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Hendrick Medical Center withdraws Hickory portion of proposed street abandonment; council approves closure of North 20 First segment
Summary
Hendrick Medical Center sought to abandon portions of North 20 First Street to support campus expansion. The applicant withdrew the Hickory Street portion to work with staff and the fire marshal; council approved the remaining abandonment with conditions including utility easements and a revised drainage plan.
The Abilene City Council approved the abandonment of certain portions of North 20 First Street related to a Hendrick Medical Center project, while the applicant withdrew a separate request to abandon a portion of Hickory Street so staff and the fire marshal could address safety concerns.
Tim Littlejohn, director of Planning and Development, presented the case (Closure 2025-01) and said the applicant removed the Hickory Street portion from the request after staff and the fire marshal raised concerns. Littlejohn outlined the recommended conditions: right-of-way and adjoining property must be platted to city standards, grant or relocate easements for existing utilities at the applicant's expense, public improvements must meet city standards, a revised drainage plan must be provided to public works, a maintenance agreement is required for any island, and fire marshal approval is required for emergency-vehicle access. The project will proceed through the Development Review Committee process.
Brad Benham of Hendrick Health told the council the hospital sees about a thousand people cross Hickory Street during shift changes and said the applicant's intent is to improve safety, slow and control traffic, and coordinate with neighbors. Benham said Hendrick plans to hold a town hall for nearby residents to present options and gather feedback. Council members and staff thanked the applicant for working with neighbors and reiterated that the Hickory portion would be addressed separately.
Council discussion included the possibility of traffic-calming measures such as a stop sign on the block as a near-term safety step while the applicant and staff develop a longer-term plan. The motion to approve the revised abandonment application for North 20 First Street passed unanimously.
The approval includes the staff conditions and requires final platting, utility easements or relocations at the applicant's expense, a revised drainage plan, maintenance agreements, and fire marshal sign-off before final acceptance.
