Title 36 — Title 36 COUNTIES

The rule of strict construction does not apply to this chapter, and this chapter shall be liberally construed to permit the accomplishment of its purposes.[ 1983 c 130 s 10.]

Whenever it is necessary to secure any lands for a right-of-way for any county road or for the drainage thereof or to afford unobstructed view toward any intersection or point of possible danger to public travel upon any county road or for any borrow pit, gravel pit, quarry, or o…

Whenever any county has established a public highway, which, in whole or in part, abuts upon and adjoins any aviation site in such county, no property shall be exempt from condemnation for such highway by reason of the same having been or being dedicated, appropriated, or otherwi…

The boards in their respective counties may accept the grant of rights-of-way for the construction of public highways over public lands of the United States, not reserved for public uses, contained in section 2477 of the Revised Statutes of the United States. Such rights-of-way s…

Prior action of boards purporting to accept the grant of rights-of-way under section 2477 of the Revised Statutes of the United States for the construction of public highways over public lands of the United States, as provided in RCW 36.85.030, is hereby approved, ratified and co…

From and after April 1, 1937, the width of thirty feet on each side of the center line of county roads, exclusive of such additional width as may be required for cuts and fills, is the necessary and proper right-of-way width for county roads, unless the board of county commission…

In the case of roads, the minimum width between shoulders shall be fourteen feet with eight feet of surfacing, and in the case of bridges, which includes all decked structures, the minimum standard shall be for H-10 loading in accordance with the standards of the state department…

Road and bridge standards may be amended from time to time by resolution of the county legislative authority, but no standard may be approved by the legislative authority with any minimum requirement less than that specified in this chapter. Two copies of the approved standards s…

The county legislative authority shall erect and maintain upon the county roads such suitable and proper signs, signals, signboards, and guideposts and appropriate stop, caution, warning, restrictive, and directional signs and markings as it deems necessary or as may be required …

The board and the road engineer, at the time of establishing, constructing, improving, or paving any county road, shall fix permanent monuments at the original positions of all United States government monuments at township corners, section corners, quarter section corners, meand…

No oil or other material shall be used in the treatment of any county road or private road or driveway, of such consistency, viscosity or nature or in such quantities and in such proximity to the entrance to or intersection with any state highway or county road, the roadway of wh…

From time to time the legislative authority of each county shall classify and designate as the county primary road system such county roads as are designated rural minor collector, rural major collector, rural minor arterial, rural principal arterial, urban collector, urban minor…

Upon the adoption of uniform design standards the legislative authority of each county shall apply the same to all new construction within, and as far as practicable and feasible to reconstruction of old roads comprising, the county primary road system. No deviation from such des…

Logs dumped on any county road right-of-way or in any county road drainage ditch due to hauling equipment failure, or for any other reason, shall be removed within ten days. Logs remaining within any county road right-of-way for a period of thirty days shall be confiscated and re…

Each railroad company shall keep its right-of-way clear of all brush and timber in the vicinity of a railroad grade crossing with a county road for a distance of one hundred feet from the crossing in such a manner as to permit a person upon the road to obtain an unobstructed view…

When a county road or any part thereof is considered useless, the board by resolution entered upon its minutes, may declare its intention to vacate and abandon the same or any portion thereof and shall direct the county road engineer to report upon such vacation and abandonment.[…

Owners of the majority of the frontage on any county road or portion thereof may petition the county legislative authority to vacate and abandon the same or any portion thereof. The petition must show the land owned by each petitioner and set forth that such county road is useles…

On the filing of the petition and bond and on being satisfied that the petition has been signed by petitioners residing in the vicinity of the county road or portion thereof, the board shall direct the county road engineer to report upon such vacation and abandonment.[ 1963 c 4 s…

When directed by the board the county road engineer shall examine any county road or portion thereof proposed to be vacated and abandoned and report his or her opinion as to whether the county road should be vacated and abandoned, whether the same is in use or has been in use, th…

Notice of hearing upon the report for vacation and abandonment of a county road shall be published at least once a week for two consecutive weeks preceding the date fixed for the hearing, in the county official newspaper and a copy of the notice shall be posted for at least twent…

(1) On the day fixed for the hearing, the county legislative authority shall proceed to consider the report of the engineer, together with any evidence for or objection against such vacation and abandonment. If the county road is found useful as a part of the county road system i…

If the county legislative authority has required the petitioners to make a cash deposit or furnish a bond, upon completion of the hearing, it shall certify all costs and expenses incurred in the proceedings to the county treasurer and, regardless of its final decision, the county…

No county road shall be vacated and abandoned except by majority vote of the board properly entered, or by operation of law, or judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.[ 1969 ex.s. c 185 s 2; 1963 c 4 s 36.87.080. Prior: 1937 c 187 s 51, part; RRS s 6450-51, part.]

