CANYON CITY — The Planning Commission approved VPR 25-001, allowing McKinley Elementary School to vacate a 16-foot (0.193-acre) public alley/right-of-way that crosses multiple lots at 1240 McKinley Street.

Planning and zoning staff told the commission the right-of-way serves no current transportation or utility function and that a portion of the school facility sits on the alley. Staff recommended approval and asked the commission to grant two waivers: first, waiving the requirement to notify utility companies for this application; and second, partially refunding the $560 application fee while withholding $40 to cover recording costs.

"The purpose is requesting approval for a vacation of public right away at 1240 McKinley Street," planning staff said in their presentation, noting the alley crosses lots 19–28 of the subdivision and that the school had been built over part of the alley. Staff also reported receiving comments from the Fremont Conservation District urging that relevant utility companies — including the Lincoln Park Crooked Ditch Irrigation Company — be notified of the proposal.

Scott Morton, director of operations for Canyon City Schools, said the building "has been on-site since the sixties when it was built" and that the district discovered the right-of-way designation during construction for a gym addition. "We're just kind of cleaning up the paperwork," Morton said.

Commissioners asked whether any utilities ran through the right-of-way or whether it carried traffic. Planning staff and the applicant said there are no utilities in the alley segment at issue and no traffic use; the portion of the right-of-way that extends east of the school property is not included in this application and would remain unless separately vacated.

Brandon Hayes of 3 Rocks Engineering said the project team "had not notified a ditch company of any kind, but we were notifying the utility companies that were servicing the school. If we do need to notify a ditch company, we absolutely can do that," he said.

On the fee waiver, staff explained the recommended split: the applicant would receive a $560 refund with $40 retained to cover recording costs.

A motion to accept VPR 25-001 and approve the waiver requests carried on a roll call. The transcript records three "aye" votes; it does not clearly record the individual names of members who cast those votes. Earlier in the meeting Hamrick and Larry Brown were listed as absent.

The Planning Commission took no further business and adjourned.