Planning Commission reopens alley-vacation request as county staff weigh withdrawing application

The City of Findlay Planning Commission on Feb. 13 voted to untable application AV062024, filed by the Hancock County Commissioners to vacate the eastern 200 linear feet of an east–west alley between South Croix (Corey) Street and the north–south alley between West Main Cross and Crawford Street.

Commission members said the application should be reconsidered in light of separate discussions about limiting public access on Corey Street. County and city safety staff told the commission that ongoing traffic-commission conversations and multi-agency talks about potential changes to Corey Street—e.g., restricted access or a trial closure—affect the alley's future use and suggested the applicant withdraw the vacation request until those discussions are resolved.

County and safety-service representatives described a proposal discussed at the traffic commission to keep the alley open generally for safety-service access but to install a movable gate on the alley's west side to create a secure passage for inmate transport between the jail and the judicial building when needed. They said the gate could be closed at certain times for security and opened otherwise to allow access for Findlay Police and other safety-service agencies.

City engineering staff agreed the character of the area would change depending on whether Cory/Corey Street (transcript uses both spellings) were closed to public traffic; a permanent closure could make a gate effectively closed during the day, which would reduce public access regardless of whether the alley had been vacated. Engineering staff suggested the county consider withdrawing the vacation application and resubmitting later if and when decisions about Corey Street become final, noting that denial would more permanently bar future reapplication.

No formal vote to withdraw AV062024 was recorded in the transcript. The commission had earlier approved a motion to untable the application and then conducted the discussion. The transcript records the untable motion being made and seconded and the chair stating that the item was back on the agenda, but no roll-call tally for the untable appeared in the record.

The commission and county representatives agreed to continue interagency communication. County staff said they would coordinate with safety services and other agencies and consider withdrawing the application to give time for the Corey Street discussions to conclude.

The commission took no final action to vacate the alley during the Feb. 13 meeting; the item remains off a permanent decision pending further interagency coordination or a possible withdrawal and future resubmittal by Hancock County.

For reference: agenda item AV062024 (Hancock County Commissioners), discussion occurred during the commission's old-business portion and concluded with direction to continue coordination among the county, safety services and city staff.