The Spokane City Council approved a request by Gonzaga Prep to vacate a secluded alley south of Euclid Avenue, voting to waive the land fee and require the applicant to complete closure and utility relocation work.

City engineer Eldon Brown told the council the alley is lightly used and has been the site of criminal activity; the staff recommendation included retaining easements for Lumen, Avista and Comcast and relocating two private water service connections. Brown said the appraised land cost would be $33,750 but noted the applicant asked the city to waive that fee while agreeing to perform required closure and relocation work.

Michael Doherty, president of Gonzaga Prep, and Peg Hahn McKeown, director of community engagement at Gonzaga Family Haven, testified that the alley had become a source of safety concerns for students and neighbors and described planned mitigation (gates, cameras and lighting). Doherty asked the council to waive the fee; he said the total engineering and closure cost would be roughly $80,000 including the $35,000 vacation fee.

Councilmember Packard moved to approve the vacation subject to conditions and as a no-cost vacation; after discussion emphasizing public-safety benefits and that the applicants would bear closure costs, the council approved the motion by voice vote recorded 7-0. The approval retains utility easements and requires relocation/capping of private water service connections as described by staff.

Implementation details include reserving easements for utility providers and requiring the applicant to relocate private water connections to Wolverton Court and to complete closure work and driveway apron construction as part of the conditions of approval.