Renton council advances Renton High School street‑vacation petition; residents urged delay until nearby street work is done

Renton — The City Council voted to advance a Renton School District petition to vacate portions of right‑of‑way along South Tilikum Street/Alley and South Tobin Street to support a planned expansion of Renton High School, approving staff review of the district’s appraisal and signaling that compensation and any final vacation ordinance will return to the council after construction begins. Stephanie Ray, a property‑services specialist with the city, told the council the petition met state and city signature thresholds and would vacate roughly 15,210 square feet along Tilikum Street/Alley and 48,427 square feet along South Tobin as part of a campus redesign that includes a new classroom building, renovation of the 1931 high‑school building and upgrades to fields and site frontage.

The petition was presented as preliminary: Ray said staff recommends approving the petition to proceed to appraisal and that easements for public and private utilities will be required during the construction phase. She said the school district will dedicate about 62,000 square feet of land along adjacent streets to the city at no cost and will construct frontage improvements including sidewalks, street trees and ADA upgrades.

Why it matters: Speakers at the public hearing argued the change would remove a critical east‑west route and reduce redundancy in the downtown street grid. Several residents urged the council to wait until South 2nd Street is converted from one‑way to two‑way traffic before vacating Tobin, citing emergency access and future congestion risks.

Residents who spoke included Angie (last name transcribed as "Lau Linen"), who said the district’s design still shows South Tobin as a through street and argued the right‑of‑way could be shared; Randy Korman, a longtime Renton resident and former council member, warned that removing the street could force costly future bypasses; and Sarah Becker asked the council to postpone any closure until South 2nd Street becomes a two‑way corridor. Several speakers said local small businesses and historic connections to the neighborhood would be harmed if through access on Tobin were removed.

Council debate focused on timing and process. Councilmember Rivera moved an amendment asking the council to time any vacation with the city’s South 2nd Street two‑way conversion; the amendment was debated and failed on a voice vote. Council then approved the original procedural motion to advance the petition for appraisal. City legal and planning staff clarified that approval tonight authorizes appraisal review and only after appraisal review and construction commencement would staff return with a recommendation on compensation and an ordinance to enact the vacation.

Quotes: "This public hearing is for the right‑of‑way vacation petition, which is a transfer of ownership," Stephanie Ray told the council. "Easements will be required and will be obtained during the construction phase," she said, adding staff had received no departmental objections but would require utility easements.

What happens next: Staff will review the appraisal submitted by the Renton School District. If construction proceeds, staff will return with a compensation recommendation and the council will set a compensation amount and consider an ordinance to complete the vacation. The petition’s final effect — whether Tobin is permanently closed to through traffic or retained for nonmotorized or emergency access — will be decided later in the ordinance process.