Committee recommends vacating alley between 516 and 520 South Michigan

The Public Works and Property committee for South Bend City voted 4-0 to send a favorable recommendation to the full council on a petition to vacate the alley between 516 and 520 South Michigan.

Charity Stow, the petitioner and representative for the development, told the committee the alley vacation would allow the project — which covers 512 to 530 South Michigan — to integrate an adjacent empty lot into a park and to use the alley area for a driveway serving deliveries, events and food trucks. "We are hoping to vacate this alley so we can continue to use it for the purposes of the building and the park and have a driveway for deliveries and potential food trucks," Stow said.

Committee members asked whether the vacation would create a dead-end alley or interfere with a bike route and whether public or private utilities run through the alley. Stow said the alley already functions as a T-alley and "it does not technically end in a dead end," and that public utilities are located in the back alley and would not be affected by the vacation.

Chris Drestell of the Department of Community Investment told the committee that the checklist items left unchecked on the preliminary-review form were from an early version of the form and that staff have updated it since. "That list is meant as an early guidance system," Drestell said, adding that some boxes were left unchecked in older forms and have since been addressed.

On the question of vehicle access, staff and the petitioner noted ordinance language allows the curb cut to remain. Drestell explained the petitioner plans to install bollards to limit through traffic while preserving access for deliveries and special events: "Once it is vacated it's no longer a thoroughfare; the petitioner wished to keep that open for events and other occasions, so the approach will remain but the bollards will close it off effectively as a right away." (quote edited for clarity from transcript.)

No members of the public registered to speak for or against the petition during the committee portion. Committee chair Gooden Rogers moved to send the item to the full council with a favorable recommendation; the motion was seconded and approved on a roll call vote with committee members Warner, Dr. Davis, vice chair Neskowski and Chair Gooden Rogers voting in favor.

The petition will next appear before the full South Bend City council for consideration. The committee concluded its business and noted the full meeting agenda will include several bills for first reading and a resolution; an invocation and pledge are scheduled at the full meeting.