Archived story
As originally published
Demorest City Council voted 4–0 on May 5 to approve a resolution abandoning an unopened alley at Walnut Avenue and Ohio Street. The motion, second and unanimous vote made the alley closure an approved city action, covering the right of way depicted in Exhibit A to the resolution.
Though the disputed strip is small and unopened, its status matters because it affects the boundary and potential use of adjoining land. In a work-session discussion before the vote, officials said the closure was connected to a garage-related property-line issue near the Carlson family’s parcel, turning a long-unused public right of way into a practical question of private property and municipal control.
The matter first surfaced publicly Oct. 7, 2025, when the city manager reported a request to close an alley at the end of Walnut Avenue and said more information would follow. By April 7, the Mayor and Council had made a preliminary determination that the Walnut–Ohio alley was unnecessary for public use and directed notice to adjacent owners, setting final action for May 5. That formal review led to the council’s unanimous abandonment vote.
City staff recommended that council proceed after describing the alley as free of utilities and saying closure would resolve the garage property-line issue. The request was identified in the May 5 work session as involving the Carlson family’s nearby property. Council members, meanwhile, formally adopted the abandonment resolution without a dissenting vote; the minutes do not describe public opposition or a separate position from adjoining owners.
The abandonment itself is complete as a council decision, not merely a proposal. Some related details remain less certain: the April action directed notice to adjacent owners, but the record does not show whether that notice was sent. Staff also said that, if a price were approved, it would be no less than 1.5 times assessed value. That discussion does not establish that council set a price, required a sale or received payment.
No further meeting, filing or implementation step has been identified after the May 5 vote. Residents seeking to follow the matter should watch for a later city record documenting how the approved abandonment was carried out, including any adjacent-owner notice and any transfer terms or payment. Whether such a transaction is required, and its terms if it is, remains undecided or unrecorded.