In a twist on community-oriented policing, Salt Lake leaders point to an existing state provision as a way of preventing neighborhood crime.
Give your alley a vacation, they say. Or, rather, vacate your alley of undesirables by using a little-known provision that helps residents clean up their communities.The concept of vacating, or closing off, an alley is perfectly legal, providing the petitioners observe the guidelines of the Utah Code, city planning officials say.
Technically termed a petition for vacation, narrowing or change of name of street or alley, the provision allows residents to do away with alleys that are not required for access. It includes those which they believe are unnecessary or contribute to suspicious activity.
In a recent meeting in Salt Lake's South Central neighborhood, District 5 City Councilman Tom Godfrey promoted the method as a means of effective but controversial grassroots crime control.
"I get more people yelling at me over alleys, because the big land grab is on," Godfrey said, likening the scenario to a local case of the Hatfields vs. McCoys.
William Wright, city planning director, said that alleys previously worked well for the city but aren't often needed anymore. He said police agencies promote closure of alleys that don't contribute to access.
For a Sugar House couple whose home has alleys on three sides, the measure is a godsend.
"It's not about traffic and dogs," said Heidi Johnson, 33. "It's literally about the safety of my children."
Heidi and Greg Johnson and their two children unknowingly moved to an area that included suspicious nighttime alley traffic and roving dogs, all compounded by the unkempt alleyways, they said. "(The traffic) was really the only cold hard facts we had to go on," Heidi Johnson said. "Our children could not even go outside to play because of the traffic."
After a year spent forcing the kids to stay inside and reconsidering their move to the neighborhood, the couple decided, "There's got to be a better way to live," she recalled. The Johnsons watched their American dream nearly go sour as neighbors fought efforts to clean up the neighborhood, including closure of the alleys.
Eventually, the couple was able to fence the alley that borders their property to the east. The effort did not come without conflict, however, and they decided to abandon efforts to close the western alley after neighbors protested. To close an alley, the city must have the support of all owners whose property borders the parcel.
Neighbors mostly listed access as their reason for fighting alley closure.
City planner Katia Pace said a majority of the city's alley closures are completed for crime prevention reasons.
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Avoid pitfalls
The path to alley closure can be littered with pitfalls. City planners suggest the following hints to expedite alley closures and prevent unnecessary legwork.
-Be prepared to explain why the alley should be vacated.
-Contact neighborhs beforehand to encourage positive negotiations.
-Submit signatures and addresses of affected property owners.
Also, understand the following guidelines:
-The city will not close an alley if closure prevents access to property.
-Closures that create deadend alleys are discouraged.