The City of Boulder will not abandon alleyways, even ones no one has used for over a century, the city council indicated last week.
Steve Marquis approached the council with a request that the city abandon an unused alley in the 100 block west of Cleveland Street between Cleveland and Centre. He presented the city with a petition signed by all of the property owners in the area.
Councilmember Gary Richardson said Montana law allows the city to do that if all affected property owners agree. He noted that buildings in place for over a century are blocking the right of way, proving the alley has not been used for access in that time. There are no utilities in the right of way, he said.
In addition, if the alley is abandoned the land reverts to adjacent property owners, who will then be paying taxes on it. The city’s board of adjustments took all of those factors into consideration in recommending approval of the request, said Richardson.
Mayor Gary Craft said ten or twelve years ago the city received several requests to close alleys and opted not to grant any of those requests.
Councilmember Shane Maichel expressed concern that a “snowball effect” might come with granting the request from Marquis. “It may not be used now, but who knows what could happen in 20 years from now,” he said. A motion by Richardson to grant the request died for lack of a second.
In other business conducted July 17, the council:
• heard citizen complaints on weeds. (See separate article.)
• heard an update on the forest garden. (See separate article.)
• noted donations of $1000 from the See & Save for the city pool and of $500 from James Morrison for the cemetery.
• heard an update on the Boulder Transition Advisory Committee.
• discussed a need to define what the city wants from the cemetery board so members can be recruited.
• announced August 28, 6:30 p.m. as the time for the annual budget hearing.
• approved a two-year fire services agreement with Riverside at $1600 per year.
• approved a plat amendment boundary line adjustment on property owned by Eva Eileen Johnson.
• and announced a need for members on the city board of adjustments and the planning board.