Any county road, or part thereof, which remains unopen for public use for a period of five years after the order is made or authority granted for opening it, shall be thereby vacated, and the authority for building it barred by lapse of time: PROVIDED, That this section shall not…

Any board of county commissioners may, by ordinance, classify all county roads for which public expenditures were made in the acquisition, improvement or maintenance of the same, according to the type and amount of expenditures made and the nature of the county's property interes…

Any board of county commissioners may, by ordinance, separately classify county roads for which no public expenditures have been made in the acquisition, improvement or maintenance of the same, according to the nature of the county's property interest in the road; and may require…

Any ordinance adopted pursuant to this chapter may require that compensation for the vacation of county roads within particular classes shall equal all or a percentage of the appraised value of the vacated road as of the effective date of the vacation. In determining the appropri…

No county shall vacate a county road or part thereof which abuts on a body of salt or fresh water unless the purpose of the vacation is to enable any public authority to acquire the vacated property for port purposes, boat moorage or launching sites, or for park, viewpoint, recre…

Whenever a county road or any portion thereof is vacated the legislative body may include in the resolution authorizing the vacation a provision that the county retain an easement in respect to the vacated land for the construction, repair, and maintenance of public utilities and…

All counties have the power to create county road improvement districts for the acquisition of rights-of-way and improvement of county roads, existing private roads that will become county roads as a result of this improvement district process and, with the approval of the state …

All counties have the power to create county road improvement districts for the construction, installation, improvement, operation, and maintenance of street and road lighting systems for any county roads, and subject to the approval of the state department of transportation, for…

County road improvement districts may be initiated either by resolution of the board of county commissioners or by petition signed by the owners according to the records of the office of the county auditor of property to an aggregate amount of the majority of the lineal frontage …

In case the board of county commissioners shall desire to initiate the formation of a county road improvement district by resolution, it shall first pass a resolution declaring its intention to order such improvement, setting forth the nature and territorial extent of such propos…

Any notice given to the public or to the owners of specific lots, tracts, or parcels of land relating to the formation of a county road improvement district shall contain a statement that actual assessments may vary from assessment estimates so long as they do not exceed a figure…

The election provided herein for cases where the improvement is initiated by resolution shall be governed by the following rules: (1) All ballots must be signed by the owner or reputed owner of property within the proposed district according to the records of the county auditor; …

In case any such road improvement shall be initiated by petition, such petition shall set forth the nature and territorial extent of such proposed improvement, and the fact that the signers thereof are the owners, according to the records of the county auditor of property to an a…

Whether the improvement is initiated by petition or resolution the board shall conduct a public hearing at the time and place designated in the notice to property owners. At this hearing, the board may make such changes in the boundaries of the district or such modifications in t…

In lieu of the county legislative authority holding the hearing under RCW 36.88.060 to create the road improvement district, the county legislative authority may adopt an ordinance providing for a committee of the county legislative authority or an officer to conduct the hearings…

If the county legislative authority desires to initiate the formation of a county road improvement district by resolution, it may elect to follow either the procedure set forth in chapter 35.43 RCW or the procedure set forth in RCW 36.88.030, and shall indicate the procedure sele…

The diagram or print herein directed to be submitted to the board shall be in the nature of a preliminary determination upon the method, and estimated amounts, of assessments to be levied upon the property specially benefited by such improvement and shall in no case be construed …

If an owner of property enters into an agreement with a county waiving the property owner's right under RCW 36.88.030, 36.88.040, 36.88.050, 36.88.060, and 36.88.065 to protest formation of a road improvement district, the agreement must specify the improvements to be financed by…

The county engineer or other designated official may contract with owners of real property to provide for payment by the owners of the cost of the preparation of engineering plans, surveys, studies, appraisals, legal services, and other expenses associated with improvements to be…

A county ordering a road improvement upon which special assessments on property specifically benefited by the improvements are levied and collected, may provide as part of the ordinance creating the road improvement district that moneys paid or the cost of facilities constructed …

A county ordering a road improvement upon which special assessments on property specifically benefited by the improvement are levied and collected, may provide as part of the ordinance creating the road improvement district that the payment of an assessment levied for the distric…

Every resolution ordering any improvement mentioned in this chapter, payment for which shall be in whole or in part by special assessments shall establish a road improvement district which shall embrace as near as may be all the property specially benefited by such improvement an…

See RCW 84.34.300 through 84.34.380 and 84.34.922.

Whenever the assessment roll for any county road improvement district has been prepared, such roll shall be filed with the clerk of the county legislative authority. The county legislative authority shall thereupon by resolution set the date for hearing upon such roll before a bo…

In lieu of the county legislative authority holding the hearing on assessment roll under RCW 36.88.090 as the board of equalization, the county legislative authority may adopt an ordinance providing for a committee of the county legislative authority or an officer to conduct the …

The decision of the board upon any objections made within the time and in the manner herein prescribed may be reviewed by the superior court upon an appeal taken thereto in the manner provided for taking appeals from objections in local improvement districts of cities and towns.T…

Whenever any assessment roll for construction or improvements shall have been confirmed by the board, as provided in this chapter, the regularity, validity and correctness of the proceedings relating to such construction or improvement and to the assessment therefor, including th…