Wash. Rev. Code » Title 35 · Chapter 35.79
Revised Code of Washington

Wash. Rev. Code § 35.79.030 (2026)

✓ current as of May 2026
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The hearing on such petition may be held before the legislative authority, before a committee thereof, or before a hearing examiner, upon the date fixed by resolution or at the time the hearing may be adjourned to. If the hearing is before a committee the same shall, following the hearing, report its recommendation on the petition to the legislative authority which may adopt or reject the recommendation. If the hearing is held before a committee it shall not be necessary to hold a hearing on the petition before the legislative authority. If the hearing is before a hearing examiner, the hearing examiner shall, following the hearing, report its recommendation on the petition to the legislative authority, which may adopt or reject the recommendation: PROVIDED, That the hearing examiner must include in its report to the legislative authority an explanation of the facts and reasoning underlying a recommendation to deny a petition. If a hearing is held before a hearing examiner, it shall not be necessary to hold a hearing on the petition before the legislative authority. If the legislative authority determines to grant the petition or any part thereof, such city or town shall be authorized and have authority by ordinance to vacate such street, or alley, or any part thereof, and the ordinance may provide that it shall not become effective until the owners of property abutting upon the street or alley, or part thereof so vacated, shall compensate such city or town in an amount which does not exceed one-half the appraised value of the area so vacated. If the street or alley has been part of a dedicated public right-of-way for twenty-five years or more, or if the subject property or portions thereof were acquired at public expense, the city or town may require the owners of the property abutting the street or alley to compensate the city or town in an amount that does not exceed the full appraised value of the area vacated. The ordinance may provide that the city retain an easement or the right to exercise and grant easements in respect to the vacated land for the construction, repair, and maintenance of public utilities and services. A certified copy of such ordinance shall be recorded by the clerk of the legislative authority and in the office of the auditor of the county in which the vacated land is located. One-half of the revenue received by the city or town as compensation for the area vacated must be dedicated to the acquisition, improvement, development, and related maintenance of public open space or transportation capital projects within the city or town.
[ 2011 c 130 s 1; 2002 c 55 s 1; 2001 c 202 s 1; 1987 c 228 s 1; 1985 c 254 s 1; 1969 c 28 s 4. Prior: 1967 ex.s. c 129 s 1; 1967 c 123 s 1; 1965 c 7 s 35.79.030; prior: 1957 c 156 s 4; 1949 c 14 s 1; 1901 c 84 s 2; Rem. Supp. 1949 s 9298.]
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 8 cases, 1967–2018 · leading case: Greater Harbor 2000 v. City of Seattle, 937 P.2d 1082 (Wash. 1997).
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Greater Harbor 2000 v. City of Seattle, 937 P.2d 1082 (Wash. 1997). · cites it 7× “They sought to set aside the preliminary approval by the Seattle City Council of the street vacation unless the Port compensates the City in the amount of at least one-half the appraised value of the streets vacated or unless the Port conveys to the City property equal in value…”
Greater Harbor 2000 v. City of Seattle, 132 Wash. 2d 267 (Wash. 1997). · cites it 6× “They sought to set aside the preliminary approval by the Seattle City Council of the street vacation unless the Port compensates the City in the amount of at least one-half the appraised value of the streets vacated or unless the Port conveys to the City property equal in value…”
Puget Sound Alumni of Kappa Sigma, Inc. v. City of Seattle, 422 P.2d 799 (Wash. 1967). · cites it 4× “On public notice, a hearing is then held before the streets and sewers committee as provided by RCW 35.79.030, and, if the committee recommends granting the petition to vacate, the petitioner is informed that it is the city council's policy to charge the petitioner one-half of…”
DeWeese v. City of Port Townsend, 693 P.2d 726 (Wash. Ct. App. 1984). · cites it 4× “They relied on the proviso to RCW 35.79.030 which states: That no city or town shall be authorized or have authority to vacate such street, or alley, or any parts thereof if any portion thereof abuts on a body of salt or fresh water unless such vacation be sought to enable the…”
Baumgardner v. Town of Ruston, 712 F. Supp. 2d 1180 (W.D. Wash. 2010). · cites it 3× “RCW 35.79.030. The Washington Supreme Court has upheld the payment of cash for vacated street, an exchange of property, and permitted the retention of easements as all part of the “payment” contemplated in RCW 35.”
State Ex Rel. Myhre v. City of Spokane, 422 P.2d 790 (Wash. 1967). · cites it 2× “" RCW 35.79.030 provides in part: " If the legislative authority determines to grant said petition or any part thereof, such city or town shall be authorized and have authority by ordinance to vacate such street.”
Hoskins v. City of Kirkland, 503 P.2d 1117 (Wash. Ct. App. 1972). “RCW 35.79.030. Necessarily, the City Council, in the good faith discharge of its legislative responsibilities, is free to evaluate the force and effect of the commission’s reasons and to disagree with the commission’s recommendation.”
Ronald W. Erickson v. The Port Of Port Angeles (Wash. Ct. App. 2018). · cites it 2× “11 Under RCW 35.79.030, “A certified copy of such ordinance shall be recorded by the clerk of the legislative authority and in the office of the auditor of the county in which the vacated land is located.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.