Discussion:
Roger Behrens, representing the State of Minnesota has filed a vacation application proposing the vacation of several street rights-of-way and alleys within and adjacent to the Minnesota Correctional Facility.
The proposal cleans up the title for the property, as several of the areas impacted are already developed as parking areas, or have other encroachments. Many of the alleys and streets should have been vacated when the site was developed by the State in the mid 1980's (see attached vacation sketches).
The proposed vacation involves the following streets and alleys:
- Webster Street, south of Sixth Avenue
- Cass Street, south of Sixth Avenue
- Fifth Avenue, between Adams Street and Webster Street
- Washington Street, between Fourth Avenue and Sixth Avenue
- Fourth Avenue, between Adams Street and Webster Street
- Alleys within blocks 5 and 6 of Koeper's Addition
- Alleys within blocks 172 and 173 of the City of Shakopee plat.
The State originally requested the vacation of an alley along Webster Street and Webster Street north of Sixth Avenue. The city has existing and future utilities planned for this area. The State of MN has withdrawn the request to vacate that specific area.
The Engineering Department, Shakopee Public Utilities, and other utility companies have reviewed the request and recommend approval of the revised request, subject to the dedication of a drainage and utility easement for the proposed Fourth Avenue vacation area and the dedication of an easement for a possible future trail between Adams Street and Cass Street. This would serve as a possible corridor for a trail to allow access between Riverview Park and Holmes Park (see attached exhibit). In order for the connection to happen, an easement would need to be granted by the owner of the school bus garage for a segment that would be on the southerly undeveloped portion of their property.