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KITTITAS COUNTY <br />DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS <br />PUBLIC WORKS — BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />STUDY SESSION STAFF REPORT <br />STUDY SESSION DATE: July 27, 2020 <br />TOPIC: Establishment of Additional Length to Parke Creek Road <br />ACTION REQUESTED: Direct the County Engineer Prepare Enabling <br />Documents Considering the Establishment of Additional <br />Parke Creek Road <br />LEAD STAFF: <br />Mark R. Cook <br />RECOXW ENDATION: <br />Direct the County Engineer schedule a public hearing to gather public testimony <br />regarding the proposed establishment of additional length to Parke Creek Road. <br />BRIEFING SUMMARY: <br />• Public easements currently extend beyond the existing end of County Road at <br />Parke Creek Road, approximately 4.1 miles. <br />• County Surveyor Turnbull is convinced that additional length of Parke Creek <br />exists in unopened county right of way. <br />• The Public Lands Committee (PLC) is expressing interest in establishing the <br />additional length of road onto the County road network. <br />• If established, Public Works (PW) recommends bringing it on system as a <br />Primitive Road. <br />BACKGROUND: <br />During the past several months, the PLC has been anxious to affirm public access to <br />additional length of road at Parke Creek. The additional length of roadway is estimated as <br />being approximately 4.1 miles. <br />DISCUSSION: <br />Unopened County right of way exists throughout Kittitas County. One recent example is <br />Wiehl Road. The Board will recall PW efforts recently improving that right of way to <br />public road status and bringing the road onto the County road network. Confusion over <br />public access is inherent when individuals utilize unopened right of way for home access. <br />It is typical over time for those using the road to discourage other non-users owing to <br />maintenance demands. The clear way establishing public access over unopened County <br />right of way is to establish it onto the public road network. One savvy way to set <br />maintenance expectations is to then designate the existing roadway as "Primitive" <br />Page 1 of 3 <br />PUBLIC WORKS BOARD OF COUNTY CONIlVIISSIONERS WORK SESSION STAFF REPORT <br />