Edmonds — City staff reopened a long‑running rewrite of the city’s street‑vacation code July 22, focusing on where the regulation should live in municipal code, whether and when appraisals are required, and how monetary compensation should be handled if the public interest is relinquished.

Jeanne McConnell, a city staff member, told council the primary goals are to move the code from Title 20 (land use) to Title 18 (right‑of‑way and public works) so engineering can lead the technical review, to clarify application timing and definitions, and to revise the appraisal and compensation process. “The proposed code states that the appraisal is only required after staff has reviewed it and presented to council, and council has approved a resolution of intent to vacate,” McConnell said.

State law (RCW) allows a city to require compensation equal to one‑half or up to the full appraised value of vacated property depending on factors such as whether the land has been part of the public right‑of‑way for 25 years or was acquired at public expense. Staff proposed a city‑selected third‑party appraiser (reimbursable by the applicant) to build consistency; planning‑board members proposed instead that applicants choose from a larger city‑approved list.

At the close of the public hearing and during discussion, residents and commenters urged clearer decision criteria for what constitutes the “public interest” in a vacation, broader notice to affected residents, and greater protections for fee‑title owners. “The criteria that Council uses to review a street vacation application is too generalized,” said Theresa Hollis, who recommended the city survey regional best practices.

Council actions, motions and initial votes during the discussion included:
- Motion to require a city‑provided list of appraisers (four names): passed (voice vote recorded as passed). Mover: Council member Olson. Second: (recorded).
- Motion to extend the appeal period from 30 to 60 days: passed (voice vote recorded as passed). Mover: Council member Olsen.
- Motion directing staff to draft and return recommended decision criteria for street vacations: passed unanimously. Mover: Council member Chen.
- Motion to increase the notice radius from 300 feet to 400 feet: passed unanimously; staff to include residents (not just recorded owners) in future notice language. Mover: Council member Chen.
- Motion directing public works to analyze whether and how residents of multifamily buildings should be notified or posted to the building lobby: passed 6–1; staff will return with recommendations.

Council members debated appraisal selection and compensation mechanics. Some counsel favored city‑selected appraisers to ensure consistency and avoid appraiser shopping; others (including planning board earlier) favored greater applicant choice from a city list. City legal staff and public works noted that many Edmonds rights‑of‑way have existed for more than 25 years, which under the statute could justify full rather than half compensation in many cases.

Staff also proposed that appraisals occur only after council adopts a resolution of intent to vacate, to prevent applicants from incurring unnecessary appraisal costs for petitions unlikely to advance. The proposed code would allow the city to have a third‑party appraisal performed and require reimbursement by the applicant.

Why this matters: Street vacations convert public‑use land into private ownership; the rules determine when compensation is required, how much is owed and how public interests such as utilities, pedestrian access and future transportation plans are protected. Modifications could affect property owners, utilities and the city’s ability to recover value from vacated right‑of‑way.

Staff will bring a revised draft ordinance reflecting council direction back to council for formal adoption in August.