Grand Forks panel vacates bikeway easement near Bethesda Circle after heated public comment

The Grand Forks Planning and Zoning Commission voted to vacate two bikeway and two sidewalk easements behind Bethesda Circle, concluding a months‑long review of a gravel path that runs along the English Coulee.

The easement vacation was proposed after residents and the property owner requested removal of a gravel pedestrian path that dates to the neighborhood’s original plat. Planning staff presented the request and said the path was installed as a marker of a planned connection; staff noted it had not been paved or fully completed. "We received the request to vacate this path," planning staff said during the meeting. "That's what's before you today." (planning staff, first reference)

Why it mattered: Neighbors who live on Bethesda Circle said the unpaved path runs just feet from back doors and bedroom windows and has created safety and privacy concerns. "Security is of an utmost concern for them," resident Terry Doolum told the commission, saying many residents are…