[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6062383,"mediaKeyId","3278661-1e60d3ec7d0fad850f14f30d80a469bf","parentId",3278661,"title","Council holds public hearing on partial right-of-way vacation at 140 Second Avenue East","audioSeconds",867,"startMs",607000,"endMs",1474000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3278661-1e60d3ec7d0fad850f14f30d80a469bf&start=607&end=1474","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3278661-1e60d3ec7d0fad850f14f30d80a469bf/thumbnail_607000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6062383/Sumner-City/Pierce-County/Washington/Council-holds-public-hearing-on-partial-right-of-way-vacation-at-140-Second-Avenue-East","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6062383-de398d4799fc830df4eb7542b458d518/orig.mp4?Expires=1773572537&Signature=Eplci02FkUzEDql9gMaVLdhJhfYys2GfWhPBkLl8PCpXLWEc2sKIFRznUQ7BlcnAut9D-sRe79LxVTVX-N786TwHdFnN7~kzOXNP1wc4eIOB7T559NwSJ3h21xiHxbBAHybRPxTkNuCpaABOehrMTq2ZiuiuA93K3UYIrZyGMAdTMGvUPx2doovsoBjXZTXtcnfJTw5eQIttVm5el7h~oYfCK~Iie14QEClnMIWQ8plkhSZRwT0Z2B2LYlaMR3nztfE1FL6vQ-PylJ74llH-bpTFssUQCQFeT5KWN9CRL7cS3egngIoHtWZgYCGjrnKUE~knmge~3yLzMA5x3vTCGw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Sumner, WA","date","2025-05-12T15:48:14Z","article","Sumner’s City Council on May 5 opened a public hearing on a privately initiated petition to vacate a portion of right-of-way identified as Highland Street near 140 Second Avenue East, a residential area just south of State Route 410.

Deputy City Attorney Doug Ruth told the council the petition was brought by the owners of two parcels and that the vacation process is the statutory means for a city to return a public road to adjoining private property. He reviewed historical plats dating from the 1870s through the 1970s that showed multiple dedications and river migration, and said the disputed strip was rediscovered during a real-estate title review when a property owner attempted to sell.

Why it matters: the disputed strip overlaps two private parcels and, according to Ruth, has not been used for transportation or utilities for decades. Property owners say the unresolved right-of-way has prevented a sale and created a financial hardship for at least one owner.

Ruth described the right-of-way geometry and title history in detail, saying older plats show both Alder and Highland streets on different sides of a section centerline and that state deeds returned 30 feet of right-of-way to the city in the 1980s. He said the current vacation request covers only the blue-shaded portion shown on staff maps, affecting the two applicant parcels; the city did not initiate the action.

Ruth said the ordinance that would formally vacate the strip is expected to return to the council for consideration at a future meeting, likely May 19. He also told council members the forthcoming ordinance would include a reservation for utility easement \"in case\" the city needs to place utilities there later, because staff had found no existing utilities in the disputed strip.

Ms. Townsend, a property owner who identified herself at the hearing, said the right-of-way runs through the front yard of one of the affected houses. \"It is literally my front yard of that house,\" she told the council, adding that a prospective sale fell through after the title company flagged the issue and that the delay had \"devastated me a little bit financially.\"

An online participant, who identified himself only as Matt, asked whether the right-of-way extended beyond the two parcels; Ruth said the title insurance company and the applicants were pursuing only the disputed portion and that researching other parcels would require additional work and likely separate applications.

No vote or ordinance was taken at the May 5 hearing. The public hearing record was opened and closed; staff said the council will consider an ordinance with a utility-easement reservation at a future meeting. Council members asked clarifying questions but did not direct additional work beyond the usual staff analysis for a vacation ordinance.

Details: Ruth reported historical widths in the area (Alder shown at 30 feet in older plats, 60 feet shown on later state plans after the state deeded back 30 feet in the 1980s). He said the disputed Highland Street segment is narrow and limited to the two parcels before the council. Ruth also noted the pedestrian-bridge location previously studied by engineers remains the preferred site and is not expected to be affected by this partial vacation.

