Coversheet


CITY OF WATERLOO Council Communication Resolution setting date of public hearing as October 18, 2021, to approve a request by the City of Waterloo to vacate 0.27 acres of City owned right-of-way at East High School at 214 High Street, retaining a utility easement over the entirety, and rescinding Ordinance No. 4459, and instruct the City Clerk to publish notice. City Council Meeting: 10/4/2021 Prepared: 9/22/2021

ATTACHMENTS:
	Description	Type
	214 High Street overview map	Backup Material
	214 High Street aerial - vacated right-of-way	Backup Material
	Ord 4459 and related documents	Backup Material
	application	Backup Material

SUBJECT:

Resolution setting date of public hearing as October 18, 2021, to approve a request by the City of Waterloo to vacate 0.27 acres of City owned right-of-way at East High School at 214 High Street, retaining a utility easement over the entirety, and rescinding Ordinance No. 4459, and instruct the City Clerk to publish notice.

Submitted by:

Submitted By: Noel Anderson, Community Planning and Development Director

Recommended Action:

Approval

Summary Statement:

Transmitted is a request to set the date of public hearing as October 18, 2021, to approve the request by the City of Waterloo to vacate 0.27 acres of City owned right-of-way at East High School at 214 High Street and retaining a utility easement over the entirety and rescinding Ordinance No. 4459, and instruct the City Clerk to publish notice.

The request to vacate City owned right-of-way and rescind Ordinance No. 4459 will allow the City to vacate a piece of City owned right-of-way that is no longer needed for City purposes and is used as part of the school campus, while returning some formerly vacated sections of City owned right-of-way to public right-of-way for traffic and pedestrian purposes.

The site has been zoned “R-3” Multiple Residence District since the adoption of the Zoning Ordinance in 1969.

North – The Canadian National Railroad yard – M-1 Light Industrial District.

South – East High School – “R-3” Multiple Residence District.

East – The Canadian National Railroad yard – M-1 Light Industrial District.

West –Downtown Waterloo - “C-2" Commercial District and “C-3” Central Business District

These vacate areas are not located in a flood plain as indicated by the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map No. 1900025 0189F

The vacate area contains sanitary sewer and water mains. A utility easement will need to be retained over the entirety of the vacate area.

The request to vacate would not appear to have a negative impact on vehicular or pedestrian traffic in the area., or on drainage. The vacate area is currently part of East High School's parking lot. The vacate area was originally vacated along with additional surrounding streets on March 5, 2001 in Ordinance No. 4459. the other surrounding streets that were vacated as part of Ordinance No. 4459 were planned to be blocked off and included in the East High School Campus Master Plan for access control of the site, but these areas are no longer desired by Waterloo Community Schools. They were never conveyed to the Schools, and they have continued to be opened and maintained as public roads, and the City would like to return them to public right-of-way status.

Therefore, staff recommends the Request by the City of Waterloo to vacate 0.27 acres of City owned right-of-way at East High School at 214 High Street and is located in the “R-3” Multiple Residence District, be approved for the following reasons:

1. The request to vacate would not appear to have a negative impact on the surrounding area.

2. The request to vacate would not appear to have a negative impact on vehicular or pedestrian traffic conditions in the area.

3. The request to vacate would allow for the City to return those segments of Vine Street and South Barclay Street not desired by Waterloo Community Schools to public right-of-way status and to keep vacated a portion of South Barclay Street that is currently used as a parking lot by East High School.

Neighborhood Impact:

The request to vacate would not appear to have a negative impact on the neighborhood.

Data/Analysis and Strategies:

Vacate Public Right-of-Way

Expenditure Required/Source of Funds:

None

Legal Descriptions:

That portion of South Barclay Street lying north of Vine Street and south of the Illinois Central Railroad (now Canadian National Railroad) property, subject to the retention of an easement for utilities over all.