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Planning commission recommends vacating portion of Garrick Avenue adjacent to 3030 Wall Avenue
Summary
The Waukegan Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend that the City Council approve vacating a roughly 60-by-130-foot portion of Garrick Avenue to consolidate it with 3030 Wall Avenue; a neighbor warned the area is used as a public connection to a park.
The Waukegan Planning and Zoning Commission on May 14 voted to recommend that the City Council approve a petition to vacate a portion of Garrick Avenue right-of-way adjacent to 3030 Wall Avenue.
Tyler Williams, city planner, told commissioners the proposed right-of-way vacation is about 60 feet wide and roughly 130 feet long and would be consolidated with the property at 3030 Wall Avenue. Williams said the segment was never developed into a public street and that the city previously vacated a portion of Garrick Avenue on the south side in 1994.
The applicant, Luis Acosta, was sworn and said he sought the property to expand his lot. "I just need to expand my property," Acosta said.
Neighbors raised concerns about public use. Rodolfo Salazar, who said he owns the west side of the adjacent property, told the commission that residents and children regularly use the green area as a path to reach nearby recreation and that he and his son maintain the lot. "Everybody uses that lot," Salazar said, adding he recently paid $2,500 to clean it up.
Acosta and staff said the portion Acosta seeks is wooded and not the path used by neighbors. "The 45 feet that I am trying to buy ... is not walkable," Acosta said, and Williams confirmed the area Acosta proposed to acquire does not provide the pedestrian connection Salazar described.
Commissioners asked whether a new owner could erect a fence if the right-of-way were vacated; Williams said an owner would need the proper permits but could fence property after it was transferred to private ownership. Williams also noted that prices for vacated property are set by the City Council; the commission's role is advisory and limited to recommending whether to vacate the right-of-way.
A commissioner moved to accept the findings of fact and recommend City Council approval of zoning calendar V-01/2026; the motion was seconded and approved by roll call. Williams said the City Council will consider the item on June 1.
The commission's recommendation does not itself transfer title or change access rights; any sale price and final disposition will be determined by the City Council.
