Edmonds committee advances rewrite of street-vacation rules, schedules full-council review

EDMONDS, Wash. — On June 3, members of Edmonds City Council Committee A discussed a proposed update to the Edmonds Community Development Code (ECDC) chapter 20.7 governing street vacations and agreed to forward the draft for a full council presentation on July 1, with a potential public hearing July 22.

The proposal, presented by city staff, would move the street-vacation rules from Title 20 into Title 18 under the Department of Public Works, add definitions, revise the appraisal process so the city selects a third-party appraiser (reimbursed by the applicant), and align monetary-compensation options with state law (RCW 35.79.030 and RCW 35.79.040). "We intend to move this section into Title 18 under public works purview," said Jeanne, a city staff member presenting the draft. Jeff, a city staff member involved in the update, told committee members the mayor has asked staff and the city attorney's office to look for opportunities to "replenish the city's coffers," and noted that street vacations can generate payments to the general fund depending on the case.

Why it matters: street vacations remove a public interest in right-of-way and typically change underlying property rights and development potential for abutting owners. The draft addresses when the applicant pays for an appraisal and when the city may seek compensation. Jeanne said the draft delays requiring an applicant-paid appraisal until after staff review and the council's adoption of a…