Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Public Works

 

TO:

Mike Wildgen

FROM:

Chuck Soules

CC:

Dave Corliss, Debbie Van Saun, Terese Gorman

Date:

March 15, 2005

RE:

Oregon Street Vacation

 

At their meeting on March 29, 2005 the City Commission will hold a public hearing on the request of Huxtable and Associates to vacate a portion of the Oregon Street right-of-way from 12th Street south approximately 300 ft. +.  This request has been made by the applicant to provide necessary property for building and parking lot expansion.

 

Typically, when a right-of-way is vacated, half of the vacated property reverts to the owners on each side.  The City owns the property on the east side of Oregon.  Huxtable’s request includes that the entire right-of-way is provided to their project.  Huxtable is proposing to create a recreational sidewalk (6 ft. wide) adjacent to the parking lot and allowing public access to the parking lot.  The intersection at 12th and Oregon will need to be modified and Huxtable is requesting the City to complete (and fund) this improvement.  The scope of those modifications has not been determined nor does staff have an estimate of costs.

 

The Burroughs Creek Area Plan Committee has expressed that they would like the recreational path to be 10 ft. wide, in conformance with the Rail Trail project.  There are some physical constraints on the east side.  The drainage channel has a specific cross section and volume.  Changes to this area could result in increasing flood elevations downstream; therefore, widening the 6 ft. sidewalk to a 10 ft. recreational path cannot be completed to the east (towards the channel). 

 

All utility companies were contacted.  SBC has an existing 50 pair cable in the existing easement and will need to maintain an easement.  Typically, with the utility located within the right-of-way to be vacated, the City would reserve an easement over the area for utilities.  Huxtable’s expansion includes a building that will extend 10 ft. into the right-of-way.  Therefore, staff is recommending only reserving an easement over the east 50 ft. of right-of-way with the agreement that if there are any costs for relocation of any utility that the applicant would be responsible for that expense. 

 

Action Requested:

  1. Open public hearing.
  2. Pending public comment, approve Order of Vacation reserving a public easement over the east 50 ft. of right-of-way for the construction, maintenance, and use of all necessary facilities for utilities and public access, including pedestrian and bicycle uses.
  3. Provide direction regarding the modifications for the intersection at 12th and Oregon.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

Charles F. Soules, P.E.

Director of Public Works

 

Attachments:  Map; Vacation Order; Site Plan; Huxtable Letter