The council closed the public hearing at 6:24 p.m. and scheduled further consideration of an ordinance at a later meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","5/5/25 City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Sumner’s City Council on May 5 opened a public hearing on a privately initiated petition to vacate a portion of right-of-way identified as Highland Street near 140 Second Avenue East, a residential area just south of State Route 410.","taxTitle","Sumner City, Pierce County, Washington","taxId",71857,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6062379,"Residents press Sumner council to resolve Ryan House disputes, cite costs, safety and process concerns",573,1527000,2100000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3278661-1e60d3ec7d0fad850f14f30d80a469bf&start=1527&end=2100","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3278661-1e60d3ec7d0fad850f14f30d80a469bf/thumbnail_1527000.jpg","/articles/6062379/Sumner-City/Pierce-County/Washington/Residents-press-Sumner-council-to-resolve-Ryan-House-disputes-cite-costs-safety-and-process-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6062379-8e15dc0e46573a623faf4bce2893fb27/orig.mp4?Expires=1773572537&Signature=Su346Y4VAD1Z4wGz4V4k4vI2kKzFdWcqNLgJ3cKxs0~y0Pr1T8OT4sJt0Tjupo8dRceuhHJzlhohVXxApugA75Llv~hHPbiPBAVUYu~b-y95sv7lDRSCrQA-3ZuWQNJo4cFxIWmoKDt7i33aqE9IsFoquzB4J1qEvqyGwwjYcYtoPMwytqDCHZfjuAkhsDs~W80T0rurs0ilmWqwu8xSQR6Nla9p0v9EF2ps5VnB3vebG8wu8xo0bIvC~Nm5psGGnHGoBEg6xr6JPMzpfYkA7v0kv5xM-1UXHXfN344wzV0SLa98AnlZCSpI~bo7zkC8pxRH97uxvahlHQUTnflVsQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Three Sumner residents used the public-comment period at the May 5 City Council meeting to urge the mayor and council to resolve the long-running dispute over the Ryan House, focusing on fiscal impacts, staff morale, regulatory process and immediate safety concerns.

John Gammon, a long-time Sumner resident, told the council the local cost of dealing with the Ryan House extends beyond construction estimates. \"The cost to the city to the of the Save the Rhine house effort is considerably more, in my opinion, than those direct costs associated with construction, engineering,\" he said, adding staff time, council time and anticipated legal challenges will consume resources that could otherwise address other priorities.

Bridal Adams told the council the city had not complied with deed obligations to the heirs and said the dispute turns on process failures. She said the city previously was found to have acted illegally and cited the need for an environmental review: \"Process matters,\" she told the council, arguing the city must follow its settlement agreements and state environmental review requirements before proceeding.

Julie Norris raised safety concerns about the building. She said the house had been \"red-tagged\" and asked the city to ensure the red-tag signage and fencing remain effective barriers. \"The fire department said they won't go have anyone go in there if there's an issue,\" Norris said, and she urged the city to prevent people from hanging items on the fence that could obscure warning signs.

Why it matters: commenters warned continued litigation and protracted decision-making could increase city costs, damage staff morale and pose safety risks if the site is not properly secured. Speakers urged the council to move decisively—either to use available grant funds to stabilize the house or to clarify process steps, including environmental review and historic-preservation procedures.

Specific claims and requests raised by speakers included:
- Financial resources: Bridal Adams said the city had $1,500,000 in grants at one point and another $400,000 approved by the state, and asked why available funding was not used on the house; she summarized those sums as \"about $1,900,000\" available earlier.
- Regulatory process: Adams asserted the city failed to follow parts of its comprehensive plan and must either convene a Historic Preservation Commission or change city code to comply with statutes she cited. She also told the council the settlement in the original lawsuit requires an environmental-impact study, which she said the city had not completed.
- Safety enforcement: Julie Norris urged clearer enforcement of the red-tag and fence as a safety barrier, arguing signage should not be obscured by items hung on the fence.

No formal council action occurred during the public-comment period. Council members listened and later thanked speakers; there was no vote or directive recorded in the meeting minutes on May 5. Commenters framed their concerns as requests for staff and council follow-up rather than asking for immediate council action.

The public-comment sequence closed after three speakers; the council then moved to other business and later to an executive session on pending litigation.","At the May 5 meeting, three residents urged the council to address ongoing Ryan House litigation and enforcement issues, warning of staff time and financial cost, alleging process failures including SEPA and comp-plan compliance, and asking the city to enforce red-tag safety measures at the house.","actionData","errors"]

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Council holds public hearing on partial right-of-way vacation at 140 Second Avenue East

Residents press Sumner council to resolve Ryan House disputes, cite costs, safety and process concerns