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Staff recommends vacating 736 sq ft public right-of-way next to West End Presbyterian Church
Summary
City staff told council a 736-square-foot public right-of-way adjoining parcels at 319 Maryland Avenue (Ward 2, R-2 zoning) can be vacated without interfering with utility easements; staff recommended approval at the work session.
City planning staff presented a right-of-way vacation request for a small public strip adjacent to 319 Maryland Avenue and recommended council approve the vacation, saying no utilities or stormwater easements would be affected.
Planning staff (identified in the meeting as Mr. Ward) said the right-of-way in question is enclosed between parcel IDs 0240510 and 0240430, is roughly 736 square feet, lies in Ward 2 and is zoned R-2. Ward said City departments — including public works, water renewal and stormwater — found no utilities or easements within the right-of-way, and staff saw no likely future municipal use for the dead-end piece.
The applicant named in the presentation was West End Presbyterian Church of Hopewell; an aerial image shown to council highlighted the right-of-way area in red. Staff said vacating the parcel would remove an obstacle to the church’s ability to expand on its adjacent property.
Why it matters: Right-of-way vacations transfer control of public land and can enable private development or expansion; staff recommended approval on the basis there were no utilities affected and no likely public need for the dead-end strip. No formal council vote was recorded on the request during the work session; staff said the matter was being circulated to departments and the item would return to the council for final action.
No motion or vote was taken at the work session; staff recommended approval and asked council for questions.
