The Infrastructure and Facilities Committee voted unanimously to vacate and discontinue a portion of the 20 Eighth Avenue corridor right of way and to amend the official city map to remove the same parcels, the committee said at its October meeting.

The committee’s action means the parcels that were purchased and dedicated as right of way will revert to Marathon County; county officials have told the city they intend to sell the parcels if the right of way is vacated, a city staff member said.

The change matters because the official city map had prevented certain building permits and improvements on parcels inside the corridor. Alan (staff member) told the committee that removing the official city mapping will lift those restrictions: “If someone were to go pull a new building permit to put up a new garage or something, it’ll send up a flag that says you’re not allowed to put that building in the new right of way. Since the county has expressed that they’re not gonna build this corridor and the city’s not gonna build the corridor, there’s no longer a reason to have that official city mapping there.”

During a public hearing, residents raised questions about ownership and local impacts. Roger Henke, who identified himself as a resident of 2803 Apple Lane in the Village of Maine, said he believed he had not been paid for land that at one time had been shown on the city’s official mapping and that the mapping had limited his ability to make improvements: “I was never paid for any of that land. I was told ... it was kind of designated for that corridor, and I couldn’t do any improvements on that land.”

Karen Singh, who spoke on behalf of a friend who lives in the corridor area, said the friend’s family had maintained wooded land and a driveway there for about 60 years and asked what would happen to that land if the corridor were removed: “His family has. So I know. His driveway goes through it. … I was hearing that they’re gonna redo the original.”

City staff described the sale process they use when the city disposes of land: the city typically sets a minimum price, offers parcels for public bid, opens bids at the Board of Public Works, then forwards recommendations to the Finance Committee and City Council for final approval. Alan said he did not know Marathon County’s disposal process and suggested residents contact county staff with questions about how the county would sell the parcels.

The committee’s votes were both procedural motions to approve the vacation and to accept the amendment to the official city map. Both motions passed with no recorded opposition. Alan told the public that Marathon County would be the party to contact about county disposal; he gave a contact name for county highway questions as Marathon County Highway Commissioner Kevin Lang.

Next steps include any county actions to dispose of the parcels and the city processes for a bid and sale if the city is involved in resale; the committee’s votes remove the municipal restrictions that had been tied to the corridor designation.