ACTION REQUESTED:
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Communication from the City Manager and Public Works Director with a Request to Adopt an ORDINANCE to VACATE Portions of RIGHT-OF-WAYS on CEDAR, GROVE and RYE STREETS. (Needs Six Affirmative Votes.)
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BACKGROUND: On January 14, 2014, the City Council approved the acceptance of the jurisdictional transfer of a portion of Cedar Street right-of-way from the State of Illinois as the first step of the project described below for Archer Daniels Midland Company ("ADM") to reconfigure the grain truck traffic in and around its Peoria plant. On February 28, 2014, the State of Illinois through the Illinois Department of Transportation recorded the Quitclaim Deed with the Peoria County Recorder of Deeds Office, transferring Cedar Street Parcel to the City. See attached Quitclaim Deed. Now, as part of step 2 of the project, staff recommends that this Parcel, along with a portion of Grove and Rye Streets right-of-way in the same area, be vacated to the adjacent property owners.
The overall purpose of this project is to allow ADM to stage the trucks delivering grain to its plant and thereby eliminate the truck stacking that now occurs on Persimmon and Washington Streets. ADM averages 350 trucks per day into its plant, but can only accommodate staging for 58 trucks. If ADM is able to reconfigure the Cedar, Grove and Rye Street areas as proposed, it will increase its truck staging capacity to 122 trucks.
Attached is a Vacation Ordinance for approval, vacationing a portion of the right-of-ways on Cedar, Grove and Rye Streets to the adjacent property owners. Also attached is a one page "Cedar, Grove and Rye Streets Vacation Site Plan" prepared by Zumwalt & Associates, Inc. which depicts and describes ADM's proposed project.
As the Site Plan indicates, ADM will build new railroad tracks and a service road for the Peoria and Pekin Union Railway ("P & PU") on land ADM owns between Water and Grove Streets and then remove the P & PU tracks that are now located on Grove Street. Once that process is complete, ADM and P & PU will swap land so that P & PU will own the new tracks and service road and ADM will own additional land needed for the expansion of its truck staging area. Also, as part of this process, Caterpillar will re-locate its fiber optic cable and ADM will re-locate a water main and encase some electrical lines.
In addition, Monarch Street is a public street and would remain so. A 22' strip of Grove Street and all of Grove Street underneath the Cedar Street Bridge would remain a publicly dedicated road. In this way, the adjacent property owners (Ameren's Lot 6 and ADM's Lot 7 and plant), the City (sewer lines under the Bridge) and IDOT (maintenance needs under the Bridge) will continue to have access to their property via a public road as required by the City's zoning ordinance.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Relieves the financial burden to the City to maintain, repair and replace the right-of-ways.
NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS: Not applicable.
IMPACT IF APPROVED: Improved traffic flow and increased safety on Persimmon and Washington Streets. Also, allows ADM to improve the efficiency of its business operations.
IMPACT IF DENIED: City of Peoria will remain the owner of portions of the right-of-ways in question and ADM will not be able to relieve the traffic congestion on Persimmon and Washington Streets.
ALTERNATIVES: N/A
EEO CERTIFICATION NUMBER: N/A
WHICH OF THE GOALS IDENTIFIED IN THE COUNCIL'S 2014 - 2029 STRATEGIC PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION ADVANCE?
1. Grow Peoria: Businesses, Jobs, and Population
2. Vibrant Downtown: Riverfront/ Central Business District/ Warehouse District
WHICH CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR(S) FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION IMPLEMENT?
1. Invest in our infrastructure and transportation.
2. Support sustainability.
3. Grow employers and jobs.
DEPARTMENT: Legal