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Council clears vacation and conveyance of 0.22-acre Hope Drive remnant; viewers committee named
Summary
Winchester City Council approved moving forward on vacating and conveying a 0.22-acre remnant of Hope Drive to adjacent developer, with conditions including preservation as green space and retention of easements; a viewers committee was appointed to inspect the site and report back.
Winchester City Council voted on Tuesday to proceed with an ordinance to vacate and convey an approximately 0.22-acre portion of Hope Drive, a remnant created when the road was realigned. Council also appointed an on-site viewers committee to inspect the property and report back.
The parcel sits behind the Wells Fargo property along Valley Avenue and adjoins the Ward Plaza development site, staff said. Planning and site exhibits shown to council indicated the remnant could be tied into the developer’s townhouse portion of Ward Plaza and maintained as additional green space.
Why it matters: Conveying unused right-of-way to adjacent property owners is a common municipal process but can permanently remove public land from the right-of-way inventory. Council conditioned the proposed conveyance on retention of required public utility easements and a deed restriction that would limit future land use to green space, passive or active recreation only.
What staff and council said David Stewart, presenting the item, described the area as a remnant from a realignment of Hope Drive and showed an exhibit from the Ward Plaza site plan that shaded the conveyance area in green. Planning staff told council the parcel contains significant public-utility easements that encumber parts of the site but that some portions could be improved for small amenities if conveyed.
Council moved to approve the ordinance with conditions that include preserving public-utility easements, administrative approval of a minor subdivision consolidation plan and a deed restriction limiting future use to green space, with or without recreational use. Council then appointed Chief Lewis, Chief Savage and Gary Eisenach as the viewers committee to inspect the site and prepare a report for the next council meeting.
What the vote did and next steps Council’s action advances the ordinance; staff said the item will return for a subsequent reading along with the viewers committee report. If conveyed, the developer would be responsible for maintenance and any future improvements, subject to retained easements and the recorded deed restriction.
