Limitations on vacations of streets abutting bodies of water — Procedure.
RCW 35.79.035
in effect(1) A city or town shall not vacate a street or alley if any portion of the street or alley abuts a body of fresh or salt water unless: (a) The vacation is sought to enable the city or town to acquire the property for port purposes, beach or water access purposes, boat moorage or launching sites, park, public view, recreation, or educational purposes, or other public uses; (b) The city or town, by resolution of its legislative authority, declares that the street or alley is not presently being used as a street or alley and that the street or alley is not suitable for any of the following purposes: Port, beach or water access, boat moorage, launching sites, park, public view, recreation, or education; or (c) The vacation is sought to enable a city or town to implement a plan, adopted by resolution or ordinance, that provides comparable or improved public access to the same shoreline area to which the streets or alleys sought to be vacated abut, had the properties included in the plan not been vacated. (2) Before adopting a resolution vacating a street or alley under subsection (1)(b) of this section, the city or town shall: (a) Compile an inventory of all rights-of-way within the city or town that abut the same body of water that is abutted by the street or alley sought to be vacated; (b) Conduct a study to determine if the street or alley to be vacated is suitable for use by the city or town for any of the following purposes: Port, boat moorage, launching sites, beach or water access, park, public view, recreation, or education; (c) Hold a public hearing on the proposed vacation in the manner required by this chapter, where in addition to the normal requirements for publishing notice, notice of the public hearing is posted conspicuously on the street or alley sought to be vacated, which posted notice indicates that the area is public access, it is proposed to be vacated, and that anyone objecting to the proposed vacation should attend the public hearing or send a letter to a particular official indicating his or her objection; and (d) Make a finding that the street or alley sought to be vacated is not suitable for any of the purposes listed under (b) of this subsection, and that the vacation is in the public interest. (3) No vacation shall be effective until the fair market value has been paid for the street or alley that is vacated. Moneys received from the vacation may be used by the city or town 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.
(1) A city or town shall not vacate a street or alley if any portion of the street or alley abuts a body of fresh or salt water unless:
(a) The vacation is sought to enable the city or town to acquire the property for port purposes, beach or water access purposes, boat moorage or launching sites, park, public view, recreation, or educational purposes, or other public uses;
(b) The city or town, by resolution of its legislative authority, declares that the street or alley is not presently being used as a street or alley and that the street or alley is not suitable for any of the following purposes: Port, beach or water access, boat moorage, launching sites, park, public view, recreation, or education; or
(c) The vacation is sought to enable a city or town to implement a plan, adopted by resolution or ordinance, that provides comparable or improved public access to the same shoreline area to which the streets or alleys sought to be vacated abut, had the properties included in the plan not been vacated.
(2) Before adopting a resolution vacating a street or alley under subsection (1)(b) of this section, the city or town shall:
(a) Compile an inventory of all rights-of-way within the city or town that abut the same body of water that is abutted by the street or alley sought to be vacated;
(b) Conduct a study to determine if the street or alley to be vacated is suitable for use by the city or town for any of the following purposes: Port, boat moorage, launching sites, beach or water access, park, public view, recreation, or education;
(c) Hold a public hearing on the proposed vacation in the manner required by this chapter, where in addition to the normal requirements for publishing notice, notice of the public hearing is posted conspicuously on the street or alley sought to be vacated, which posted notice indicates that the area is public access, it is proposed to be vacated, and that anyone objecting to the proposed vacation should attend the public hearing or send a letter to a particular official indicating his or her objection; and
(d) Make a finding that the street or alley sought to be vacated is not suitable for any of the purposes listed under (b) of this subsection, and that the vacation is in the public interest.
(3) No vacation shall be effective until the fair market value has been paid for the street or alley that is vacated. Moneys received from the vacation may be used by the city or town 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.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=35.79&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026