Committee clears path for acquiring pedestrian easement near Rowan station, cites appraisals and survey

The Land Use and Building Management Committee on March 4 voted to refer and proceed with actions authorizing the city to purchase or, if necessary, exercise eminent-domain powers to secure a pedestrian right-of-way easement along a historic paper road between Hunt Street and Woodbine that provides a key walking link to the Rowan train station.

City planning staff member Jim Travers described long-running neighborhood support for preserving the corridor as a multimodal commuter path and said the city has recently completed sidewalk work that will connect to the easement. Darren from the law department summarized the legal mechanics: the parcel dates to an early subdivision (a "paper road" roughly 315 feet long and originally 40 feet wide), adjacent property owners have encroached over time, and the city’s surveyor has proposed a centerline easement about 9.5 feet wide (4.25 feet on either side of center) to formalize public pedestrian rights.

Darren said the city obtained two appraisals for the easement interest and averaged their valuations, producing a working estimate "roughly about $30,000, give or take." He explained the statutory eminent-domain process: the city deposits the appraisal figure with the court and any claimant may contest the valuation there. Committee members asked whether neighbors are supportive and who would maintain or clear snow from the corridor; staff said the path is less like a public roadway and more like a recreational trail, and that maintenance and snow-removal responsibilities will be determined later in consultation with public works and the community.

Committee members expressed support for clearing the land records and resolving ownership ambiguities; the committee voted unanimously to move the referral and acquisition forward.