Molalla planning commission recommends vacating Hezi Lane right-of-way adjacent to Molalla Middle School

The Molalla Planning Commission voted unanimously on Feb. 4, 2026, to recommend that City Council vacate a portion of right-of-way known in staff materials as Hezi Lane, a strip of land separating Molalla Middle School from its athletic fields.

"This item here today is more of a formality. We are looking on you for your recommendation for the proposed Hezi Lane rightway vacation," Associate Planner Clarissa Davis said as she placed the staff report into the record and described the parcel shown in Exhibit C of the packet. Commissioners then moved, seconded and confirmed the recommendation by a 5-0 vote.

Staff told commissioners the proposed vacation would remove the requirement to build a roadway at that location so the area could remain dedicated to school fields; the vacation request was tied to the middle-school site plan that included other off-site street improvements. The planning commission’s vote was to forward a recommendation to City Council rather than to complete the final legal vacation itself.

The motion recorded in the meeting transcript was stated as a recommendation to vacate the right-of-way; the commission recorded the result as "the vote passes 5-0." The item will next appear on the City Council agenda for final action, per staff practice.

Meeting materials referenced the parcel adjacent to Molalla Middle School and a staff exhibit showing the tract to be vacated. The commission did not record any public opposition during the meeting; no public comments were submitted on the item during the public-comment period.