DEDICATION OF RIGHT OF WAY OR EASEMENT | 1
Seattle Department of Transportation
700 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2300 | P.O. Box 34996
Seattle, Washington 98124-4996
(206) 684-5253 | SDOTP[email protected]
2203
CLIENT ASSISTANCE MEMO
SEATTLE PERMITS - Part of a multi-
departmental City of Seattle series
on getting a permit
www.seattle.gov/transportation
DEDICATION OF RIGHT OF WAY OR
EASEMENT
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This Client Assistance Memo (CAM) should not be used as a substitute for codes and regulations. The applicant is
responsible for compliance with all code and rule requirements, whether or not described in this CAM.
Last Revised 12/5/17
Planning for streets and utilities is a necessary
part of developing property. Land owners provide
the land needed for these facilities. When property
is developed, the City of Seattle (City) may require
owners to dedicate additional land for streets (right-
of-way) or easements to meet City street and utility
standards. This is accomplished through a dedication
where the owner conveys certain rights to the City for
the City’s use of the land.
The Seattle Department of Construction and
Inspection (SDCI) reviews and approves plans for land
development and constructing buildings in the City
of Seattle. The Seattle Department of Transportation
(SDOT) Street Use Division reviews certain aspects
of the plans for land development and constructing
buildings, including transportation, sewage, and
drainage. SDOT Real Property Services performs the
environmental and title due diligence on dedications
and prepares the deeds and easements for the
dedications.
The Seattle Public Utilities Department (SPU)
prepares sanitary sewer, storm drain, combined
sewer, and water main easements when they
are required in conjunction with any of the SPU’s
prepared easements. If the easement only involves
SPU, submit the plan, application, legal description
and title information directly to SPU. See the SPU
publication, “Private Contract Water Main Projects,”
for special provisions.
PROCEDURES
SDOT’s Real Property Services prepares the legal
documents required for dedicating right-of-way. The
property owner (applicant) should submit a letter of
intent (www.seattle.gov/dpd/permits/forms/) as soon
as possible so other City project approvals will not
be delayed. Dedications are required to be complete
before any development or construction permit is
issued. The procedures are as follows:
1. The applicant shall provide a dedication letter
of intent with a copy to the Street Use Project
manager. The letter is addressed to the SDOT
Street Improvement Permitting Section. This
letter shall be signed by the legal property
owner(s) and shall include the site address, legal
description of the property, printed name of the
owner(s), owner contact information, and name
and contact information of any corporation or
other entity that is acting on behalf of the owner.
2. The applicant shall also provide a copy of the plot
plan for the project with each lot clearly shown
and dimensioned. If a private contract plan is
being reviewed for the project, a copy of the plan
sheet showing the dedication area should be
used instead of a plot plan.
3. The plan must show the property to be dedicated
and if applicable, show easement boundaries,
and give the dimensions and bearings of the
boundaries of the portion of the parcel to be
dedicated. The applicant’s engineer or surveyor
shall prepare, sign and stamp a legal description
of the portion of property to be dedicated. A
centerline description may be used for easements.
See attached standard drawing DEF- 4000 for
more information.
2 | SDOT CLIENT ASSISTANCE MEMO 2203
4. When an exception to full dedication is
requested, the exception must be approved
and granted by SDOT. The depth below and
height above the surface are determined by
public need. When there are aerial overhangs
or undersurface reservations, for alleys the
minimum requirement is 4 feet of cover between
the surface and reserved vertical area and 26
feet from surface to the beginning of any aerial
overhang. All elevations must be expressed
as NAVD 88 Datum elevations and a local
benchmark must be identified.
5. The SDOT Street Improvement Permitting
Section will forward a request to SDOT Real
Property Services for preparing documents
(deed, easement, or both) with the plot plan or
private contract plan sheet, and proposed legal
description that is signed and stamped by a
licensed surveyor.
6. The owner shall submit a letter of intent to
dedicate (www.seattle.gov/dpd/permits/forms/),
a title report less than 3 months old including
copies of all documents listed in the schedule
b, and all plat maps needed to proof the legal
description. If the property is under corporate
ownership a copy of the operating agreement or
a corporate resolution with the name and title of
the person authorized to sign for the corporation
shall be provided.
7. Real Property Services identifies what
encumbrances need to be cleared off the
dedication area and sends request to owner to
remove encumbrances from dedication area.
Real Property Services prepares the documents
and submits the proposed documents to the
Law Department for approval. After the Law
Department approves the documents, Real
Property Services forwards the documents to the
applicant.
8. The owner signs the document (deed, easement
or both) and has the signature notarized.
When all necessary signatures are gathered,
the applicant returns the document(s) to Real
Property Services for approval and recording
with King County. The owner is not to record the
document(s).
9. Real Property Services section notifies the SDOT
Street Use Division or SDCI that the dedication is
completed.
Access to Information
Client Assistance Memos are available online at:
www.seattle.gov/transportation/document-library/client-
assistance-memos. Paper copies of these documents are
available at our Permit Services Counter located on the
23rd floor of the Seattle Municipal Tower at 700 5th Avenue
in downtown Seattle; phone number (206) 684-5253.
