Council committee denies vacation of Vermont Street right-of-way at 309 West Aldridge

The council’s Community and Economic Development Committee considered a petition to vacate a section of Vermont Street right-of-way to enable a two‑lot subdivision and rezoning for the property at 309 West Aldridge. Staff and the petitioner’s consulting engineer said the right-of-way vacation was a threshold requirement: without it the proposed R2 lots and related variance requests would not meet zoning standards.

Tim Burdos, the petitioner’s consulting engineer, told the committee he included the vacated parcel in the subdivision plans. "The plans that I have, include the vacated parcel, in order to, get it through," he said. Planning staff clarified existing lot widths and explained that with the proposed vacation the two resulting lots would be roughly 98 feet (westerly) and 75 feet (easterly), the latter at the bare minimum for R2 zoning.

Council members raised concerns about riparian maintenance, floodplain impacts and the village’s loss of control over the creek corridor if the right-of-way is vacated. Staff reminded the committee that vacations of village property require a three-quarters vote of the village council (five of six district council members). A roll-call at standing committee did not produce the required affirmative votes and the vacation request was reported as denied; staff said the associated zoning relief would be moot and would need reconfiguration if the petitioner pursues it further.