2024-103 Ordinance Vacating Public Right-of-Way - 600 and 700 Blocks of East Sangamon Street and a Portion of the 700 and 800 Blocks of North Morgan Street

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ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MEMORANDUM No. 24-14 June 28,2024 TO: Honorable Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe and City Council FROM: Tim Gleason, City Manager Cordaryl"Pat"Patrick,Director of Economic &Community Development SUBJECT: Public right—of—way vacation of the 600 and 700 Blocks of East Sangamon Street and a portion of the 700 and 800 Blocks of North Morgan Street Right-of-Way SUMMARY RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the ROW vacation with the following conditions: 1. A blanket easement for the vacated East Sangamon Street and a portion of North Morgan Street right-of-way shall be maintained for all public utilities located within the right-of- way, including but not limited to the City's utilities. The City Plan Commission voted 5-0 to recommend approval of the petition at the June 6, 2024 meeting. The minutes of the meeting are attached. BACKGROUND: This vacation was contemplated in the previously approved RDA with TCCA. TCCA would like to fence around their entire campus to control access to their property and their current ice cream plant. TCCA has already acquired 7 parcels of property in this area and could acquire more in the future. They are currently remodeling the former Prairie Farms ice cream plant and hope to be in production before year end. The subject right-of-way is no longer necessary to serve the general public. The best interests of the City of Decatur would be served by approving the proposed right-of-way vacation to allow for the TCCA - Tillamook project to be properly secured. All properties in the area will continue to have access to a ROW. Only one property owner will have to move their access to a new ROW. Per Paragraph 2.2.2 of the Administrative Policy& Procedure Manual: Utility Easements and R- OW Vacations; (effective September 1, 1997),"All property owners with land abutting a piece of property which is under consideration for vacation shall be served proper notice prior to City Council action on the request." Staff have sent out notification letters to the abutting property owners. In accordance with Paragraph 2.2.3 of the same manual, "Compensation shall be required,based upon an approved recent appraisal at the expense of the petitioner, whenever land comes out of public trust by vacation or disposition."However,since the City is a partner for this redevelopment project, an appraisal of the effected parcels should not be warranted. POTENTIAL OBJECTION: There were no objectors present at the Plan Commission meeting.