Council leaves alley vacate request under discussion after resident opposition

The Davenport City Council Committee of the Whole left consideration of ordinance case R OW25-01 open after a resident opposed the proposed alley vacation.

Alderman Gripp presented the third consideration of ordinance case R OW25-01, a city request to vacate a portion of an alley right-of-way north of Locust Street between Bell Avenue and Double B Street. The council noted that the Plan & Zoning Commission recommended denial of the vacation.

Resident Sean Agan, of 828 Waverly Road, stepped to the lectern and said he “strongly oppose[d] the alley vacate,” urging the council to take his concerns into account. No other members of the public spoke on the item during the meeting.

Alderman Reimitz moved to place the two final-plat subdivision items on the consent agenda and to keep the alley vacate matter open for further discussion. The motion carried on a voice vote; the council did not act to vacate the alley and the item remains on the docket for future consideration.

Why it matters: Alley vacations change public access and maintenance responsibilities for adjacent properties and can affect nearby property owners and utilities. The Plan & Zoning Commission’s recommendation against the vacation signals staff- and commission-level concerns that the council may want to examine further before taking final action.

Next steps: The council did not set a new hearing date during the meeting; the item will remain on the council’s discussion list until a later meeting or until a sponsor moves it to the consent or regular agenda for final action.