Community Development Department Council Chambers, 7:30 PM, December 20, 2012

Transcription

1 STAFF REPORT P: Alley Vacation Community Development Department Council Chambers, 7:30 PM, December 20, 2012 To: From: Re: Paul Luke, Chairman, Skokie Plan Commission Mike Voitik, Planning Technician Alley vacations bounded by Church Street, Terminal Avenue, Davis Street, and Laramie Avenue General Information Location Purpose Petitioner Size of Site Existing Zoning & Land Use Adjacent Zoning & Land Use Comprehensive Plan Unimproved alleys, as follows: The west 125 feet of the east-west alley and the western north-south alley in the block bounded by Church Street, Terminal Avenue, Arcadia Street, and Laramie Avenue. The east-west alley in the block bounded by Arcadia Street, Terminal Avenue, Davis Street, and Laramie Avenue. To vacate approximately linear feet of unimproved public alleys. Village of Skokie The alleys total approximately feet in length and 16 feet in width. The total area of the alleys is approximately acres (5, S.F.) Single-Family residential detached residences North South East West Single-Family residential detached residences Single-Family residential detached residences B2 Commercial special trades contractor s office Single Family residential detached residences Light Industry mixed industrial uses Single-Family residential detached residences The alleys are designated as single family detached residential # v1 Staff Report P: Alley Vacation Bounded by Church Street, Terminal Avenue, Davis Street, and Laramie Avenue 1 of 4

2 STAFF ANALYSIS The Village of Skokie is requesting to vacate 3 separate alleys within an area bounded by Church Street, Terminal Avenue, Davis Street, and Laramie Avenue. The first request involves the west 125 feet of the east-west alley and the western north-south alley in the block bounded by Church Street, Terminal Avenue, Arcadia Street, and Laramie Avenue. The second request involves the east-west alley in the block bounded by Arcadia Street, Terminal Avenue, Davis Street, and Laramie Avenue. All 3 alleys presently contain grass, trees, fences, and utility poles and are inaccessible to vehicular traffic. The Community Development Department is continuing to implement its alley vacation program which vacates unopened and unimproved residential alleys in the Village that are unnecessary for Village transportation and access needs. In the past, property owners were required to petition the Village to vacate an alley and pay all associated costs involved in the process. In some instances, where the land from the alley increased the street frontage of a lot or its development potential, residents were required to pay for the alleys. The alleys proposed to be vacated in this case do not fall under this category. It has been determined that the vacation of alleys will benefit both residents and the Village. Residents will receive minimally increased land area while the Village will reduce maintenance costs. Staff Comment and Review sheets were sent to all pertinent departments. In addition to the Planning Division comments, staff comments were received from the Engineering Division and the Forestry Division. All other departments either had no comment or were in favor of the proposed vacations. Comments Engineering Division The Engineering Division approves the granting of the requested alley vacations. An easement for the full width of the alleys will be required to accommodate existing overhead utilities. Forestry Division The Forestry Division approves the vacation of the alleys. An ash tree stump that is located in the east-west alley to the north of 9139 Laramie Avenue will be removed by the Village prior to the recording of the alley vacation. Planning Division The Planning Division staff supports the proposed alley vacations. There are many similar unopened and unused alleys within the Village. Although they are still Village property and contain utilities, the Village has no intent to open or pave the alleys. Thus, the Village requests to vacate these alleys and return the property to the # v1 Staff Report P: Alley Vacation Bounded by Church Street, Terminal Avenue, Davis Street, and Laramie Avenue 2 of 4

3 adjacent property owners. A utility easement over the entire rights-of-way will remain so that utility companies can maintain their existing facilities. The Village will remove any existing alley aprons and restore the parkway, sidewalk, and curb, if necessary, where the current alley rights-of-way meet streets. The approximate boundaries of the alleys in the subject case have been marked with pink wooden stakes along Laramie Avenue and Arcadia Street and at both ends of the east-west alley in the block bounded by Arcadia Street, Terminal Avenue, Davis Street, and Laramie Avenue. Once the alleys are vacated, the adjacent property owners will be sent a copy of the Plat of Vacation. When the property owners sell their property, their surveyor will prepare a new Plat of Survey indicating the additional land that has been added to the property. Residents may use the additional land as they would any other part of their property, with the exception that structures other than fences may not be constructed in the easement area, and this space must always be maintained for unobstructed drainage. Chapter 5 of the Comprehensive Plan supports the vacation of these alleys which represent a portion of group number 94 and all of group number 137 of the 138 alley groups identified for vacation in the Alley Plan. To date, 103 of the 138 alley groups identified have been vacated. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends that the proposed alley vacations be GRANTED subject to the following conditions: 1. The property shall be vacated pursuant to the Plat of Vacation received December 12, 2012 and as may be further revised with the approval of the Village Manager, or designee, and Corporation Counsel. 2. Easements shall be reserved for all Village and Village franchised public utilities over the entire area to be vacated. A permanent public drainage easement shall be maintained in the vacated alleys. 3. Property owners shall not alter the grade or change the drainage pattern in the easement area without a permit from the Engineering Division. 4. Other than a fence, no structures or trees shall be constructed or planted within the easement area. 5. The vacations shall be effective upon the recording of a Plat of Vacation by the Village in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Cook County, Illinois. # v1 Staff Report P: Alley Vacation Bounded by Church Street, Terminal Avenue, Davis Street, and Laramie Avenue 3 of 4

4 ATTACHMENTS 1. Site Photos 2. Memorandum from Engineering Division, dated December 13, Plat of Vacation, received December 12, Land Use and Zoning Map # v1 Staff Report P: Alley Vacation Bounded by Church Street, Terminal Avenue, Davis Street, and Laramie Avenue 4 of 4

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8 CHURCH B2 STREET ARCADIA DAVIS LARAMIE AVENUE SUBJECT SITE B2 STREET TERMINAL AVENUE STREET P: Alley Vacations LIGHT INDUSTRY NORTH