Memo - Vacation of Various Alleys Rights a Way of Goodrich Street
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Public Works Department
Memorandum
To:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
Copy:
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Steven J. Stadler, Public Works Director
Rick Getschow, City Manager
From:
Date:
April 7, 2005
Subject:
Vacation of Various Unimproved Alley Rights of Way and Vacation of
portion of Goodrich Street Right of Way
Overview.
On March 15, 2005 City Council held a public hearing on the vacation of several alley
rights-of-way and a portion of the Goodrich Street right-of-way. There was resident
concern with existing alley ROW encroachments, a driveway conflict and a concern with
homeowners having to take on the responsibility for maintenance of additional trees
within what would be a wider boulevard area along Goodrich Street. After discussion,
City Council choose to continue the proceedings until the April 5 City Council meeting.
Since the March 15 City Council meeting, City staff has had a detailed survey of the
Goodrich Street ROW prepared, and is in the process of identifying and describin~
existing encroachments along the proposed unimproved alley ROWs between 19t Ave
N and 21st Ave N and 2nd St Nand 3ra St N, In addition, staff has a survey of the
unimproved alley ROWs just south of Excelsior Boulevard between Monroe Ave and
Harrison Ave. Staff has included options and a recommendation regarding the
Goodrich Street partial vacation, Staff would like to delay further vacation proceedings
on the unimproved alley ROWs b/w 19th_21st Aves Nand 2nd_3rd Streets until the
encroachments are described and a decision is made on how to rectify them.
· Goodrich Street ROW concerns
Prior to the March 15 Public Hearing, staff received many calls regarding the Goodrich
Street partial right of way vacation, What follows is a summary of the concerns
expressed from those homeowners. .
- The 10' vacation will mean there may be boulevard trees currently
maintained by the city that would become private trees for homeowners to
maintain. Staff has not determined the number or species of trees that
fall withi'n the proposed area to be vacated. However, there are elm trees
along this corridor and 'at least one that is currently marked for removal.
Given the number of tree removals this past year due to disease, it's
understandable that this is a concern of homeowners,
- The 80' wide right of way is an historical part of what creates the
Interlachen neighborhood character and should be protected.
- A few homeowners were concerned about the impact on property values
and taxes. Staff referred this question to our residential appraiser, Rob
Winge. His opinion is that the additional 10' wide strip of land will not
affect values as market values are primarily based on sales of similar
residential properties, not specific lot size or lot dimensions.
The attached drawings show the existing 80' wide Goodrich Street right-of-way, dashed
lines representing a 60' wide and 66' wide rights-of-way, existing trees and power poles.
There is one drawing for each block from Blake Road to Meadowbrook Road. There
are a total of 34 trees affected with a vacation to a 60' ROW, including 5 American Elm
trees. There are a total of 23 trees affected with a vacation to a 66' ROW, including 4
American Elm trees.
. Goodrich Street Options and Staff Recommendation
1. Leave the 80' right-of-way as-is. Do not vacate a portion of the ROW.
Home/garage construction would have to follow existing setbacks unless a
variance was granted.
2. Vacate to a 60' wide right-of-way. Homeowners would acquire the additional 10'
wide strip of property on the north and south sides of the Goodrich Street right-
of-way and be responsible for maintenance of additional trees,
3. Vacate to a 66' wide right-of-way. Same as option 2, but homeowners would
only acquire an additional 7' strip of property,
4. Vacate to a 60' or 66' wide right-of-way and City retains maintenance
responsibility for all trees within the original 80' wide right-of-way. The City
Attorney has pointed out that City Council should carefully consider this as it
would be precedent-setting for future vacations - see paragraph 4 of attached
City Attorney memo. When would City maintenance responsibility end? What
about trees planted by homeowners?
5. Vacate to a 60' or 66' wide right-of-way and City retains maintenance
responsibility for a finite period of time, say 5-10 years only. The same City
Attorney comment in option 4. would apply here.
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Staff recommendation:
Goodrich Street: Option 1. Retain the current 80' wide right-of-way. There is property
owner concern over acquiring the additional property and a resident petition did not
drive this vacation action. Therefore, staff recommends retaining the current 80' wide
right-of-way. The process has raised the awareness of affected property owners to the
existence of the wide right-of-way. It may be more appropriate to wait for broader
property owner interest and perhaps a future request by petition, Vacating the right-of-
way with conditions committing continued city maintenance raises concerns regarding
setting precedence for future vacations and requiring City work on what would be
private property,
Unimproved alley rights-of-way between 19th and 21st Avenues North: Schedule future
worksession discussion on approach to be taken on existing encroachments,
Unimproved alley rights-of-way segments just south of Excelsior Boulevard: City
Council approve these vacations, as proposed.
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E DESCRIPTION:
j That port of the Alley in Block 22, West Minneapolis Center, according to the recorded plat
IJ) thereof, Hennepin County, Minnesota, lying westerly of the northerly extension of the east
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g CERTIFICATION:
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I hereby certify that this survey, plan or report was prepared by me or under my direct
supervision, and that I om a duly Licensed Land Surveyor under the laws of the State of
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March ?:~_, 2005
19840
VACATION EXHIBIT
HOPKINS, MINNESOTA
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SCALE IN
PART OF ALLEY, BLOCK 22,
WEST MINNEAPOLIS CENTER
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FOR: CITY OF HOPKINS
BOLTON & MENK, INC.
