Brenda , at 5 PM tomorrow there is a small group of neighbors meeting in the alley adjacent to yours between 12th and 13th Ave., South. If you are free it might be helpful to you and everyone if you came and chatted with us! We were told this was city property so your claim to owning it is very interesting and certainly is an important detail. Please join us!

Thank you for the invite Goldnwolf. I can come stop by quick however can't stay long as I am a full time working woman with honestly more important hings to worry about at this time. I'd like to speak with whomever keeps calling the city on me - it is NOT very neighborly like!! (try a nice phone call to me expressing your concerns- or stop by and be kind and let me know your thoughts) This kind of behavior makes me care even less about the alley just an FYI. Honestly I don't care about they ally anymore because this has been going on for 6 YEARS now, and if you do care about the alley then please go ahead and take care of it and do something about it - why is it MY responsibility?? Just some food for thought. See you tomorrow. Thank you.

I think we all feel your pain Brenda. However please note what I said previously that we were all led to believe that the city owned this! ( so nobody ever thought they were turning in a private landowner or complaining about you ). I think you just got the word out that that’s not the case and you may find some changes for the positive. Look forward to meeting you tomorrow.

Thank you for reporting this issue to us via SeeClickFix St. Pete. We have forwarded the details you have provided to the Community Services Department so that they may investigate and take any necessary action. We appreciate your help! Sincerely, Mayor's Action Center

Mayor's Action Center 2 assigned this issue to CSR3

THANK YOU!

I always thought this was city-owned property. Never thought a private owner would allow their property to be used as what seems like a public walkway and/or bike path. Neighborhood should definitely help maintain it.

Hello Brenda - This is the Community Service Desk - The area directly west of what appears to be 638 11th Ave S (approx. 12 ft) was Vacated under the file V-03-005 and is private property (according to the Zoning map F-5)- To know who owns this area I would review your survey to know if it is yours or the property to the West. It is best not to go by where a fence is located. I can meet you at location if you want and we could review together. Just call 727-551-3341 and leave a message if we are not available. Please feel free to contact us with any other questions than may come up.

Hi Jeff. Thank you for the message you left here for Brenda as well as for the rest of us who are concerned about this alley! It’s a proven fact that the alley was vacated as per the deed for the property to the west of the alley. However the deed for the property to the east of the alley does not state that it includes 1/2 of the alley. So there’s a question there. Also we were told by a long time resident that even though this alley was vacated and under normal circumstances would then be private property, there was a document written up that states it has to be open to public access for perpetuity. So I think we’re all interested in seeing that document if you know where to find it. So this seems to be a little more complicated than just the alley being vacated and now belonging to the adjacent landowners. Maybe you could clear some of this up?

Also we are all trying to figure out exactly how the domain homes intends to access it’s garage and garage apron since it would have to cut across part of this privately owned alley as well as the right away that runs east/west where the telephone poles are? Any info you can gather on that would be helpful to us as a neighborhood to figure out what we can do with this alley to the benefit all of us. ( which is why I’m asking you these questions on a public forum so we all know the answers)

I met with the owners at property today and I noted the domain garage and the possible issue. Looking at the map it appears the garage entry point may have an opportunity to gain access through what appears to be about 15 feet that runs East at the end abutting the right of way (see photo). However, that area that was vacated is very interesting and I will be spending some time in researching the stipulations and hope to resolve as best as I can. It may be something that will need a public records request from Zoning after speaking with the owners today. I will do what I can to assist.

Doccuments have been located and will be provided to current owner. Current record shos area was vacated but at this time according to Ordiance 897-V section 3 item 2. "The applicants shall convey a seven (7) foot wide pedestrian ingress/egress easement for the use of the public over the entire length of the alley to be vacated."

This issue is closed and owner is aware to maintain area and Codes Compliance has an overgrowth case for the owner to maintain.

Which border neighbor is required to provide that 7 foot access? The ones bordering to the west or the ones to the east? In other words does that document specify which 7 feet of the 14 foot alley is supposed to be left open? Since the neighbors on the east do not have it in their deed that they own 1/2 of that alley , who then is responsible for maintaining the eastern half of the alley? Possibly the document you referred to has more detail than the one sentence you posted, however if it only has that one sentence that’s a bit vague…