Source: https://www.codepublishing.com/WA/WestRichland/html/WestRichland12/WestRichland1240.html
Timestamp: 2019-05-23 19:27:26
Document Index: 660799897

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1', '§ 4', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1']

12.40.015 Petition fees.
12.40.020 Appraisals.
12.40.025 Notice of public hearing.
12.40.030 Protest.
12.40.035 Public hearing.
12.40.040 Easements for utilities and services.
12.40.045 Vacation of waterfront streets.
12.40.050 Compensation for vacation.
12.40.055 Payment of compensation or conveyance.
12.40.060 Posting and mailing notices – Recording ordinance.
B. Elements of Petition. The vacation petition shall include the following:
1. A legal description of the property to be vacated, as prepared by a Washington State-licensed surveyor.
2. Title insurance company certificate, issued not more than 30 days prior to the petition, showing ownership of the property, all lien holders, and the names and addresses of all property owners abutting upon the part of such street or alley sought to be vacated.
3. Vicinity map of the street or alley sought to be vacated.
C. Filing of Petition. The petition or resolution shall be filed with the city clerk, and the petition shall be signed by the owners of more than two-thirds of the property abutting upon the part of such street or alley sought to be vacated.
D. Council Resolution for Vacation – Council Action on Resolution or Petition. Upon receipt of a petition for vacation, or after the city council’s own motion on its own resolution for vacation, the city council shall adopt a resolution fixing a time when the petition will be heard and determined, which time shall not be more than 60 days nor less than 20 days after the passage of the resolution. [Ord. 6-05 § 1, 2005].
A. Prehearing Fee. Every petition for the vacation of any street, alley or public place, or any part thereof, shall be accompanied by an initial nonrefundable payment to the city of a prehearing fee as set by city council in the master fee schedule, to defray the administrative costs incurred in processing such vacation petitions.
B. Appraisal Fees to Be Paid after Council Recommends Vacation. At the time the city council recommends granting a vacation petition, the petitioner(s) shall deposit a sum as set by city council in the master fee schedule with the public works director, which shall be the city’s estimated cost of the full appraisal. In the event that the appraisal cost is less than the amount deposited, the vacation compensation payable to the city shall be reduced by the difference between the deposit and the actual cost of the appraisal, or, in the alternative, such difference shall be refunded. In the event the cost of the appraisal is more than the amount deposited, the vacation compensation payable to the city shall be increased by the difference between the deposit and the actual cost and paid by the petitioner(s) prior to the approval of the vacation. [Ord. 16-14 § 4 (Att. D), 2014; Ord. 6-05 § 1, 2005].
The public works director is authorized to obtain appraisals from qualified, independent appraisers of such streets, alleys or public places as are recommended for vacation, after the hearing by the city council, and is further authorized to obtain appraisals from qualified, independent real estate appraisers of the fair market value of the alternate right-of-way land proposed to be granted or dedicated to the city for street or alley purposes in lieu of a cash payment in the manner contemplated by WRMC 12.40.045. In such instance, an additional appraisal deposit fee shall be paid for the appraisal of such parcel(s), according to the fee and time schedule provided in WRMC 12.40.015. [Ord. 6-05 § 1, 2005].
A. Notice to Be Provided. Upon the passage of the resolution, the city clerk shall give 20 days’ notice of the pendency of the petition by a written notice posted in three of the most public places in the city, and like notice in a conspicuous place on the street, alley or public place sought to be vacated.
B. Elements of Notice. The said notice shall contain a statement that a petition has been filed to vacate the street or alley described in the notice, together with a statement of the time and place fixed for the hearing of the petition. The notice will state that the council shall hold a public hearing on the proposed vacation in the manner required in this chapter. In addition, the notice posted on the street or alley proposed to be vacated shall indicate that the area is public road right-of-way, it is proposed to be vacated, and that anyone objecting to the proposed vacation should attend the public hearing or send a letter to the city clerk indicating his or her objection prior to the public hearing date.
C. Notice Where Council Initiates Vacation by Resolution. In all cases where the proceeding is initiated by resolution of the city council without a petition having been signed by the owners of more than two-thirds of the property abutting upon the part of the street, alley or public place sought to be vacated, in addition to the notice hereinabove required, there shall be given by mail at least 15 days before the date fixed for the hearing, a similar notice to the record owners or reputed owners of all lots, tracts or parcels of land or other property abutting upon any street, alley, public place or portion thereof sought to be vacated, as shown on the rolls of the county treasurer. [Ord. 6-05 § 1, 2005].
