Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Right Of Way Vacation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Kittitas County approves vacation of unopened portion of Markovich Road, leaves access and utility easement
Summary
Kittitas County commissioners approved Resolution 2024‑211 on Dec. 17, 2024, vacating the unopened portion of Markovich Road from milepost 0.58 to 1.00 and establishing a nonexclusive access and utility easement for adjacent landowners. Public commenters raised statutory process and signature concerns.
The Kittitas County Board of Commissioners voted Dec. 17, 2024, to vacate an unopened portion of Markovich Road right‑of‑way from milepost 0.58 to 1.00 and to provide a nonexclusive access and utility easement to the affected adjoining landowners.
Cameron Curtis of the county Public Works Department presented the staff and engineer reports. Curtis said the petition was submitted by nearby resident Patricia O'Hearn and that the segment in question extends from milepost 0.58 to 1.00. The staff report listed seven adjoining parcels under five separate owners, described that portions of the right‑of‑way were never fully constructed (the farthest 0.08 miles is mountainous and inaccessible), and recommended preserving access and utility easements after vacation. Curtis also noted the applicant paid the Public Works road vacation application fee of $3,888.
During public comment Pat Elder raised procedural concerns: he told the board he found no petition signatures in the record (citing RCW provisions referenced in his remarks), questioned whether the majority of frontage owners had petitioned as RCW requires, and said the resolution attempted to convey an easement inconsistent with statutory limits. Elder also noted county code provisions that address sale to adjacent owners and warned that the record lacked required signatures.
Commissioners asked staff whether legal review had been obtained before the referral to the board; staff confirmed that legal review had occurred. Commissioner 6 moved to approve Resolution 2024‑211 vacating the right‑of‑way and providing an access and utility easement to affected landowners. The motion was seconded, discussed briefly, and approved by unanimous voice vote.
Ending: The board adopted the road vacation resolution as recommended by Public Works. The vacation, with a retained access and utility easement, will add the vacated land to adjacent parcels for tax purposes and transfer maintenance responsibility to the landowners once conveyed.
