes before conveyance, and (2) the ordinance also calls for an appraisal so the city knows the value of any property interest it would relinquish. The ordinance language was not in the applicant’s initial packet; staff said they had notified the applicant the Monday before the planning commission meeting and that the applicant had the option to continue the hearing but proceeded to P&Z.

Applicant representatives asked for a continuance to resolve those procedural items, obtain the appraisal and coordinate the mayor/manager determination; several councilors and staff recommended that path. Council did not vote to approve the vacation at the April meeting; the matter was continued to allow the applicant and staff time to meet the ordinance requirements and secure any necessary appraisals and written determinations.