By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
After a year, the survey results are in for the St. Johns Street alley in Parsons is in and some residents are not happy. Several residents aired their grievances over property line discrepancies raised by the new City survey of the alley. Neighborhood residents aired their concerns to the Parsons City Council May 5th during the Council’s regular meeting.
“In the interest of the town, I had the street and the alley surveyed,” Parsons City Manager Mike Simmons said. “That way we knew where our property was.”
The new survey has raised some issues and concerns for the City and residents of the neighborhood. The survey has shifted the position of the alley, which has not only eliminated some residents’ parking, but placed a rock wall and power pole in the alley, as well. Besides losing a parking place, one property owner has found the alleyway placed far closer to his doorway due to the survey. The City concerns include getting emergency vehicles through the alley with the placement of the power pole and rock wall.
“Its a mess,” Simmons said. “The other end of the alley goes up through the other property owner’s dry stack stone wall, section of the porch and its a mess.”
Residents of the neighborhood were on hand at the Council meeting to suggest a solution in the form of alley abandonment. The residents requested the alley be abandoned and divided among the property owners to do with as they saw fit.
It was a request that was rejected by the Council, mainly due to utility concerns. Council Member Seth Rosenau said that alleyways mainly exist for utility access and without being 100% sure that there are no City utilities in the alleyway, the City would not abandon the alleyway. He also stated that the Council had never approved a request for alley abandonment that had been brought before them.
When the residents were asked by the Council if they had discussed alternative solutions among themselves, they admitted that they had no discussions.
Property owner Shannon Harper said it was her understanding that the alley had already been abandoned. Harper also said she had surveys at home that contested the City survey. Council Member Melissa Jones requested Harper supply the contesting surveys for comparison.
City Manager Mike Simmons was instructed to contact Mon Power about options for the power pole. He would then contact the residents with his findings.
The Council would await more information before taking any formal action.
