The Raymore City Council voted unanimously on Dec. 16 to advance an ordinance that would vacate a short, 14-foot-wide segment of alley in Original Town adjacent to properties at 105 East Olive and 303 South Washington.

City planner Mister Gress told the council the request is a joint application from property owners Mary Plunkett and Pam Hatcher to vacate roughly 0.04 acres of alley that abuts their two lots. Gress said the site is zoned R-1 with an Original Town overlay and that Planning and Zoning recommended approval 7–0. He noted the city would require the applicants to dedicate a utility easement to preserve access to water and overhead utility lines if the alley is vacated.

Pam Hatcher, broker and owner of Integrity Group Real Estate, told the council she has observed vehicles accessing and exiting the alley by driving over her property’s culvert and close to an electrical pole, which she said constitutes ongoing trespass and a liability for her commercial building and a tenant, Fearless Dance Studio. "They're not even in the alleyway," Hatcher said while describing video evidence of vehicles cutting onto her property.

Resident Mary Plunkett said her family has endured eight years of nuisance and safety problems, including people walking through the alley, damage to plantings, dog waste and vehicles tearing ruts in the grass near her yard. "By vacating the alley, it will help provide a safer, more peaceful environment," Plunkett said.

Council members asked staff about precedent and maintenance. Gress confirmed the city does not typically maintain Original Town alley turf and that past vacated alleys have required dedication of utility easements; he said residents would generally be responsible for restoring the area after utilities access it. When Councilmember Mills asked whether plantings had been permitted, Gress said staff had approved shrubs but not in the location where they were ultimately placed, which prompted part of the dispute and the staff-led analysis of encroachments across Original Town.

Councilmember Holman moved to approve the alley vacation (Bill 3933); the motion was seconded and carried unanimously. The item remains listed as unfinished business and will return for formal reading as required by ordinance procedures.

Authorities cited in the council discussion included the city code sections referenced in the staff report and prior practice on vacating rights-of-way and dedicating utility easements. The council did not receive public testimony beyond the two applicants who appeared and provided photographs and videos documenting their concerns.

The council’s action advances the proposal; final ownership and easement details will be handled as conditions of approval and recorded if the council completes subsequent readings and final adoption.