Consulting Engineers 8c Surveyors
1515 EAST HIGHWAY 13, BURNSVILLE, MN 55337 (952) 890-0509
MANKATO, MN FAIRMONT, MN SLEEPY EYE, MN WILLMAR, MN
8URNSVILLE, MN CHASKA, MN AMES. IA
JOB NUMBER: T16.21627
FIELD BOOK: N/A
DRAWN BY: ERW
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DESCRIPTION:
That part of the Alley in Black 21, West
plat thereof, Hennepin County. Minnesota,
the west line of Lot 7, said Block 21,
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PROJSED ALLEY1-~c:.~'\ \ ':- \ J
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Minneapolis Center, according to the recorded
lying easterly of the northerly extension of
CERTIFICATION:
On behalf of Bolton & Menk, Inc,:
I hereby certify that this survey. plan or report was prepared by me or under my
direct supervision, and that I om a duly Licensed Land Surveyor under the laws of the
State of Minnesota.
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Morch "?::C, 2005
r 19840
VACATION EXHIBIT
HOPKINS, MINNESOTA
BOLTON & MENK, INC.
Con.ultlng EngIneer. &: Surveyor.
1515 EAST HIGHWAY 13, BURNSVILLE, MN 55337 (952) 890-0509
MANKATO, MN FAIRMONT, MN SLEEPY EYE, MN WILLMAR, MN
BURNSVILLE, MN CHASKA, MN AMES, IA
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SCALE IN FEET
PART OF ALLEY, BLOCK 21,
WEST MINNEAPOLIS CENTER
FOR: CITY OF HOPKINS
JOB NUMBER: T16.21627
FIELD BOOK: N/A
DRAWN BY: ERW
DRAWN BY: ERW
FIELD BOOK: N/A
JOB NUMBER: T16,21627
FOR: CITY OF HOPKINS
VACATION EXHIBIT
HOPKINS, MINNESOTA
SOL TON & MENK, INC.
ConsultIng Engineers &: Surveyors
1515 EAST HIGHWAY 13, BURNSVILLE, MN 55337 (952) 890-0509
MAN KATO , MN FAIRMONT, MN SLEEPY EYE, MN WILLMAR, MN
BURNSVILLE, MN CHASKA, MN AMES, IA
PART OF ALLEY, BLOCK 20,
WEST MINNEAPOLIS CENTER
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SCALE IN
er 19840
2005
I hereby certify that this survey. plan or report was prepared by me or under my direct
supervision, and that I om a duly Licensed Land Surveyor under the laws of the State of
Minnesota.
CERTIFICATION:
On behalf of Bolton & Menk, Inc.:
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DESCRIPTION:
That part of the Alley in Block 20, West Minneapolis Center, according to the recorded plot
thereof, Hennepin County. Minnesota, lying westerly of the northerly extension of the east
line of Lot 32, soid Block 20.
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MILLER, STEINER & CURTISS, P.A.
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
400 WELLS FARGO BANK BUILDING
JEREMY S. STEINER' IOll,FIRST STREET SOUTH
WYNN CURTISS HOPKINS, MINNESOTA 55343
JASON T. HUTCHISON
JERRE A. MILLER (RETIRED)
. Real Property Law Specialist, certified
by Ihe Minnesota State Bar Associauon
952-938-7635
FAX 952-938-7670
Writer's Direct Dial No. 952-938-6219
MEMORANDUM
DATE:March 16,2005
TO:
Richard Getschow
Steve Stadler
FROM:
Jerry Steiner
RE:
Vacation of Unimproved Alleys and Goodrich Street Right of Way
The purpose of this Memo is to advise you of the following issues I believe should be addressed
before the City Council reconsiders the Resolution and Ordinance vacating certain unimproved
alleys and a portion of the right of way of Goodrich Street.
I. Draft Resolution No. 2005-025 and draft Ordinance No. 2005-946 do not expressly
reserve utility easements in the areas of the vacated street and alleys. One of the Recitals
in draft Resolution No. 2005-025 does state that "any public utility with existing facilities
within the vacated rights of way reserves the right to obtain easements" where existing
utilities are located. However, since these are public street and alley easements granted to
the City of Hopkins, the only way to assure that easements are retained for any public
utilities located within the streets and alleys to be vacated is for the City to expressly
reserve utility easements in the Council Resolution and Ordinance. Therefore, I
recommend that the Resolution and Ordinance be revised to expressly reserve utility
easements in any areas in which utility improvements are presently located or may need
to be located in the future, The best approach may be to simply reserve permanent
easements for public utilities beneath all of the vacated alleys and streets.
2. I recommend you have the legal descriptions of the areas to be vacated reviewed by a
surveyor before the Resolution and Ordinance are resubmitted to the City Council. After
vacation of the alleys and public street has been completed, a certified copy of the
ordinance must be filed in the offices ofthe Hennepin County Recorder and Registrar of
Titles. It is important that the legal descriptions be accurate and approved by a surveyor
so that the recorded ordinance will accurately describe the vacated areas. This will avoid
potential title problems for adjoining property owners.