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23~Q SPECIAL MEETING JULY' 6, 1966 Mayor Nilsen opened the Public Hearing at 8:00 P.M, to hear all persons present upon a petition of the abutting property owners for the vacation of the Rug les Street Walkway between Pascal and Holton Avenues, said walkway being approximately 12 feet wide and 269 feet in length. C lerk Strandquist read official notice of hearing and said petition. Council members present were: Mayor Nilsen, Clerk Strandquist, Trustees Black and Warkentien. Absent: Trustee Stone. There were also approximately twenty people present. 1 i ~: Attorney for the petitioners to vacate walkway, Jerome Beardsley, gave opening statements regarding same. In part he stated that the petitioners are the same as presented petition in 1960 with the exception of one. Con- ditions have changed considerably since 1960, and continued use of this property as walkway has resulted in consistent v iolation of rights in the use of this property, and deprivation of enjoyment of their own property. Lawns have suffered, shrubs as well as trees, clotheslines; there has been fighting to disturb the peace, window peepers, motor bikes and bicycles. Property owners have been subjected to scorn and abuse. The users do not stay in the walkway and have created hazards when property owners back out of their garages. There actually is only a minimum need for the walkway- the school children cannot use the back door of the school-there is no longer a bus running on Pascal Avenue. There has been property damage. Night use has increased in the summer and questionable characters have been. seen there in recent weeks. It is belief that public. would not suffer hardship if this petition were granted. The village does not maintain this walkway and those property owners, by heavy taxes have rights to the full use of their property and these rights are being denied, Beardsley concluded. Mrs. Hefty 1857 Holton: We have lived here for about fifteen years and we were aware when we built our home that there was a walk. It was suggested that we build it in the present position, so we only have nine feet on the side of the house. Little children follow the grown up and go through there. They use our sidewalk, ,jump hedges, go behind our cars. Several times I have had narrow escapes. Children have spit at me, thumbed their noses at me, even when I got out and warned them they might get hurt. We stated in 1960 that we could tolerate the little ones, but no bikes and motorcycles. It was decided no sign would be put up then. It did stop for quite a while. Then last year we have taken continuous motor scooters, bicycles, ice skates-everything you might think of, plus things they have accused us of doing that we did not do-they have been very nasty. We havd had window peepers, surly characters anywhere from 9:30 to 10:00 P.M. I have a thirteen year old daughter and I am concerned. We know from the foot- prints in the snow that they have been there. No privacy at all. We felt that this time when we contacted Mr. Beardsley something would be done. There has been more use of this walkway since the petition was filed. The older boys use it continuously-dust go