Commission recommends council vacate East Ninth Street and nearby alleys to support Roswell Ford redevelopment, with legal and utility caveats

The Roswell Planning and Zoning Commission voted Tuesday to recommend that City Council approve a vacation of East Ninth Street (a 60-foot right-of-way) and adjacent north/south alleys between Eighth and South of Tenth streets so the land can be converted into utility and reciprocal access easements and used for infill redevelopment by Roswell Ford. The recommendation passed by roll call, 5-1; Commissioner Alicia Gilmore cast the lone no vote.

The proposal (case VAC-25-0007) would reallocate right-of-way acreage to adjacent properties — Smith Engineering's submittal shows 40 feet to the north properties and 20 feet to the south — and convert alley rights-of-way to easements (the applicant has proposed 25-foot public utility and reciprocal access easements). The applicant and agents present included Scott Hicks of Smith Engineering, contractor Toby Gross and owner Tom Crumlin of the Crumlin Auto Group; the applicant said the change would remove a conflict point where service traffic and pedestrians meet current on-street operations and would permit a redesigned service lane and building improvements on the site.

Staff…