Centerville council approves vacation of north Rolling Hills Drive right-of-way with conditions

City staff presented a public hearing and recommendation to approve a public-street and right-of-way vacation at the north end of Rolling Hills Drive, near 350 East, and the council voted unanimously to approve the request with conditions.

Mike (city staff) summarized the proposal and notification process: the applicant, Intellis Engineering, and property owner Mark Leon (participating by Zoom) requested the vacation in tandem with a minor subdivision application for the Jensen property. Mike said the shaded curved area at the top of Rolling Hills is the portion proposed for vacation and that staff recommended approval with conditions that must be completed before final recording. He told the council the city requested the vacation to address stormwater, mud and gravel flowing onto Rolling Hills Drive, and to create a more practical turnaround for snowplows and city maintenance vehicles. "City staff are of the opinion that vacating the public street and right away easement will [assist] future recording of the proposed Rolling Hills Subdivision plat...and there is good cause for the requested street and right away vacation," Mike said.

Scott Argyle, representing the applicant, told the council the project had not originally included the vacation but that the city "strongly encouraged" it to solve maintenance and access issues. The owner, Mark Leon, participated online.

Staff told the council that utility providers were notified as required by state code and that the South Davis Sewer District requested an easement be included for an existing sewer or storm drain box; staff recommended including that easement as a condition. Mike also said the vacation could not be finalized until the subdivision plat was fully reviewed and recorded.

Council members asked questions about access to Firebreak Road, slope and developability of upper parcels, and whether vacating the right-of-way would remove informal public access to Firebreak Road. Mike and staff explained Firebreak Road access crosses multiple private parcels and existing utility and easement arrangements (including a Weaver Basin easement) would continue to allow emergency and utility access; staff also said the vacation would improve public-works maintenance in wet weather.

A motion to approve the right-of-way vacation with the conditions listed in the staff report carried unanimously. The council did not specify any monetary consideration for the right-of-way; city staff noted that, under the relevant property law for typical public-rights-of-way vacations, a remnant can revert to adjacent private ownership rather than creating a fee obligation to the city. The approval included the staff-recommended condition that the vacation documents be coordinated with the final subdivision plat and recorded only when the plat is ready for recording.

Council members said they would continue discussions if neighboring access to Firebreak Road or deeding of remnant parcels became issues, and staff indicated it would work with the applicant and impacted utilities on the sewer easement request.