City Ponders Bid to Narrow Hamilton St.

The Olney City Council postponed a decision at its June 23 meeting on a proposal to narrow a portion of Hamilton Street to accommodate the footprint of the new Olney Hamilton Hospital after City Attorney Bill Myers advised the council that public notice would be required before taking action.

The proposed ordinance would allow the city to vacate a section of the public right-of-way along Hamilton Street—approximately 9 to 10 feet in depth across a 160-foot stretch—to make room for the hospital’s new structure and sidewalk. The partial narrowing would reduce the street from 31 feet to 28 feet in width, which engineers said is sufficient for two-way traffic, provided on-street parking is prohibited in front of the hospital.

Blane Boswell, an engineer with Corlett Probst & Boyd of Wichita Falls, appeared before the council to answer questions about the encroachment.

“There won’t be anything built into the street,” he explained. “The building will be set back enough to allow for a five-foot sidewalk and a curb without affecting the traffic lanes.”

However, Mr. Myers cautioned the council that even a partial abandonment of a long-used public street requires formal public notification.

“You can’t just take action without notifying the public on an active street,” he said, noting that the process is similar to what was done when Avenue L was vacated. “It doesn’t matter if the hospital owns both sides. The public still has a right to be heard.”

Mayor Rue Rogers acknowledged the oversight and instructed city staff to begin the proper process, which includes publishing notice in the local newspaper and holding a public hearing before a formal vote. The council is expected to revisit the item at its next regular meeting after the notice period.

In the meantime, the hospital’s design team had anticipated pouring footings as early as next week. Boswell said he would inform them that construction plans affecting the city right-of-way must be delayed until council approval is secured.

Council members briefly discussed whether to make that section of Hamilton Street permanently one-way but took no action. The matter remains under consideration.