Commission recommends approval of Mahogany Ridge plat amendment and public‑utility‑easement vacation

Scott (city staff) described a proposed plat amendment to combine two adjacent lots in the Mahogany Ridge subdivision (phase 5 and phase 6) and to vacate a public utility easement along the shared property line. Scott said the two lots are both owned by the same property owner, listed in staff materials as Lot 3665 and addressed at 3512 Pinion Circle and 1882 Sundancer Loop; the combined area is roughly 1.03 acres.

Scott explained that when a plat is amended and an easement vacation is requested, state code requires notice to affected utilities and potentially affected adjacent property owners; the city mails notices to utility providers (Dominion Energy/Enbridge, cable/fiber providers, etc.). Scott said the mapped utility facilities (water, sewer, fire hydrant stub) do not exist inside the easement to be vacated and that private utilities along the front yards provide service to the lots. He stated that state code requires two findings for vacation: that good cause exists and that neither the public interest nor a person would be materially injured by the vacation; Scott said those findings were straightforward in this case.

Commission members discussed the differences between a lot line adjustment and a plat amendment, and Scott reminded the commission that because the lots are in different phases of the recorded subdivision the request must be processed as a plat amendment with public hearing (City Council will hold the hearing on the vacation). Scott also noted that if a proposed plat amendment affects only property owned by the applicant, some notifications and public‑hearing steps differ, but the vacation still triggers City Council legislative action.

Commission member Porter moved and Gavin seconded a motion to forward a positive recommendation to the City Council on the proposed plat amendment and associated public utility easement vacation, including staff findings and conditions. The commission approved the motion by voice vote. Scott said that if the commission forwards a positive recommendation the item would likely appear on the City Council agenda on May 14 for final action on the easement vacation.