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Planning Commission recommends closure of multiple alleys and rights-of-way; resident seeks clarity on utility access
Summary
Commissioners recommended CE 11-57 — a petition to close several unimproved alleys and rights-of-way — to City Council after the applicant’s attorney said utility franchise holders would retain access by reservation; a nearby resident asked how power, gas and drainage maintenance would be handled.
The Planning Commission recommended City Council approval of CE 11-57 on March 26, an application to close portions of multiple unimproved alleys and street rights-of-way east of North Chateau Avenue and south of NW 102nd Street.
David Box, representing the applicant, said the action would close certain corridors but that existing infrastructure owners would be notified and allowed to reserve easements where necessary. He explained the closure process requires a district-court vacation action and that franchise holders such as OG&E and ONG would be defendants in that action; if a utility has infrastructure there it can reserve the right to maintain it.
Nearby resident Franklin Pardue told commissioners he was primarily concerned about how the power lines and other utilities would be accessed for maintenance, and about whether the closure would encroach on his yard. "I'm worried about what are they gonna do with those power lines? How are they gonna get in there, the city, to repair any damage?" he asked.
Box and staff replied that infrastructure present within the easement would be reserved in the vacation document and that utilities would retain access; staff noted some rights previously vacated in court may not have been processed through the city's CE (closing/encroachment) review and the district-court record will clarify outstanding reservations. After discussion, the commission recommended CE 11-57 to City Council for approval.
Commissioners emphasized that the district-court foreclosure/vacation instrument would clarify which easements remain and which are closed, and that any utility currently serving the area would be able to maintain its infrastructure under the reservation language.
