Item 27 - Intent to Vacate the portion of Public Right of Way

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Public Works Agency www.santa-ana.org/public-works Item # 27 City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 Staff Report July 18, 2023 TOPIC: Vacate the Portion of Public Right of Way Adjacent to 2383 North Flower Street AGENDA TITLE Adopt a Resolution of Intent to Vacate the portion of Public Right of Way Adjacent to 2383 North Flower Street, Abandonment 22-01 RECOMMENDED ACTION Adopt a resolution which declares the City's intent to vacate a portion of public right of way adjacent to Flower Street and sets a public hearing for August 15, 2023. DISCUSSION The portion of the public right of way was dedicated to the City of Santa Ana in 1931 on Tract Map No. 754 as a 10-foot by 120-foot long public street easement (Exhibit 1). The easement is currently being utilized by both vehicle and pedestrian traffic to travel from Flower Street to Heliotrope Drive and vice versa (Exhibit 2). The area is improved with concrete pavement and a cross gutter through the center and has been maintained by the City of Santa Ana. Within the alley section, there is a wood utility pole and anchor owned by Southern California Edison (SCE). However, the current 10-foot width of the alley is obstructed by the presence of the wood utility pole, thereby limiting vehicular access through the alley. The property owners of 2383 North Flower Street have submitted a request to vacate this portion of the alley for the purpose of closing down the alley to both vehicle and pedestrian traffic. On multiple occasions the neighborhood property owners have experienced transients, casings, and burglaries to the homes adjacent to the alley. Should the portion of the alley be vacated, the property owners will be installing a fence on the easterly portion of the alley for their safety. As per the title report, the City of Santa Ana is the owner of an easement that covers the entire alley. If the westerly 100-foot section of the alley is vacated, it would fully revert to the owners of 2383 North Flower Street. However, the City has made a determination that the 15-foot westerly section of the alley will remain as public easement. This will allow the property owners at 2379 North Flower Street to continue to have access to their driveway through the alley. Furthermore, the 5-foot easterly section of the westerly half portion of