2002-01 VACATING PORTION OF STREETS - 2200 BLOCK NORTH UNION STREET - 300-500 BLOCKS WEST HAY STREET

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ECONOMIC AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT MEMORANDUM No. 01-127 '� December 12,2001 I� TO: Honorable Mayor Terry M. Howley and City Council Members FROM: Steve Garman, City Manager A. J.Krieger, Assistant City Manager Steve Van Steenhuyse,AICP,Planni anag� Kathy J. Miller,AICP,Planner �� SUBJECT: Vacation of West Hay Right of Way between North Monroe and North Union and North Union Street Right of Way between West Hay and Kenwood Avenue SUMMARY RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the ordinance vacating the West � Hay Street and North Union Street Right of Ways. The City Plan Commission held a public hearing on the vacation at the December 6, 2001 meeting and voted to table the vote regarding the vacations (6 to 3 with 2 abstentions). Plan Commission meeting minutes are attached. A special meeting of the Plan Commission is scheduled for Friday, December 14 to re-address the petition. At this writing, the results are unlmown. BACKGROLTND: The petitioner is requesting the vacation of Hay and Union Streets in order to reduce the lane size of Hay Street and to facilitate additional parking near the hospital campus. The hospital plans to construct additional buildings on some of the existing parking lots. An access easement with the City of Decatur will be in place on West Hay between Monroe and Edward Streets. Hay Street will remain the entrance for the DMH emergency room. In June of 1996,the portion of North Union Street located between West Kenwood Avenue and West McKinley Avenue was vacated after a three month trial closure,a review by the Traffic and Parking Commission, a recommendation from the Plan Commission and final approval by the City Council. The Traffic and Parking Commission reviewed the subject vacation request at the October 2001 meeting and determined that a one month notice posted by signs would be adequate rather than a three month trial closure period. The Traffic and Parking Commission reviewed the subject petition for vacation again at the November 2001 meeting. The pastor of St. Thomas Church, at 2160 North Edward Street, spoke against the petition. He was joined by several parishioners from St. Thomas. The main church is actually accessed from Union Street and the St. Thomas members expressed concern about access to the church from the north as well as emergency access. After receiving comments and concerns from members of the public, the Traffic and Parking Commission voted to recommend approval of the vacation of Hay and Union Streets. Decatur Memorial Hospital has offered the church the use of the DMH parking lot at the southeast corner of Hay and Edward on Saturdays and Sundays,has offered to widen the two drive approaches on Edward Street to St. Thomas for emergency vehicles and has offered to delay the closing of Union Street for three years.