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Council reviews alley abandonment option for B&B Auto; code hearing found multiple violations
Summary
Staff briefed the council on the process and costs to abandon a city-owned alley that touches B&B Auto Repair; city code staff said a June 1 hearing found violations for inoperable vehicles and storage, and Mr. Brock reported he has removed many cars, submitted work orders and is installing a fence to come into compliance.
City staff presented options June 9 for abandoning or conveying a narrow city-owned right-of-way adjacent to B&B Auto Repair and described the statutory and cost requirements for abandonment. Ray Curtis provided a memo outlining prior city practice: an applicant seeking abandonment must pay for title searches (city staff noted an approximate $500 title search), attorney fees, surveying and publication costs; those costs would be borne by the applicant seeking to acquire the property.
Staff displayed a map showing the green strip of city right-of-way, adjacent properties including Antioch Baptist Church and B&B Auto near Byron Butler Parkway. Staff said abandoning only the parcel that directly abuts the B&B property would limit the number of neighbors needing to consent, but multiple adjacent property owners may have interests and the northern section’s ownership (including a railroad) remains a factor.
Council also heard a summary of a June 1 code-enforcement hearing at which the city cited three violations related to inoperable vehicles in the right-of-way (code 3881), storage on private property, and storing vehicles for parts (code 3883). Staff said Mr. Brock removed many vehicles visible from Duvall Street but code officers still observed vehicles in the right-of-way. Mr. Brock told the council he supplied what he said were 40 work orders to city staff and that he had partly erected a fence, estimating a fence cost of about $15,000 to fully enclose the storage area. Staff noted the magistrate gave Mr. Brock 30 days to come into compliance and that failure to supply verifiable work orders or install a compliant nontransparent fence could result in fines or further enforcement.
Code enforcement later reported that 35 submitted documents lacked vehicle description numbers and only three complete work orders were on file; staff said they would follow up with Officer Griffin and that they expect to return this matter to code hearings if compliance does not occur.
Next steps: Staff will continue to work with the property owner on compliance, confirm which title and survey costs would apply if an abandonment request proceeds, and return to the council with a recommendation if the applicant formally requests abandonment or conveyance.
