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Council approves homeowner’s request to close portion of utility easement in Covington Park
Summary
After staff review and utility-company input, the council approved a request from a homeowner to vacate the north 10 feet of a 20-foot utility easement at the rear of a Covington Park lot, following earlier, similar closings in the subdivision and discussion about PSO’s stance on platted easements.
The City Council on Feb. 3 voted to approve a request from Raymond Crow to close (vacate) the north 10 feet of a 20-foot utility easement on the rear of his Covington Park property. Staff reported prior similar easement closings in the subdivision and that public notification and the required public hearing had been completed.
Why it matters: Closing a portion of a platted utility easement can affect current and future utility access. Staff told the council that, although most franchise utilities had no objection, Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) expressed opposition at the corporate level and recommended keeping easements open for potential future use. Staff’s recommendation to deny the request was based on PSO’s input, but council chose to approve the closure after discussing previous similar closings and the fact that utilities were not located in the rear of the lot.
Details: The property owner said a pool and perimeter concrete exist outside the easement and that the requested closure would allow him to add a gazebo and other backyard amenities in an area otherwise constrained by front-yard utilities. The staff presentation included maps showing identical lots in nearby blocks where similar easements had been vacated previously.
Council action: A motion to close the north 10 feet of the subject 20-foot easement was moved and seconded and passed by roll call vote.
Next steps: The city will proceed with the ordinance process to finalize the partial vacate; because PSO had registered a corporate-level objection during the review process, the city clerk and legal staff noted the statutory process allows utility providers notice and potential recourse during vacation proceedings.
