Council grants developer access to use city easement for subdivision road

The Mount Pleasant City Council voted Aug. 26 to grant temporary use of a city-owned easement so a subdivision developer (identified in the meeting as Steve) can create a secondary access road to a new subdivision.

Steve told the council he has been working on the subdivision for about five years and needs the secondary access to meet county and city access requirements. He said the city holds a 66-foot right-of-way in the area but that fences and property-owner encroachments have narrowed usable width. Steve said he has arranged for resurvey work and would coordinate fence adjustments with adjacent owners.

Council members and staff discussed conditions for allowing roadway use of the easement: the city’s minimum road width for the access is 24 feet; the applicant will be expected to resurvey and provide a plan; encroachment issues with neighbors may require legal review; and the applicant is proposing to gravel and graveled access rather than paved city construction. Council members also noted that turning an easement into a road may increase future city maintenance obligations if the road becomes an adopted city street.

A motion to approve the request to use the city easement for road access was made and seconded; councilors approved the motion by roll call. Council conditioned the approval on a survey and on the applicant constructing an access meeting the city’s 24-foot minimum for roads. Council did not commit city funds to construct the road.

What’s next: Applicant to deliver a resurvey and a proposed road plan that meets the 24-foot minimum; staff to review impacts to the transportation master plan and future maintenance obligations.