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Resident presses Union City Council on Linwood alley access and patrols
Summary
Residents told council they’ve seen police in backyards and want the city to clarify whether the strip behind Linwood homes is a city alley or private easement, to improve patrols and consider converting it to a gravel alley; staff agreed to research deeds and mail affected addresses.
A resident raised safety and access concerns about an undeveloped strip behind homes on Linwood at Union City’s May 19 council meeting, saying police recently entered backyards in response to calls and urging the city to patrol the area and clarify ownership.
The resident described the area as a common cut-through and vehicle access point, and said the current approach forces drivers to go over the sidewalk to reach backyards. “I go out this morning like bolts out. I got cops standing in the backyard,” the resident told the council, urging more frequent patrols and better control of access.
Council members and staff said the strip appears on the plat map as an undeveloped space and likely functions as a utility right-of-way; electric poles run through it. Staff recommended courthouse deed research to confirm whether adjacent property owners have an ownership claim and proposed mailing notices to the affected addresses to ask whether neighbors oppose converting the strip into an official gravel alley.
Staff described possible physical fixes, including pouring an approach by cutting the sidewalk or placing gravel to formalize the access. City staff also committed to mow the area and said they would follow legal notice procedures if the area is condemned.
What’s next: Staff will research property records at the courthouse and prepare a mailing to the affected addresses; if neighbors object, the council said it would hold off, but if there is consensus, the city would proceed with a gravel approach and any necessary sidewalk modifications.
Quotes from the meeting: “I’d say this is give Britney get up the ladder, send to those four or five houses and if there’s any opposition to it, we’ll just tear it up, put a gravel driveway through there,” a council member said while assigning staff follow-up.
Ending: Staff committed to researching deeds, mailing affected residents, and mowing the area; council directed staff to return with findings and any objections before undertaking construction.
