Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Easements topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sheldon council approves easement vacate and rezones parcels for single-family homes
Summary
Sheldon City council voted to vacate an existing easement on the Jacobson property, accept a new easement tied to a TriJinx addition lot purchase, and to rezone two Prairie Trail Road parcels from agricultural to single-family residential to correct partial AG/RS zoning dating to 2015.
Sheldon City council voted during its meeting to approve a set of zoning and easement changes aimed at aligning newly purchased lots with adjacent residential parcels and enabling lawful homebuilding.
The council approved a rezoning tied to the TriJinx addition so a roughly 65-foot strip the owner purchased can be changed from agricultural (AG) to RS (single-family residential), and separately voted to vacate an existing easement on the Jacobson property while accepting a new 25-foot utility easement on the newly configured parcel. The council also approved M4, rezoning 910 and 921 Prairie Trail Road from AG to RS to correct parcels that had been partly zoned agricultural since 2015.
Why it matters: staff and applicants said the actions make property ownership and development consistent across adjacent lots and remove technical zoning barriers that would otherwise prevent building. Staff noted a prior error in parcel splits dating to 2015 left some homes sitting partly on AG-zoned land and said the rezoning is a housekeeping correction so owners can lawfully build.
What the city heard: planner Steve Baldwin (Planning Solutions) described the TriJinx request as a straightforward rezoning to make the owner's contiguous property consistent. He also explained the easement proposal: vacate the original 25-foot utility easement on one lot and establish a new 25-foot easement along the purchased parcel edge so the city maintains utility access and a public right-of-way for 11th Street access.
The Prairie Trail rezoning drew similar explanation: staff said parcels to the south of the railroad were partially zoned AG and RS and owners requested full residential zoning so future permits and houses are legally permitted. The city manager told the council this was intended as housekeeping to correct earlier permitting and parcel-splitting errors.
Votes at council: several roll calls were taken as motions were moved and seconded on the floor. The motion to approve the TriJinx-related rezoning and the motion to vacate and replace the Jacobson easement each received a second and carried on roll call. The Prairie Trail rezoning (M4) also passed on a roll call. (Individual roll-call names and recorded "yes" votes are documented in the official meeting minutes.)
What happens next: staff said plat documents and any final plats will be brought back to council after staff completes approximately 50% design and resolves utility and easement layout questions. The council did not take additional conditions beyond the recorded motions.
