When the Atlantic City Council holds their regularly scheduled session 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, at City Hall, they’ll have a short agenda in front of them. In addition to approving their consent agenda, which consists of Tree Trimmer permits, Class-C liquor licenses for two local bars, and administrative matters, the Council will review and likely act on, a recommendation from the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission report, with regard to the partial vacating of the Right-of-Way (ROW) between Hemlock and Sycamore Streets, south of E. 18th Street.

During their meeting on August 5th, the Council referred the matter to the P&Z, which met on Aug. 11th. The Commission was empathetic to the property owner Daniel Jones, who, as Zoning Commissioner/City Administrator John Lund has states, “Has been caught in a bureaucratic nightmare.” Jones has two sheds behind his property and would like to combine them, improve the exterior and make them taller. Aerial images of the property appear to show his sheds encroaching on the City ROW. His request for a permit to make the changes to his sheds was not approved because of the encroachment.

Long-story short, the Commission unanimously concluded the ROW in that neighborhood serves no further public purpose for the City, and that the City’s Comprehensive Plan does not suggest the area is one where redevelopment is anticipated that would justify the City retaining the land in question.

The Commission recommend the abutting property owners be contacted and informed the City intends to vacate the alley and divide the ROW among eight abutting lots. Where utilities are provided on the south side of the ROW, the City, according to the Commission, should obtain easements to the service area, if AMU would desire them.

The only other business on the Council’s agenda is regular reports from the City Administrator, Mayor, Council and Student Representative (as available), followed by a public forum, as needed.