Commission discusses mapping historic right-of-way widths as tool for future development decisions

City staff told the Conservation Commission that the city has digitized historic street books and could, in principle, produce a color-coded map showing right-of-way widths (for example, 50-foot vs narrower segments) to help planners and the public see where road widths differ across the city.

Staff cautioned that producing a full, validated right-of-way map would be a considerable effort requiring deed research and, in many cases, new surveys. "We do have all the map books showing the streets," a city staff member said, adding the scanned files can be large and sometimes hard to open. Commissioners noted previous cases where road width and sight-line limitations influenced development decisions (Old Pool Road) and discussed targeted surveying for specific projects rather than a citywide immediate effort.

Members suggested bringing focused cases to staff for mapping and survey work as part of next-stage planning, particularly in growth areas where road width and right-of-way questions will affect development and emergency access.