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

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…