If 50 percent of the abutting property owners file written objections to a council-initiated vacation with the city clerk prior to the time of the hearing, the city shall be prohibited from proceeding with the resolution. [Ord. 6-05 § 1, 2005].
The hearing on such petition may be held before the city council upon the date fixed by resolution or at the time said hearing may be adjourned to. The city council may grant the petition to vacate the street, alley, or any part thereof by ordinance, with or without conditions, or the city council may deny the petition. [Ord. 6-05 § 1, 2005].
Ordinances vacating streets, alleys, public places, or portions thereof may contain a provision retaining or requiring conveyance of easements for construction, repair, and maintenance of existing and future public utilities and services. [Ord. 6-05 § 1, 2005].
A. The city shall not vacate a street, alley, or other public place or portion thereof, if the street, alley or public place abuts a body of freshwater, unless:
2. The city council, by resolution, declares that the street, alley or public place is not presently being used as a street, alley, or public place, and that the street, alley or public place is not suitable for the following purposes: port, beach or water access, boat moorage, launching sites, park, public view, recreation or education; or
2. Conduct a study to determine if the street or alley to be vacated is suitable for use by the city for any of the following purposes: port, beach or water access, boat moorage, launching sites, park, public view, recreation or education;
C. No vacation shall be effective until the fair market value has been paid for the street, alley or public place that is vacated. Funds received from the vacation may be used by the city only for acquiring additional beach or water access, acquiring additional public view sites to a body of water, or acquiring additional moorage or launching sites. [Ord. 6-05 § 1, 2005].
A. Payment for Vacation. Ordinances vacating any street, alley or public place shall not be passed by the city council until the owners of the property abutting upon the street, alley or public place so vacated shall compensate the city in the amount required by this subsection. For those streets, alleys or public places that have not been acquired at public expense and which have not been part of a dedicated public right-of-way for 25 years or more, the property owners shall compensate the city in an amount equal to one-half of the fair market value, as shown in the appraisal, of the area vacated. For those streets, alleys or public places that have been acquired at public expense or which have been part of a dedicated public right-of-way for 25 years or more, the property owners shall compensate the city in an amount equal to the full fair market value of the area to be vacated, as shown in the appraisal. As contemplated by WRMC 12.40.045, the full fair market value, as shown in the appraisal, shall be paid upon vacation of streets abutting bodies of water.
B. In-Lieu Transfers of Property. Conveyance of other property acceptable to the city may be made in lieu of the payment required by subsection A of this section, whether required to mitigate adverse impacts of the vacation or otherwise. When such conveyance is made for street purposes, one-half of the fair market value, as shown in the appraisal, of the land conveyed shall be credited to the required payment. When the conveyance is made in fee for purposes other than street purposes, the full appraised value of the land conveyed shall be credited to the required payment.
When the value of the in-lieu parcel is less than the payment required by subsection A of this section, the petitioner shall pay the difference to the city. When the value of the in-lieu parcel exceeds the payment required by subsection A of this section, the city shall pay the difference to the petitioner.
C. Vacations Initiated by Council Resolution. The council may pass a vacation ordinance to vacate street, alley or public place without requiring that the abutting property owners make payments to the city for such vacation where:
2. The city determines that the street, alley or public place is not needed for public travel or access either now or in the foreseeable future;
3. The city’s maintenance or upkeep of the street, alley or public place is unrelated to any use of the street, alley or public place for public travel. [Ord. 6-05 § 1, 2005].
Upon securing the appraisal of the value of the street, alley or public place to be vacated as provided in this chapter, the public works director shall notify the petitioner of the amount of compensation, deducting therefrom any remaining appraisal fee deposit not previously refunded to the petitioner. The payment shall be delivered to the public works director, who, upon receipt of any such payment, shall forthwith transmit the same to the finance director for deposit. Revenue received by the city as compensation for streets and alleys vacated shall be deposited into the city’s transportation improvement program fund to be used on transportation capital projects within the city. In the event that the petitioner has received approval of delivery of an instrument granting or dedicating to the city a parcel(s) of land in lieu of a cash payment as contemplated by WRMC 12.40.050(B), the director of public works, at the petitioner’s expense, shall obtain a policy of title insurance insuring title thereto in the city. [Ord. 6-05 § 1, 2005].
Posting and mailing of the notices provided for in this chapter shall be the responsibility of the city clerk. As required by RCW 35.79.030, a certified copy of the ordinance vacating a street, alley or public place, or any portion thereof, shall be recorded by the city clerk at the office of the Benton County auditor and assessor. [Ord. 6-05 § 1, 2005].