Council approves city‑owned right‑of‑way vacation after hearing neighbor concerns about notice

The Wichita City Council approved a vacation order on consent (item 19) for a portion of right‑of‑way that petitioners sought to acquire from the city, following staff explanation of notification procedures and a public comment from a nearby resident.

Scott (last name not provided in the packet presentation), planning staff, said the case involves an older grid neighborhood where a short street functions as a cul‑de‑sac and is effectively used as private driveway by the adjoining property owner. The land to the north of the street is city‑owned undeveloped land between the houses and the river; staff said there are multiple access points to that city land and that the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission (MAPC) subdivision committee and MAPC reviewed the vacation and recommended approval.

Stephanie Pittman of 2828 North Wild Rose Court spoke during public comment to ask why the item had not been sent to the District Advisory Board (DAB) for additional neighborhood input and raised transparency concerns about vacations that permanently remove public land. “If we don't know that this is even an option…this is the loss of public land, of green space, or of a right that individuals care about,” Pittman said, asking for DAB involvement for similar future actions. Staff responded that notification letters are mailed to abutting property owners and that signs are posted for vacation cases; staff said the city typically does not take vacations to DABs unless requested or if other departments raise concerns.

Councilmember Maggie Ballard (identified in the packet as the district member) moved to follow the MAPC recommendation and approve the vacation order; the motion passed 6‑0. Staff said notifications were sent to adjacent property owners and no objections were received in writing; that would have been noted in the staff report if present.

The council approved the vacation order on the consent agenda after the pull for discussion; staff noted parks and other departments reviewed the request and raised no objections in this case. Staff also said vacations historically revert additional right‑of‑way to adjacent property owners because original right‑of‑way was typically acquired from adjoining properties.

The resident speaker requested the council reconsider routing similar future vacations through DABs to ensure broader neighborhood notice and comment; staff said they would follow established notification practices and that more intensive review can be prompted if neighbors request it during the MAPC/subdivision review process.