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Applicant and city seek vacation of Pine Ridge Trace environmental preservation area; applicant's reading set for April
Summary
Two related vacation ordinances for an environmental preservation area in Pine Ridge Trace were presented March 3 — one filed by an affected homeowner and one initiated by the city to clear a larger tract that staff said many neighbors had encroached on.
Two related public‑right‑of‑way vacation ordinances concerning an environmental preservation area in the Pine Ridge Trace subdivision were before council March 3: one filed by a private property owner and one advanced by the city seeking to vacate the larger area.
Applicant’s case: Attorney Jeff Burns represented Amanda Belcher, the owner of a townhome that has included a fenced area and a shed on what city records show as an environmental preservation right-of-way. Burns said the owner first used the area in the 1990s and only learned of the right-of-way designation when code enforcement noticed encroachments in 2023. Burns described the structures and permitted utility work to a shed that was previously inspected and permitted.
City-initiated ordinance: City staff explained the broader ordinance would vacate the larger preservation tract shown on the Pirates Trace plat; staff said many adjacent properties had encroachments and that the city weighed whether to pursue widespread code enforcement or a vacation of the right-of-way.
Votes and schedule: The applicant’s ordinance passed first reading with a 5‑0 vote (two council members abstained for conflicts). The applicant and counsel requested second reading be scheduled for the council’s April meeting because both the applicant and counsel have conflicts that prevent attendance on the March 17 meeting; staff agreed to advertise second reading in April. The city-initiated ordinance was also presented and recommended for first-reading approval by staff and the Local Planning Agency with a note to check airport interests; council moved the item forward on first reading.
Why it matters: Vacating the environmental preservation designation transfers title by operation of law to the adjoining landowners and resolves long‑standing encroachment and permitting issues for owners who have relied on the use for decades. The city must balance property‑title technicalities, the land‑use record on plats, and airport buffer considerations raised by the airport staff.
Ending: Council scheduled the applicant’s second reading for the first April meeting and asked staff to coordinate notices and any airport comment prior to final action.
