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Council hears three street/easement vacation requests tied to Gonzaga, Trinity and a tribal project; staff flag utility and access conditions
Summary
City staff described three easement‑release and right‑of‑way vacation requests: a partial release to let Gonzaga expand, a proposed vacation adjacent to Trinity School that raised connectivity concerns and a Tribal project alley vacation that requires a wider sewer easement to preserve a 30‑inch clay tile line.
City public‑works staff presented three related agenda items that would modify existing easements and rights of way to accommodate campus and redevelopment projects. Gonzaga easements: Staff said previous vacations had reserved utility easements along Boone and Dakota and that Gonzaga University requested a further reduction — about 17.5 feet on each side of a prior reservation — to allow campus expansion, including parking. Staff said utility purveyors (Lumen, Vista and city utilities) concurred with the requested adjustments. Trinity School alley vacation: Staff described a petition signed by property owners (including the school) to vacate an alley between Montgomery and Cedar next to Trinity. Staff said the alley contains an active sewer and that they recommended conditions if council approved the vacation. Staff also said vacating it would remove a vehicular and pedestrian link and recommended exploring pedestrian and bike access options if the council moves forward. Staff estimated closure-related costs (engineering, conditions) at about $115,000 and noted that the council has discretion on cost allocations. Tribal project alley and 30‑inch clay‑tile sewer: Staff said the tribal‑project request would vacate the east 250 feet of an alley between Elm and Oak. A 30‑inch clay‑tile sewer runs down that alley; wastewater staff recommended adding about 14 feet to the easement width to enable maintenance, operation and access. Staff said wastewater typically disfavors vacating alleys with a sewer that large, but the department worked with the applicant on conditions (24/7 access or gated access with emergency entry, owner responsibilities for surface restoration after maintenance) to make a vacation feasible. Next steps and conditions: Staff said all three items included recommended conditions — utility easements, engineering and access terms — and that each item would return to council as ordinances for final action. Council members asked for more detailed conditions in the staff report, and public‑works staff said they would provide a refined set of recommended conditions and cost responsibilities when the ordinances come back for action.
