TO: Mayor and Members of City Council
THRU: Kristoff T. Bauer, Deputy City Manager
FROM: Rob Stone, PE, Public Services Director
DATE: June 25, 2018
RE:
Title
Public Hearing to Consider Closing a Portion of Shenandoah Drive
end
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S):
Council District(s)
6
b
Relationship To Strategic Plan:
Desirable Place to Live, Work and Recreate
Executive Summary:
NCGS §160A-299 gives authority and procedures for the City to be able to close a city street or alley. The Rick Herrema Foundation (RHF) has petitioned to close a 184 foot portion of Shenandoah Drive to better enhance future plans for redevelopment of its property. The RHF redevelopment plan, which includes the closure of the small portion of Shenandoah Dr near its intersection with Beaver Creek, has been approved by the City. Closing the street will not deny access to any property owners. The first step in the process dictated by NCGS§160A-299 is to have a resolution signed granting the public hearing to consider the closing and as such, City Council set the public hearing for June 25, 2018. Staff has followed all of the statutory procedures to include posting the property and mailing out certified notice letters to adjacent property owners. The property has also been posted on both ends with notice and the notice of this hearing was published for 4 consecutive weeks in the local newspaper.
Background:
• The Rick Herrema Foundation has petitioned the City to close a portion of Shenandoah Drive to enhance development of their property.
• NCGS §160A-299 gives authority and procedures required for the City to close a city street or alley.
• This closure will not land lock any abutting property owners.
• A traffic analysis has been completed by staff and found that due to the isolated area of this connection, there is no timetable where simply connecting Shenandoah Drive to provide the “cut through” from Bingham Drive to Hope Mills Road would provide any additional benefit to the larger roadway network.
• If Shenandoah Drive was included in a more comprehensive plan to provide additional east/west connectivity, such as all the way to Owen Drive, and also upgrading the residential street to a collector type street, then Raeford Road and the intersecting roadways may experience a benefit.
• The Fire Department has reviewed the request and predict that emergency response times would be greatly reduced if Shenandoah Drive was connected all the way from Bingham Drive to Hope Mills Road.
Issues/Analysis:
• No access will be denied to anyone as a result of the proposed closing.
• The closure would prevent a possible future connection that has partially been dedicated.
• The Emergency Response times would be reduced if Shenandoah Drive were to be connected from Bingham Drive to Hope Mills Road.
• Currently there is no budget or plan in the future for this connection to be made.
• If in the future, after the portion of road is abandoned, if a connection is desired the city would have to seek to have the right of way be re-dedicated.
• In their plans for expansion and redevelopment previously approved by the City, the Rick Herrema Foundation has depicted the portion of the street as being closed and being utilized as part of their development.
• The City will be reserving an above ground and underground utility easement over the entire closed portion.
Budget Impact:
There is no significant impact to the budget as a result of the proposed closing.
Options:
• Adopt the Resolution and Order Closing a Portion of Shenandoah Drive
• Deny the request.
Recommended Action:
Staff recommends adopting the Resolution and Order Closing a Portion of Shenandoah Drive.
Attachments:
• Resolution
• Map
• Fire Response Analysis
• Traffic Analysis
• Traffic Analysis Maps