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Plan Commission backs partial Marion Road right-of-way vacation to support Mercury Marine parking expansion
Summary
The commission unanimously recommended vacating a triangular sliver of right-of-way on Marion Road — about 1,100 square feet — to allow a planned parking-lot expansion for Mercury Marine, while retaining city rights to maintain storm sewers located in the vacated area.
The Oshkosh Plan Commission on Feb. 19 adopted staff findings and recommended approving a partial right-of-way vacation on Marion Road to support a proposed parking expansion by Mercury Marine; the roll-call vote was 6-0.
Staff described the proposed vacation as a long triangular sliver about 183 feet long by up to 16 feet wide, totaling approximately 1,100 square feet. The area follows the back edge of the public sidewalk and will be attached to the lots to the south after vacation. A small section of city storm sewer lies within the proposed vacated area; staff noted that state statute permits municipalities to retain rights to active facilities located in vacated right of way, including rights of access, maintenance, replacement and relocation.
The parcel lies within the Marion Road–Pearl Avenue redevelopment area adopted in August 1998. Mercury Marine is in the design phase of a parking-lot expansion for its property at 505 Marion Road; the city on behalf of the Oshkosh Redevelopment Authority (RDA) plans to sell RDA lots and a portion of a city-owned lot to Mercury Marine and to combine parcels through a certified survey map as part of the project. Staff said the Department of Public Works reviewed the vacation and had no objections; staff recommended approval to clean up the right-of-way lines and allow the proposed site design to proceed.
Commissioners asked procedural questions about next steps and confirmed that site design and parcel consolidation would return for plan-commission review as necessary. One commissioner noted the city previously allowed parking-lot construction under an earlier agreement and that ownership transfer now will better secure improvements and landscaping.
There was no public comment. The commission adopted the staff recommendation to vacate the right of way; the motion carried 6-0.
Next steps include completing the vacation, preparing a certified survey map to combine parcels, and reviewing specific site plans for the parking-lot expansion and any required environmental or landscape mitigation measures.
