City Council Meeting Date: July 21, 2026
To: Mayor and Members of Council
City Administrator
From: Mathias Hughey, Interim City Planner
David Bennett, Public Works Director/City Engineer
Title
Consider First Reading of Ordinance 1096 Vacating Drainage and Utility Easements within 504 & 508 Ivanhoe Ave.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council approves a motion to approve the first reading of Ordinance 1096 vacating drainage and utility easements within 504 & 508 Ivanhoe Ave.
Requires a supermajority (5/7) vote.
Summary Report:
Dean and Julia Albertson (the Applicants) have applied to combine two parcels, Parcel IDs - 2236152002, Address - 504 Ivanhoe Ave., and Parcel ID - 2236152003, Address - 508 Ivanhoe Ave., located in the City of Northfield. Both residential parcels are vacant and contain 5-foot-wide drainage and utility easements along the side property lines. If the lot combination is approved, the City will not need the portion of those easements that bisect the new parcel, and those easements will prevent development of the lot as the applicant intends.
The lot combination process is a Minor Subdivision and follows the Type 5 review procedure - decision by City Council with no review by the Planning Commission. That decision is addressed in a separate staff report.
This is the first reading of the vacation process to coincide with a public hearing to vacate the drainage and utility easement. The second reading is proposed to follow at the August 3rd City Council meeting.
According to Northfield Municipal Code Section 15.6:
The council may by ordinance approved by at least five (5) members vacate any street, alley or other public grounds or part thereof within the city. Such vacation may be made only after published notice and an opportunity for affected property owners and public to be heard, and upon such further terms and by such procedures as the council by ordinance may prescribe. A notice of completion of such proceedings...
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