Council refers Cliff Street partial street-closing back to staff after connectivity concerns

A proposal to permanently close a 402-linear-foot portion of Cliff Street between Blunt Street and Rosedale Avenue was referred back to city staff for further analysis after planning staff and council members flagged a possible loss of public connectivity to the planned Rockwood Trail.

Planning staff told the council the segment proposed for closure is unimproved, heavily wooded and not maintained by the city. If approved, the 19,965-square-foot (0.46-acre) right-of-way would be recombined with the adjacent parcel at 1700 Cliff Street to create a roughly 1.5-acre lot intended for future development; the applicant says plans would include a single-family residence and flexibility for accessory dwelling units in the future.

The referral followed questions from council members about whether the right-of-way had been inspected as part of the city’s paper-streets review and whether the council could preserve a pedestrian easement for future trail connections. Beau Dobrzynski, assistant director in planning, said the paper-street inventory had not studied this particular stretch in depth but that the dedicated right-of-way “does appear to be an opportunity where the existing dedicated right-of-way would connect to a trail and provide additional connections.” The staff report also noted an advisory bike-pedestrian comment warning the closure “may limit access to future Rockwood Trail and thereby does not conform with the comprehensive plan, transportation policy 57.”

The applicant, Eric Hamilton, told council the segment terminates in heavily wooded land and does not provide frontage for existing lots; he argued the recombination would create a more buildable 150-by-400-foot lot with “far greater development flexibility.” Hamilton also said the planned Rockwood Trail would still be reachable from other nearby streets, and he said his property would not block trail access entirely.

After discussion the council voted to refer the matter back to staff for further coordination with the applicant and transportation planners, and to return the case to council on Oct. 20. The public hearing was left open so staff can report back; if the applicant wishes to alter the petition (for example, vacating a smaller portion of the right-of-way), staff said an amended petition could be reviewed on an expedited schedule.

The council’s referral was procedural rather than a determination on the closure’s merits; staff emphasized that the statutory basis for the street-closing petition is North Carolina General Statutes relating to dedicated rights-of-way and street closings.

Looking ahead, staff said it will analyze whether the closure could be adjusted to preserve pedestrian connectivity for a future Rockwood Trail alignment and will return with recommended language and a schedule for council consideration on Oct. 20.