The City of Grand Junction Planning Commission voted unanimously July 8 to forward a recommendation to City Council to vacate 4,000 square feet of a 20-foot alley right-of-way between Riverside Parkway and West Main Street, while keeping portions as easements.

City principal planner Daniella Agusta Stein presented the city’s request, saying the westernmost 190 feet of the alley would be retained as a utility easement and the easternmost 10 feet as a multipurpose easement to preserve infrastructure access. "The request involves an alley right of way located between West Main Street and Riverside Parkway," Stein told commissioners, describing maps and staff findings that the application met code criteria.

The action matters because the alley runs adjacent to the Dual Immersion Academy campus and several vacant school-district lots; vacating the public right-of-way would transfer ownership of the vacated strip while preserving utility and access where staff judged necessary. Stein said the request conforms with section 21.02.050 of the zoning and development code and recommended approval with conditions listed in the staff report.

There were no public commenters for the item. A commissioner moved that the Planning Commission forward a recommendation of approval to City Council, referencing city file VAC-2025-203 and the findings and conditions in the staff report. The motion passed 7–0.

The commission’s recommendation will go to City Council for a final decision. If council approves the vacation, the recorded ordinance and retained easements will define future maintenance and access responsibilities for the parcels adjoining the vacated alley.

Details recorded in the staff exhibits included the legal description and sketch of the vacated area, a neighborhood meeting summary, and the general project report. The staff presentation noted the alley is east of Dual Immersion Academy and north of vacant district-owned lots; staff judged no remaining public operational need existed for the full alley footprint and therefore recommended the partial vacation with retained easements.