Salina planning commission approves Frazier Brothers replat, vacates access easement

The Salina City Planning Commission on July 15 approved application P 25‑22a, a replat filed by Mike and Mark Frazier that creates four zoning lots (the “Frazier Brothers Addition”) for properties along York Avenue and Francis, and includes vacating a 24‑foot access easement on the site. The commission voted by voice to approve the plat; no public comments were offered during the meeting.

The replat separates three existing buildings into individual zoning lots and creates a fourth lot for future development. Dustin, city planning staff who presented the report, said the site is zoned I‑3 (heavy industrial) and lies within the city’s employment‑hub industrial land use classification. He told the commission that the proposal does not include changes to water, sewer or storm infrastructure and that the configuration supports future property transactions.

Staff noted key technical details: the site fronts York Avenue to the north and Ohio Street to the east; three existing buildings are addressed 1018 York Avenue (constructed 1961, roughly 4,000 square feet), 1012 York Avenue (constructed 1982, roughly 3,000 square feet) and 1002 York Avenue (constructed 2018, about 5,000 square feet). Lot areas as described by staff are: Lot 1 (serving 1018 York) about 17,000 square feet; Lot 2 about 11,000 square feet; Lot 3 about 16,600 square feet; and Lot 4 (vacant parcel accessed from Francis) about 16,000 square feet. Utilities noted in the staff report include 6‑inch water lines on York and Francis, 8‑inch sanitary sewer in Francis and York, and a 48‑inch storm drain in Ohio Street. Staff said no new public infrastructure is proposed.

Dustin also explained one nonconforming condition: 1018 York has a preexisting front‑yard setback of 10 feet from the property line, while the current I‑3 setback requirement is 25 feet. He said the replat preserves the existing development pattern and would allow each building to be associated with its own zoning lot for sale or financing.

A commissioner asked about the effects of vacating the existing access easement. Dustin explained that an access easement reserves a narrow set of rights for another property owner and can limit development because structures cannot be built over the easement. He said the applicant proposes to vacate the 24‑foot access easement on the east end because access to the rear parcels will be provided from Francis instead of York, making the easement unnecessary.

Mark Frazier, with Frazier Brothers Point and Contracting, told the commission the easement originally had been created to give a neighboring owner access to the rear parcel; he said he later bought the rear property and sold a portion to a third party, and that the easement no longer serves other property owners. “That easement … when I originally bought part of that property, Lonnie Wilson put that in there because he owned the property in the rear,” Frazier said. “I ended up buying all the property from Chuck Henry that was behind me … there’s no reason for access to that anymore.”

Commissioners moved and seconded the staff recommendation to approve the plat as presented. The commission approved the replat by voice vote; no roll‑call vote or recorded tally of individual votes was stated in the meeting record. Staff presented postponement and denial as procedural alternatives but did not recommend them.

The approved plat will realign parcels so each structure sits on its own zoning lot and establishes a fourth lot for future development off Francis. The approval preserved the existing 40‑foot right‑of‑way for York Avenue rather than dedicating additional right‑of‑way, a decision staff said was necessary because several buildings are sited close to York and additional dedication would have encroached on existing structures. The commission provided no additional conditions on the record and there were no public objections at the meeting.