Urban Transportation Commission objects to vacation of Sayers Street at 1114 West Fifth Street after property owners raise access concerns

After public comment from affected property owners on Feb. 4, the Urban Transportation Commission recommended that the City Council not approve a right‑of‑way vacation request for a portion of Sayers Street adjacent to 1114 West Fifth Street.

What the commission considered

The vacation application, submitted by Anchor Equities, requested that the city vacate a 40‑foot‑wide segment of Sayers Street (about 4,516 square feet total). City staff said the city would retain a drainage easement and a public utility easement across the entire vacation area. Transportation/Public Works staff noted there was no active site plan tied to the vacation at the time staff began processing the application and that development proposals in the vicinity had been submitted subsequently.

Public testimony and applicant response

Steven Griffith and Eleanor Hulsey (representing property interests at 503 and 505 Wall Street and a proposed Manifold development at Sixth and Wall) told the commission they and their tenants rely on Sayers Street for warehouse access, loading and a practical slope into underground parking. They said a prior tenant uses the street for large tractor‑trailer deliveries; they also said their 503/505 parcels were purchased in part because rear access via Sayers existed and that future development plans rely on that access.

Michelle Smith, representing Anchor Equities (the vacation applicant), said the right of way is a 40‑foot paved area that historically has primarily benefited the adjacent retail parcels Anchor owns. Smith said Anchor is prepared to grant a temporary access easement so existing tenants can continue deliveries while parties work on a longer‑term arrangement, and that the 40‑foot strip is intended to be turned into private property maintained by the applicant.

Commission discussion and vote

Commissioners pressed both sides about current uses, the sequencing of the vacation application versus the site‑plan submittal for the neighboring development, and the public benefit of vacating an active urban right of way. Several commissioners said the request raised unresolved questions about how the vacation would affect loading, underground parking access, utility placement and trash collection for nearby sites.

Commissioner Schumacher moved to object to the vacation; the motion was seconded. The commission voted to object to the right‑of‑way vacation. Chair Summers called for recorded votes; all commissioners present voted in favor of the objection except Commissioner Buffo, who abstained. City staff noted that the applicant may reapply in the future and that the city will retain drainage and public‑utility easements even if a vacation is later approved.

Why the commission objected

Commissioners cited active use of the right of way by adjacent tenants, the presence of loading and utility needs that rely on Sayers Street, and the timing of submissions (staff received the vacation application before the neighboring site plan had been finalized) as reasons to keep the City’s control of the public right of way until access impacts and the site plan are resolved.

Next steps

The recommendation to object will be included in the commission’s record to City Council. Staff said Anchor Equities may submit a future application if circumstances change; staff also said the city’s appraisal and required processing will continue for the current application. The city will retain drainage and public‑utility easements over the vacated area if the vacation proceeds.