Edmonds — City staff presented a public hearing July 22 on a proposed official street map amendment that would reduce the required right‑of‑way (ROW) on a short segment of 70 Fifth Place West from 60 feet to 50 feet, eliminating a 10‑foot dedication on the west side for three parcels in the city’s North End.

Jeanne McConnell, a city staff member handling the application, told council the change is focused on three properties for which the city had received building permit applications and survey data. “The reduction we’re talking about specifically would eliminate the requirement for street dedication on the west side of 70 Fifth,” McConnell said.

Staff said existing pavement and utilities already fit within the current 40‑foot improved pavement area and sidewalk, and that requiring an additional 10 feet would push future houses further down steep slopes toward the Burlington Northern Railroad tracks and could increase driveway grades beyond city standards.

Roger Pierce, a permit consultant speaking remotely on behalf of an applicant, said the extra 10 feet was not needed for sidewalks, utilities or travel lanes and that forcing the dedication would make driveways “very, very difficult and dangerous.” He urged council to adopt the amendment.

Citizen Ken Reidy challenged the city’s recordkeeping and legal basis for the current official street map. Reidy quoted language from an ordinance and asked council to refund the applicant’s fee if prior ordinances already reduced the ROW, and he urged staff to fix apparent inconsistencies in the city’s map records.

McConnell reviewed the historical record in staff slides, citing a 1990 Ordinance 2799 that vacated a portion of 70 Fifth Place West and several later actions that staff said supported a reduced ROW in that limited area. She said the planning board recommended amending the map to remove the 10‑foot dedication and asked council to consider adoption at an August 12 meeting.

No vote was taken at the hearing; staff said the next step would be council consideration of adoption after the public comment period closes.

Why this matters: The amendment would change how development is conditioned on street dedication and affect the feasibility and design of single‑family building projects along a steep part of 70 Fifth Place West. Residents and applicants differed on whether additional right‑of‑way is required for future public infrastructure and safety.

The council closed the public hearing after remote and in‑chamber participation and left the item for potential adoption at a later meeting.