Council backs alley vacation by Gonzaga Prep with conditions to protect utilities and access

City staff briefed Spokane City Council Dec. 1 on a petition to vacate an alley adjacent to Gonzaga Preparatory School and recommended approval with conditions to preserve utilities and access.

Eldon Brown told the council the alley sits across from the water department near North Foothill Drive and is adjacent to Gonzaga Prep play fields. Brown said "lot of criminal activity in that alley, so they would like to actually vacate it," and that staff initially recommended denial but changed position after review because vacating the strip would not "disrupt the connectivity in that area."

Staff identified conditions for approval: retain full‑width easements for Comcast, Vista and Lumen; relocate a couple of water service connections out to Wolverton (Woolverton) Court so private service lines do not remain in a former public right‑of‑way; allow gates with keyed access for adjacent property owners and utility providers; and require a standard alley vacation payment of $33,750. Brown said petition signatures were 100% among adjacent owners.

Council members asked clarifying questions about business access at the north end of the alley and where gates would be sited; staff said the gates would be placed so an automotive repair business could retain access. Staff also noted that any private service connections now in the alley would need to be relocated to the public street if the alley is vacated.

Next step: staff presented the vacation as a conditioned approval recommendation; if the council proceeds to formal action at a later hearing, the stated conditions would guide the ordinance and required relocation work.