Skagit County authorizes sale of parcel near State Route 20 in Marble Mound with $325,000 minimum bid

Skagit County commissioners on Monday authorized the disposal of a county-owned parcel adjacent to State Route 20 in Marble Mound and set a $325,000 minimum opening bid for an auction to be scheduled by the treasurer.

Brian Adams, Skagit County parks, recreation and fair director, told commissioners the county bought the larger property to prevent the park from being bisected by private land and that the parcel now proposed for sale — described in staff materials as a panhandle-shaped, roughly half‑acre lot that includes septic systems and a house — contains much of its remaining value in the residence while other portions lie in floodplain.

The resolution directs the treasurer to conduct the sale; the exact auction date was not set at the meeting. Adams said the county purchased the land “from SR20 all the way back to the river,” and that the parcel being offered is the portion closest to the highway. He also said the county completed a trail connection by acquiring the land and preserved wetlands within the purchase area.

Why it matters: Commissioners said removing the private parcel from the park’s footprint allowed the county to finish a planned trail and preserve wetlands, while the sale will let the county recoup part of its purchase cost. Commissioners and staff also discussed constraints that could affect future owners, including floodplain status, a shared waterline easement and cultural‑resource monitoring tied to RCO grants.

Key details: The county’s staff described the parcel as including septic systems that were incorporated into the legal description during a boundary line adjustment. Adams said the property is now on a PUD water connection; an earlier well on the site has been abandoned and the area’s former wellhead protection designation has been removed “on the map,” according to staff. County staff said a PSE easement crosses the property and that future work in that easement could require cultural monitoring and that the cost of such monitoring could fall to a future parcel owner for a short section (described in the meeting as about 20–30 feet).

Public comment and utilities: Resident Vinod Sharma asked whether installing an electric‑vehicle charger would require excavation that triggers cultural monitoring. Staff replied that county projects purchased with RCO grants must follow cultural monitoring practices and that private landowners do not face the same upfront requirement, though work that uncovers significant artifacts would halt activity regardless of ownership. Staff said the house is currently connected to electricity via an existing overhead line and that adding a charger would likely not require underground wiring in the current configuration.

Action taken: Commissioner Wiesen moved to approve a resolution authorizing disposal of “Skagit County real property located at 59968 State Route 20,” identified in the meeting materials as parcel number 45245. The motion passed 3‑0.

Additional context: Adams said the house on the parcel is in good condition, includes a carport and needs only a couple of appliances. He noted the county will work with the treasurer to determine auction logistics and said staff are inclined to hold the auction in an accessible place, possibly the commissioners’ hearing room. Adams used the name “Belize property” to refer to the parcel purchased from Mike Belize and his wife.

Ending: The commissioners approved the resolution authorizing the sale and asked staff to coordinate auction timing and notices with the treasurer’s office; the county did not set a date for the auction at Monday’s meeting.