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Eureka council begins formal process to vacate and swap Jarvis Street after resident petition
Summary
A Eureka resident asked the council to accept a surveyed relocation of Jarvis Street; the city attorney said state law requires a road‑vacation process including public notice, a council vote and title work; council agreed to prepare the required steps and consider the matter at upcoming hearings.
Mayor Tony Deaver and the Eureka City Council reopened the Aug. 11 meeting to hear a resident request to formalize a decades‑old, de facto change to Jarvis Street.
Resident Paulette Carpenter and a neighboring property owner asked the city to recognize a surveyed relocation of the alley that has been used informally for years. “We just need to know what’s our next step to get this get the city to accept this the road as being over here instead of in where it is,” the resident said during public comment.
The city attorney told the council that a formal vacation process is required when a city gives up ownership of a public street. “When a city owns a road, they have to go through a vacation process,” the attorney said. “A city council has to have a vote, and they have to have a public hearing to vacate the existing road… If it’s a swap, there will probably have to be some title work.”
Council members confirmed the survey markers are in place and the property owner is willing to dedicate the new alignment to the city, but several officials stressed the procedure is more than a planning commission item. The city attorney said staff will prepare a list of steps, including notice requirements (at least a 10‑day notice and possibly 14 days because this involves vacating a public street), and provide the mayor, council and property owners with the timeline.
Scott Pugh, a council member, said the change appears noncontroversial and mainly affects the two property owners involved, but acknowledged the council must follow state‑mandated steps before a final decision. The council asked staff to put the item on the Planning & Zoning and council agendas to schedule the required public hearing.
Next steps: staff will compile the vacation process steps and required documents, confirm notice windows, and work with the property owner to complete any title work; the council indicated it aims to discuss the item at the planning commission/public hearing cycle in late August.
