The applicant is responsible for providing a survey of the public street/alley and metes and bounds description (prepared by a surveyor, engineer, or other person duly authorized by the state). City staff will advise the applicant:
- If the entire alley/street will be sold/conveyed to the applicant, or if the plat should show the alley/street being divided between the applicant and adjacent property owner(s).
- If any easements need to be reserved.
The survey should include:
- Title, location, acreage, and land use.
- Date, north point, and graphic scale.
- Location and names of property owners of adjoining lands, including deed book and page references, and tax map numbers.
- Existing adjacent streets, including right-of-way, street widths, and street names.
- Existing and proposed easements within the public alley/street closing and any extension into adjoining properties, if applicable. Example text:
- 10’ private sanitary sewer easement DB ##/###
- New variable width private sanitary sewer easement
- 20’ public sanitary sewer easement hereby reserved
- New 10’ Columbia Gas easement
- Describe and illustrate the combined lot areas, where portions of the public alley/street are combined with applicants’ and/or adjoining properties. Example text:
- Property lines hereby vacated
- A vicinity sketch or key map shall be shown on or accompany plat.
Depending upon the specific request and any agreements made between the applicant and the City, there may be additional items required to be shown on or provided with the plat.
The completed survey shall be submitted to the Planning Division of the Department of Community Development, 409 South Main Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22801, 2nd Floor for review and acceptance. Questions may be directed to CDPlanning@harrisonburgva.gov or 540-432-7700.
Once the survey is accepted by Community Development, the City Clerk (540-432-7701) will:
- Work with the City Attorney’s Office to draft the Ordinance to close the public alley/street. The ordinance will include references to any reserved or dedicated easements.
- Work with the City Manager and Real Estate’s Office to set the price for the alley/street closing and will collect fees from the applicant and adjacent property owners.
- Schedule the date for the 2nd Reading for City Council’s final approval and record documents at the Rockingham County Clerk of Court’s Office.