A group of 10 residents has expressed interest in vacating a part of River Avenue, which follows the Baudette River along Baudette Bay on the west side.
Mayor Rick Rone said Monday night that a portion below the VFW Club has been vacated already.
Zoning Administrator Dale Tillery said that if the road is vacated, it would be treated like any other vacated road; half would go to the property owner on each side. That means the residents would get a bit more land and the river (or the Department of Natural Resources essentially) would get the other half.
There are a few things the residents should consider, the council members said. First is that they would not own the property all the way to the water. Second is that they would get a tax increase if the road is vacated and they own more property. Third is that there is a proper process to follow to start and complete the process of vacating a road.
Tillery said there are several platted streets in the city where there is not a road. Other landowners may ask to go through the same process once the River Avenue goes through.