Street Closings

Approvals or Permits Issued

The City Council adopts a resolution to close a street or alley.

Key Steps in the Process

1. The petitioner completes and submits a Street Closing Petition and related documents to the Transportation Department - Transportation Planning Division.
2. City staff determines how closing would affect utility lines in the right-of-way, whether the street should remain open for general circulation and whether anyone will be denied access to their property due to the closing.
3. Staff recommends to the City Manager whether to hold a public hearing. If the City Manager adopts a staff recommendation to hold a public hearing, the issue then goes to the City Council. If the City Manager adopts a staff recommendation not to hold a public hearing, the petitioner may appear before City Council to request a hearing on the closing.
4. If City Council elects to hold a public hearing, it adopts a resolution of intent, which authorizes the City Clerk to advertise as specified by law and notify abutting property owners of the date, time and place of the public hearing. The City is also required by law to post two signs in the area of the closing, serving notice of public hearing.
5. The City Council holds the public hearing and then takes final action or refers the item to a committee for further discussion.
6. If the City Council adopts a resolution to close the street or alley, the petitioner is assessed the cost of advertisement, less the filing fee.
7. The petitioner is required to record a plat officially closing the street at the Wake County Register of Deeds Office within one year of the City Council action. The plat may include easements for utilities and note conditions attached to the closing, such as maintaining the closed area as a shared driveway. Other conditions, such as building an appropriate turnaround on a dead-end street before the plat is recorded, may be possible. The petitioner is responsible for the cost of surveying and recording fees.

All closed right-of-way is split evenly among adjacent property owners, resulting in a new property line down the center of the closed roadway unless affected property owners make other arrangements.

Submittal Requirements

Additional Information

The City Council can close a street or alley permanently if the closing does not deprive abutting property owners of access. Most streets or alleys that are closed are dead-end, unimproved rights-of-way that provide access only to the property owners who want the street closed.

The City Council can close streets or alleys within the City limits or extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). If a street is on the State of North Carolina system, the NC Department of Transportation must also approve the closing.

Expected Processing Time

This process takes approximately 12 to 14 weeks.

Fees

• Payment types include: Cash, MasterCard, Visa or check made payable to: City of Raleigh.
• Payments are processed by the Revenue Services Center in person with cash, check, or credit card. Development Services can provide the necessary receipt to accompany the petition at time of submittal. Petitions with receipt of payment can be submitted via mail or in person to:

Transportation Department - 4th Floor

222 W. Hargett Street, Suite 400

Raleigh, NC 27601

Next Steps

The petitioner is required to record a plat officially closing the street at the Wake County Register of Deeds Office within one year of the City Council action. The plat may include easements for utilities and note conditions attached to the closing, such as maintaining the closed area as a shared driveway.

Other conditions, such as building an appropriate turnaround on a dead-end street before the plat is recorded, may be possible. The petitioner is responsible for the cost of surveying and recording fees.