HomeMy WebLinkAboutA001 - Council Acgtion Form dated March 26, 2002 Item # 5 4b
Date: March 2 2002
COUNCIL ACTION FORM
SUBJECT: APPROVE/REJECT VACATION AND TRANSFER OF A PORTION OF
THE WATT STREET RIGHT OF WAY
BACKGROUND:
As a part of the Dayton Avenue Reconstruction Project, the area industries requested
that the present at-grade railroad crossing on the Union Pacific Railroad tracks be
eliminated and an overpass built. That concept was approved and the design of an
overpass included in the project.
Because of the overpass, the current driveway for the AMX property had to be relocated
north through the Becker-Underwood property. Note the attached drawing that is cut
from the proposed landscaping plan for the project. The use of the Becker-Underwood
property for the AMX driveway requires the acquisition of an easement from Becker-
Underwood. The area required is approximately 266 feet long and 40 feet wide (10,610
square feet). The easement is entirely within the required frontyard setback on the
property so there is no restriction to the area that structures can be built upon. The
easement does restrict the ability to use the area for parking.
Becker—Underwood's access to their business is off of Watt Street. The main parking
lot and driveway for the office portion of their site is located approximately 250 feet west
of Dayton Avenue on Watt Street. In order to replace the area of land taken out of
parking use with the Dayton Avenue project, the owners of Becker-Underwood have
requested that the City vacate a portion of Watt Street and transfer it to them. Watt
Street is a 24' wide street with an 80' right of way. The 24' wide street is appropriate,
based on the amount of traffic and the few drive accesses. It is a dead-end street that
leads to four properties, including Becker-Underwood, the Ames Story Environmental
Landfill, Manatt's Inc., and the closed City of Ames Landfill.
Current standards for industrial streets call for a 31' wide street with a 66' wide right of
way. This allows for 17.5' of land outside the street for utility installations and snow
storage. If the same area (175) were to be left on Watt Street, 10.5' of the current right
of way could be declared excess. In 1996, Becker-Underwood was granted an
encroachment permit for 10.2' of the right of way for their parking lot.
If the area were to be vacated and transferred (10.5' x 869.62') in accordance with
established City policy, the adjacent land value would be used and the amount reduced
by 25% due to the nature of the City's transfer (Quit Claim Deed) and the retention of an
easement for existing utilities. The Assessor's value of the land is $1.54 per square
foot. With the reduction, the land value is $1.16 per square foot. The total value of the
land is thus $10,592. The appraisal of the parcel along Dayton Avenue, including
damages during construction, is $ 22,600. Becker-Underwood's assessment for the
CAF—Vacate oortion Watt Street ROW-1—
y
Dayton Avenue project is $20,773. It is their desire to exchange a portion of the right of
way payment for the assessment. The net amount still owed them is $1,827. When this
amount is subtracted from the value of the Watt Street land, the net payment to the City
will be $8,765.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. Approve the concept of vacating the south 10.5 feet of the east 869.62 feet of the
Watt Street right of way and transferring the land to Becker-Underwood as partial
compensation for the easement needed in conjunction with the Dayton Avenue
reconstruction project by establishing April 9, 2002 as the date of the Public Hearing.
2. Reject the concept of vacating the right of way.
MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Since the right of way on Watt Street is larger than need be by current standards and
vacation of the excess will assist in the compensation for lost parking area, it is the
recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council accept alternative number
one above and approve the concept of vacating the south 10.5 feet of the east 869.62
feet of the Watt Street right of way and transferring the land to Becker-Underwood as
partial compensation for the easement needed in conjunction with the Dayton Avenue
reconstruction project by establishing April 9, 2002 as the date of the Public Hearing on
the vacation and transfer.
COUNCIL ACTION:
CAF—Vacate portion Watt Street ROW-2—
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EXHIBIT "A" N
CITY OF AMES, IOWA AL
ENGINEERING DIVISION
NO SCALE
80.0' NE. CORNER NE. CORNET
WEST LINE OF WATT STREET LOT 1 SE. 1/4
NORTH LINE OF LOT 1 90.0' SECTION
8�4W
�6�95 869.2'WATT STREET 69.5'
869.2' INi OF BEGINNING
10.5° 869.2' 10.5'
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CHICAGO AND NORTHWESTERN RAILROAD
RECORDED:
INSTRUMENT NO.
DATE:
A RECTANGULAR TRACT OF LAND SECTION ONE, TOWNSHIP 83 NORTH,
RANGE 24 WEST, OF THE 5T" PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, CITY OF AMES, STORY
COUNTY, IOWA DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:
COMMENCING AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE SOUTHEAST '/4 OF
SECTION ONE; THENCE WEST, 90.00 FEET ALONG THE NORTH LINE OF LOT
1, BLOCK 5 OF LANDFILL ADDITION; THENCE SOUTH, 69.5 FEET ALONG THE
WEST RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF DAYTON AVENUE AS IT IS PRESENTLY
ESTABLISHED TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING; THENCE CONTIUNING SOUTH,
10.5 FEET ALONG THE WEST RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF DAYTON AVENUE;
THENCE WEST, 869.2 FEET PARALLEL WITH AND 80.0 FEET SOUTH OF THE
NORTH LINE OF LOT 1, TO A POINT ON THE WEST RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF
WATT STREET; THENCE NORTH, 10.5 FEET ALONG THE WEST RIGHT OF
WAY LINE OF WATT STREET; THENCE EAST, 869.2 FEET, PARALLEL WITH
AND 69.5 FEET SOUTH OF THE NORTH LINE LOT 1, TO THE POINT OF
BEGINNING.