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Council approves vacation of pedestrian easement to clear way for Intermountain Health clinic; staff and planning commission differ on sidewalk placement
Summary
Council adopted an ordinance vacating a 20-foot pedestrian/irrigation easement in Cocopelli Commercial Park to allow Intermountain Health to build a primary-care facility and parking; the applicant plans an 8-foot pedestrian connection about 50 feet north of the existing easement and will dedicate a 14-foot multi-purpose easement during subdivision.
The Fruita City Council on June 16 adopted Ordinance 2026-09 to vacate a 20-foot pedestrian and irrigation easement on portions of Block 3, Lots 1 and 2 in the Cocopelli Commercial Park Phase 2 subdivision to facilitate a proposed Intermountain Health primary-care clinic.
City Planner Joe Morris explained the staff recommendation: because the easement is unimproved and the parcel configuration and land-use standards have changed since the plat was recorded two decades ago, staff believes land-use requirements and the subdivision process are the appropriate tools to secure pedestrian connectivity rather than prescribing an exact sidewalk location through the easement vacation motion.
Mark Austin, civil engineer for the applicant, said Intermountain Health plans an 8‑foot pedestrian walkway roughly 50 feet north of the existing easement that better aligns with existing paths on the west side of Cocopelli Boulevard and will support current and future phases of the clinic project. He also said the developer is finalizing a separate process to vacate a parallel irrigation easement held by the property owners association.
Planning Commission recommended approval with a condition that the new pedestrian infrastructure be installed no further north than the current easement; staff recommended using land-use review to determine precise placement. Council adopted the ordinance (6-0) and noted that a 14‑foot multi-purpose easement for infrastructure along South Mesa Street will be added during subdivision review.
