County staff directed to draft transfer agreement for Yelm‑Rainier Trail parcels with maintenance and reversion conditions

Thurston County public‑works leaders told the Board of County Commissioners on April 30 that the City of Yelm has requested transfer of county‑owned parcels that form part of the Yelm‑Rainier Trail terminus so the city can develop a parking area and pursue grant funding.

Public Works Director Karen Leese said the trail corridor contains about 1.6 miles within the Yelm urban growth area and that seven county parcels lie in the area; the three parcels at the trail terminus identified as the city’s short‑term priority total just under 5.5 acres.

“They intend to develop a parking lot on that parcel and because of how that parcel is shaped they expect that some of the parking lot would extend into County property. They are asking … the County to go ahead and transfer ownership of that parcel to them so they can proceed with their project,” Leese said.

Why it matters: County ownership of trail parcels affects maintenance responsibility, public access and future development at the terminus. Commissioners said they prefer clear, enforceable language if the county transfers land: maintenance standards that match county expectations, a requirement to preserve public access and trail naming, and a reversion clause that returns parcels to the county if standards are not met.

Public‑works staff noted the City of Yelm is pursuing annexation for the area and said Yelm has expressed willingness to negotiate an interlocal agreement for maintenance. Commissioners discussed the possibility of creating consistent ownership (to avoid a checkerboard of county and city ownership), and asked staff to draft proposed transfer language similar to the county’s recent Moon Road agreement, including a reversion mechanism if maintenance standards are not met.

Commissioner Grant said local staff told him Yelm has been collaborative and invests staff resources in trail upkeep; Grant expressed support for a transfer that includes the protections discussed. The board provided direction to county staff to prepare a draft agreement incorporating maintenance standards, required public access and a reversion clause; staff said the draft will return for a formal decision at a future business meeting.

Ending: Draft transfer language will be prepared for the board’s formal consideration; staff said the city’s annexation process may bring more trail parcels inside city limits, and any future transfer would be evaluated for consistency with county standards and public access protections.