Title
Acceptance of Easement Dedications to Los Alamos County and Approval of Easement Vacations Within the Grant of Easements and Vacation of Easement Plat for The Hill Development
Recommended Action
I move that Council approve and accept the dedication of the public utility and public drainage easements to Los Alamos County and approve the vacation of existing easements as shown within the Grant of Easements and Vacation of Easement Plat for The Hill Development.
County Manager's Recommendation
The County Manager recommends that Council approve the motion as presented.
Body
A Grant of Easements and Vacation of Easement Plat has been prepared for property owned by L.A.H. Investors, LLC within Tracts A-12A and A-13-A2, Eastern Area No. 3. The property is located within Section 16, Township 19 North, Range 6 East, in Los Alamos County, New Mexico, and is associated with The Hill Apartments development.
The plat identifies existing easements affecting the property and establishes new easements necessary to support the development and associated infrastructure. The new easements shown on the plat include public utility and public drainage easements. The plat also identifies existing easements that are being vacated where they are no longer consistent with the current site configuration, development improvements and public infrastructure needs.
The easement dedication and vacation are intended to align the recorded property interests with the constructed and proposed site improvements. As illustrated on the site improvement plan (Attachment A, Page 4), the development includes multiple residential buildings, internal access drives, parking areas, pedestrian improvements, utility infrastructure, drainage facilities, and other associated site improvements. The newly established easements generally follow the location of the infrastructure and access improvements serving the development.
The public utility easements provide the County with the necessary property rights for utility infrastructure operations and maintenance located within the development, while the public drainage easements establish areas necessary for drainage facilities and stormwater conveyance. The private access easements provide access rights within portions of the development while also accommodating public utilities where identified on the plat.
The plat was prepared by Fierro & Company, LLC and includes the applicable certifications and approvals for the easement dedication and vacation. The property owner has executed the plat consenting to the easements and vacations shown. Staff has reviewed the plat and recommends that Council accept the public easements dedicated to Los Alamos County.
Approval and acceptance by Council will allow the plat to proceed toward recording and will formally establish the County's rights within the public utility and drainage easement areas shown on the plat.
Alternatives
Council could decline to accept the easement dedications. In that event, the public utility and drainage easements shown on the plat would not be accepted by Los Alamos County and the plat would need to be revised or otherwise addressed before recording.
Attachments
A - Grant of Easement & Vacation of Easement Plat