§ 7-31 — Vacation of Streets and Public Grounds

7-31. Vacation of Streets and Public Grounds.

1. The common council shall have the power, and are authorized to vacate, in whole or in part, such highways, streets, alleys, grounds, waterways and public walks within the corporate limits of the city, as in their opinion the public interest may require to be vacated, or such as in their opinion are of no public utility, whenever a petition is presented therefor signed by the owners of all the property which abuts upon the portion of any highway, street, alley, grounds, waterway or public walk which is proposed to be vacated. A certified copy of the ordinance or resolution vacating any such highway, street, alley, grounds, waterway or public walk shall be filed by the city clerk with the register of deeds of Milwaukee county so that the same may appear upon the abstracts of all of said abutting property, so as to clearly show that the said highway, street, alley, grounds, waterway or public walk has been vacated. 2. Before any such ordinance or resolution shall be passed, it shall be referred to a committee and the usual committee hearing held. 3. Whenever the said common council shall so determine to vacate any such highway, street, alley, grounds, waterway or public walk without a petition signed by all of the owners of all the abutting property which abuts on said proposed vacation, then the necessity of such vacation shall be first established by the verdict of a jury as provided in s. 32.07, Wis. Stats. 4. Whenever the commissioner of public works is directed by said common council to make an assessment of damages or benefits in any vacation proceeding, the said assessment shall be made under the provisions of this chapter. (Section 7-31 am. Ch. Ord. 4, File #30280, Aug. 3, 1925.)