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Port Townsend council sets hearing on 28-acre right-of-way vacation to support Kathy's Trails
Summary
The council set a public hearing on a proposal with Jefferson Land Trust to vacate about 28 acres of city right-of-way so the trust can consolidate and manage Kathy's Trails for habitat and public access; utilities and the public will be invited to comment at the hearing. Resolution 26-006 passed unanimously.
The Port Townsend City Council voted unanimously to set a public hearing on a proposed right-of-way vacation that would consolidate about 28 acres near Kathy's Trails and allow the Jefferson Land Trust to pursue grant funding and long-term habitat management. The action, approved as Resolution 26-006, begins the city's formal eight-step vacation process and gives utilities and members of the public an opportunity to comment before any final ordinance is adopted.
City staff and partners described the plan as a way to unify scattered parcels and create a more cohesive management unit for habitat preservation and public trails. A Jefferson Land Trust representative said vacating the selected rights-of-way would help the trust leverage matching value for a grant to buy additional parcels designated in the comprehensive plan as a future park.
Council members asked staff to confirm how the proposed vacation overlaps mapped wetlands. Staff identified the Winona Wetlands and confirmed that a substantial portion of the proposed vacation overlaps the mapped wetland area; staff said the upcoming public hearing is the venue for detailed resource and utility comments and for setting any conditions of approval.
The council's approval to set the hearing does not finalize the vacation. Staff told the council they will follow the city code process for public notice and for receiving utility and environmental comment before bringing a final ordinance back for adoption. The hearing date and specific conditions will be posted with the hearing notice and in the staff report prior to the hearing.
The council took the action after a brief presentation and questions; no vote tally beyond unanimous passage of the motion to set the hearing was recorded in the transcript. The hearing will be the next formal opportunity for more detailed technical testimony and for utilities to weigh in.
