03/29/76 Board of Public Works Minuites

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REGULAR MEETING MARCH 29, 1976 beautiful landscaping; and soe'forth.` Mr; Brennan said there was a large shade tree in the back of the property and Dr. Houser had said that tree would remain. The tree is now gone. Mr. Brennan said Dr. Houser might tell the people now that they could continue to use the alley, but he could change his mind after it was vacated. Mr. Brennan said he felt that this alley was worth eight to ten thousand dollars. Mr. Brennan displayed to the Board an abstract prepared by Dan Warren in 1962 which included a survey of the area around this alley. Mr. Brennan said, at the Area Plan Commission hearing, Mr. Molnar had said there were no utilities in the alley and that the staff of the Area Plan Commission could see no problems with the vacation. Mr. Brennan said there are high tension wires in the area'and he displayed photographs of these wires to the Board. Mr. Brennan said that some Councilmen had been contacted and that Councilman - at -Large. Richard Dombrowski is out of the City today but has submitted the following letter: "The Board of Public Works Gentlemen: As a member at large of the Council, I toured the Lafayette, Marion, Navarre and Sharon Place neighbor- hood where there is.a petition to close the east -west r„a alley. In my opinion the vacation of this alley will only W complicate the traffic pattern, will certainly enrich the petitioners to the detriment of the City and neighbors, and can in no way benefit the public. Therefore, I most respectfully suggest that the alley in question be kept open for everyone to use. I shall be away for the next few days, otherwise I would have presented this view to you in person. Very truly yours, s/ Richard C. Dombrowski if Mr. Brennan then noted that Mr. Wilborn, a property owner who conducts a business in the area, had purchased property in order to provide parking for his customers. Mr. Brennan said it was his feeling that, when earlier alleys were vacated in the area, they had not considered there would be one-way streets in.the area He said without using this alley residents will have to go down to Madison Street or to Navarre Street. He said that he drove the area this morning and the alley was blocked. Mr. Brunner asked how it was blocked. Mr. Brennan said there was a back hoe and a dump truck in the alley. Mr. Brennan noted that other.property owners in the.area oppose the closing but are not able to be present this morning, including Mr. Wilborn, Mr. Stratigos and Mr. Horan. Deputy City Attorney William Stanley asked Mr. Brennan how many residents use this alley on a regular basis. Mr. Brennan said he could not give an exact number but he mentioned several residents who use the alley and who own more than one car. Mr. Brennan•.. said he felt that the alley should stay open for the use of the people. Fred Allin, 319 W. Navarre Street, spoke to the Board and said he would like to know why the petitioners did not have the alley vacated before they built their building. Mr. Allin said his son owns property near this alley and uses the alley, as do other people in the area. He said this is nothing but a land steal and should not be permitted. Mr. Brennan said, in regard to the statement that people driving an LTD could not make the turn from this alley, he knows of at least one property owner who drives a Cadillac who does make that turn.