Galveston council approves abandonment of Mechanic Street alley with Port of Galveston contingency

Galveston, June 26 — The Galveston City Council voted unanimously Thursday to approve abandoning three portions of right-of-way adjacent to property commonly known as 30330 First Street, with the approval conditioned on the Port of Galveston submitting and completing its own abandonment application.

Council members debated the item at length after testimony from the property owner’s attorney and questions about a long, complicated chain of title transfers. Councilwoman Rob moved to approve the abandonment “with the contingency of the port’s abandonment,” and Councilman Rollins seconded the motion. The motion passed on a unanimous vote of the council members present.

The matter drew extended comment from staff, the applicant’s attorney and neighbors. Development services staff said the item had been discussed at an earlier workshop and recommended deferring while the Port applied for abandonment of remaining portions. The city attorney, Donna Fairweather, told the council she will provide a written history and legal report tracing how the incorrect deed was recorded and how staff and other departments have worked to correct the record.

Mark Hill, the applicant’s attorney, described a multi-year title problem and urged the council to approve the abandonment so his client could move forward. “The wheels of justice grind slowly, but they grind fine,” Hill said, adding that he had worked with city staff and the fire marshal to address safety and access concerns. Hill also said he had received a written commitment from the Port of Galveston that the wharf board intended to file its own abandonment application.

Several council members said they were uncomfortable approving an abandonment that could create a public-safety issue if the Port did not follow through. Councilman Rollins and others pressed staff and legal on the timeline and on why the council had not been notified earlier when a deed was incorrectly recorded and later rescinded. Fairweather said city departments — development services, legal, public works and the wharves board — have spent months reviewing records and correcting the land records; she will deliver a fuller report to council documenting the chain of title and steps taken.

A resident, Rosalind Jackson, spoke during public comment to ask whether the southern portion of the alley near her property would be affected; staff and the mayor clarified that the portions before council were adjacent to the applicant’s property and did not directly affect Jackson’s southern lot.

Under the condition the council approved, the Port of Galveston must submit its abandonment application and follow the same public-notice and review process used for other abandonments. City staff said a typical abandonment application to a council hearing takes roughly two months from application completion. The council directed staff to return any related items and the attorney’s report to a future agenda so members can review the full history and corrections to the public record.

The council’s approval does not itself transfer title; it authorizes abandonment of the right-of-way by ordinance, subject to the contingency. Fairweather said any follow-up — including lifting or modifying the contingency — would be brought back to council as a new agenda item.