Board advances Ashland University request to vacate Jefferson Street to city council after extended debate

The Board of Revision and Assessment voted Feb. 18 to forward Ashland University’s petition to vacate Jefferson Street to the Ashland City Council for final consideration, after more than two hours of public comment and testimony from university officials, nearby business representatives and property owners.

The move does not immediately change the street’s status but sets the item for council action on March 18. The board said it wants additional traffic and business-impact information from interested parties before the council decides.

The university’s representative, Rick Ewing, described the proposal as “largely driven by student safety,” citing heavy pedestrian crossings at the Jefferson–Claremont intersection and saying the university plans to convert the portion of Jefferson between the convocation parking lots and Broad Street into controlled access serving campus parking and the Burger King property. Ewing said the university would maintain the vacated section and grant a permanent access easement for the Burger King parcel so the roadway would continue to provide driveway access to that site.

Burger King’s local manager, Mindy Sheriff, and representatives for the property owner warned that restricting access could…