City Council
MEETING DATE: 7/22/2015
TITLE:
Title
Resolution of Intention to Vacate Certain Streets, Alleys, Public Highways and Utility Easements - Vacation No. 2015-01
End
FROM:
Tami E. Scott, Administrative Services Director
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends the City Council adopt a Resolution declaring its intention to vacate all or portions of Lot “C” (Grove Street), Lot “D”(Grove Street), Lot “E” (Dawes Street), Lot “F”(Dawes Street), Lot “G” (Allen Avenue), Lot “H”(alley lot), and Lot “X” (Grove Street), as shown on the map of Cathedral City, filed in Book 13, at Pages 24 through 26, inclusive, of Maps, Records of Riverside County, California, together with the vacation of public highway and/or public utility uses on portions of Lots 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 82, 95, 101, 102, 103, 104 and Lot “H” (alley lot) as shown on said map of Cathedral City, all located within the east half of the east half of Section 33, Township 4 South, Range 5 East, San Bernardino Meridian, at the northwest quadrant of East Palm Canyon Drive and Date Palm Drive
Body
BACKGROUND:
The former Redevelopment Agency of the City of Cathedral City acquired a number of properties in the “Eastside” area, located north of Palm Canyon Drive and west of Date Palm. These parcels were acquired and cleared in order to remove blight and to consolidate land for future mixed use development. The biggest obstacle to redevelopment of this key area had been the small size and multiple ownership of individual parcels, fragmentation of the developable land mass caused by street and alley configuration, and the need for infrastructure improvements.
In 2012, when the State eliminated all redevelopment agencies, the City as the Successor Agency to the former Redevelopment Agency was required to develop a Long Range Property Management Plan (“LRPMP”). The LRPMP was developed in a way where “blocks” of parcels were packaged as a planned sale and included plans for mitigation of development obstacles. In this case, the “Eastside” block, approved by the Department of Finance in the LRPMP, included the need for vacation of certain streets and alleys to maximize future development potential as required by redevelopment dissolution legislation. The City is now completing the process of vacation of the referenced streets, alleys and easements.
DISCUSSION:
The vacation procedure begins with the adoption of the attached Resolution of Intention, which schedules a public hearing date, and directs the publication, posting and noticing of the hearing, all in accordance with the State Streets and Highways Code.
Staff has already sent out letters to the various utility companies to solicit their comments or objections to the requested vacation. All of the streets, alleys and easements to be vacated have existing utility facilities such as power lines and poles, telephone lines and facilities, cable TV wires, water mains, hydrants and services, sewer mains and laterals.
Any final vacation resolution will contain conditions requiring the removal, relocation or undergrounding of these utilities before the final vacation resolutions can be recorded to make the vacations effective.
A noticed public hearing will be held to hear testimony on the proposed vacation. At that time, a full Engineer’s report will be presented, along with any special conditions of approval and other findings to be made.
At the hearing, an environmental finding will be made, and a report as to the vacation’s conformance with the General Plan will be presented, if needed. Any comments or objections received from the utility companies or the public will be included in the Engineer’s report. Any interested person can participate in the hearing.
The attached Resolution of Intention sets the public hearing for Wednesday, August 12, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None
ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution of Intention for Vacation 2015-01