Council affirms conditions on street vacation request; utilities to remain undisturbed, applicant given two years

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles City Council on Aug. 12 approved a street vacation request after council offices and the Bureau of Engineering clarified that telecommunications and utility easements would not be disturbed by the vacation.

Councilmember Nithya Raman said the Bureau of Engineering (BOE) report includes a standard condition requiring the applicant to make arrangements with franchise and utility agencies if facilities need to be removed. Raman told the council the utilities in question were actually outside the area to be vacated and that condition language protects access and infrastructure.

Why it matters: Street vacations can change vehicular and utility access and can affect neighbors’ access and service lines. The council’s restatement of the BOE condition preserves utility agency rights and provides a two-year period for the applicant to meet conditions before vacation proceedings would terminate.

Raman said that condition 8 in the BOE report “specifically states that arrangements must be made between the applicant and all franchises and utilities agencies for the removal of affected facilities if they need to” and that the language is standard. She added that if the applicant cannot execute the conditions within two years, the vacation proceedings may be terminated.

An applicant representative later addressed the council and thanked members and neighbors for the process and said they hoped the matter could move forward after months of review.

The council voted 14-0 to adopt the item after members confirmed the protections on utilities and the timeline for conditions.

Ending: Council members said their offices will continue to engage neighbors and departments if the project moves into discretionary permitting, where additional community input will be taken.