Make way for yards – and an addition.

Residents in the Mill Street neighborhood might soon extend their properties by 8 feet, after the Jordan City Council decided to hear out Paul Ross’ request for the city to vacate an alley behind his house.

He wants to make a small addition to his house – a bathroom, Senior City Planner Joe Janish said last week.

Nine neighbors, including Ross, maintain the one-block-long alley, which Janish said is not driveable.

There is no drive-through access in the alley, Councilmember Sally Schultz said. The gravel road offers no access to East Street.

It’s become grass, bushes and shrubs – yards, Janish and Councilmember Joe Thill said.

But it is a necessary utility easement between Mill and East streets in lowertown Jordan, Public Works Director Dave Bendzick said. The road has never been maintained or improved, he added.

The neighbors will be contacted about the proposed alley vacation and utility easements. Quit-claim deeds, subject to the easements, would be recorded by the property owners, City Attorney Annette Margarit said.

“Each individual on each side would receive 8 feet,” Janish said.

Coincidentally, Ross needs an 8-foot setback for his addition, Janish said.

To expedite the approval process, the city suggested the council, rather than the Jordan Planning Commission, hold the public hearing.

Councilmember Thom Boncher said he doesn’t want the commission “frozen out” of the process, but Schultz, Thill and Janish called the process usual.

Schultz said it would be a “misstep” to wait until June for a public hearing in front of the commission.

Janish said that city street vacations near St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, the former city hall, and Sawmill Road each came in front of the council for a public hearing.

“It’s been 3-0 city council, if you’re keeping score,” Janish said.

Mayor Pete Ewals urged the council to think about the repercussions of its potential decision: Four of the properties abut Highway 282 and the state has been limiting access to its highways lately, so at least two of the properties might face future access limitations.

Would the state force them to turn around and start using the alley in order to access their properties? Ewals conjectured.

“Getting that alleyway back would be quite costly,” Ewals said.

Councilmember Mike Shaw conceded that the mayor brought up good points. That’s why we have a public hearing, Shaw said. “So I don’t think we should have the hearing tonight.”

With a 4-2 vote, the council set a public hearing for during a city council meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 21 at the Jordan Government Center, 210 E. First St.