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Hickory council approves closing unopened portion of 13th Avenue Place NW after public hearing
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Summary
After a public hearing in which neighbors raised safety and access concerns, the Hickory City Council unanimously approved a resolution to close an unopened portion of 13th Avenue Place NW, allowing adjacent property lines to be redrawn and removing the strip from the city’s unopened-street inventory.
The Hickory City Council voted unanimously April 7 to approve a resolution closing an unopened portion of 13th Avenue Place Northwest, a narrow right-of-way that staff said is currently used as gravel driveway access by adjacent property owners.
The council opened a public hearing after Assistant City Manager Steve Miller presented maps and a recent survey showing the strip does not punch through to the adjoining block, contains no city utilities and is being used by two properties as driveway access. Miller told the council the petition is a four-party request and that all four adjoining property owners signed the petition and paid the required fees.
Why it mattered: Neighbors said the strip has served as a walking path and alley in the neighborhood, and some residents argued closing it would remove a public link and further narrow walking options on nearby streets. At the hearing, a resident who identified himself as Michael McDonald of 1324 6th Street NW said he walks the alley daily and expressed safety concerns about increased traffic on 6th Street. Another resident, Gavin Egbert of 815 6th Street NW, also told the council he opposed the closure because he and others use the path for dog walking and safe pedestrian access.
Council members questioned staff on legal and practical effects of the closure. Miller and planning staff explained that closing an unopened right-of-way typically redraws property lines between owners who touch the strip, that the city retains easements when utilities are present, and that in this case there are no such lines to reserve. Planning staff said the narrow size of the strip would make it difficult to create any new independent building lot if the parcels were later recombined.
The outcome: After the hearing and brief council discussion, a council member moved to approve the resolution to close the unopened portion of 13th Avenue Place NW; the motion carried unanimously. The council’s action will allow staff to proceed with the legal steps to reassign the strip to adjacent property owners and update property records.
What’s next: Staff described the closure as a ministerial land-record step that will redraw property descriptions and noted the city will retain any necessary utility easements if utilities are later found or installed. Opposed residents said they may seek alternatives to preserve pedestrian access; the council did not record conditions or a mitigation plan as part of the approval.
