Salina OKs vacation of small utility easement to allow detached garage at 2014 Ruskin Road

The Salina City Commission on Oct. 27 adopted Ordinance No. 25-11262 to vacate a 7-foot-by-20-foot portion of a platted utility easement at 2014 Ruskin Road to enable a detached garage to be built closer to the west property line.

Dustin Michaelson, with Community and Development Services, told the commission the petition was filed by Charles Poor and that Claremont Heights was platted in 1957 with multiple rear and side-yard utility easements. Michaelson said the owners applied in June 2025 for a detached accessory-structure permit and located the proposed garage near the southwest corner of the lot so driveway and vehicle access would function; shifting the garage east or south was impractical given the shallow backyard. He said the proposed location would encroach two feet into the platted easement but staff coordinated with local public and franchise utilities and “none of them report having any existing utilities in the easement area that’s proposed to be vacated,” and they had no objections to the vacation.

Michaelson outlined approval options and recommended the commission consider the ordinance before it. No members of the public objected during the hearing. A commissioner moved to approve the ordinance and the commission recorded a 5-0 roll-call vote in favor; the motion carried.

The ordinance vacates only the identified 7-by-20-foot segment of the easement and, according to staff, the portion proposed to be vacated lies entirely within the petitioner’s lot. The staff report noted the easement serves no known public purpose because no utilities were reported in that span.

Ordinance No. 25-11262 was approved during the public hearing; the record does not specify an effective date.