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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: October 28, 2024 <br />TOPIC: Markovich Right of Way Proposed Vacation <br />ACTION REQUESTED: Direct Staff <br />LEAD STAFF: <br />Cameron Curtis <br />RECOMMENDATION: <br />Schedule a public hearing receiving testimony regarding the proposed vacation of a <br />portion of the Markovich Right of Way. <br />BRIEFING SUMMARY: <br />• Patricia O'Hearn submitted an application to vacate a portion of the Markovich <br />Road Right of Way from the end of the County Road to the end of right of way <br />(approximately MP 0.58 to MP 1.00) <br />• Public Works has contacted five of the six property owners who may currently or <br />in the future use the right of way to access their property. All contacted property <br />owners are in support of the vacation. <br />• Upon vacation, a non-exclusive access and utility easement 2180-foot long and <br />40-foot wide would be left in place of the Right of Way. <br />• The unopened right of way does not meet any road standards and significant <br />capital improvements would be necessary to bring the road up to current <br />standards. <br />• Upon vacation, the right of way would not be split and the entirety of the 40-foot <br />right of way would be vacated to the eastern parcels. This is because the right of <br />way falls entirely on the eastern side of the section line. <br />BACKGROUND: <br />A resident, Patricia OHearn, adjacent to Markovich Road has applied to vacate the <br />unopened Markovich right of way (ROW) that exists south of the county road. Property <br />owners report trespassing, property damage, and dust and noise issues associated with <br />people attempting to access land beyond the ROW or utilizing the ROW for recreation <br />purposes. The ROW could provide access to up to seven parcels, but at least two of the <br />affected parcels access their property from a location other than the unopened ROW. <br />There are no public lands or bodies of water accessible from this ROW. <br />DISCUSSION: <br />A portion of the ROW is currently accessible but would require significant capital <br />improvements to meet the public road standards. The remaining portion of the ROW is <br />Page 1 of 3 <br />Public Works "Work Session Staff Report", 2024 <br />