Street vacation

A street vacation, also known as an alley vacation or vacation of public access, is a type of easement in which a government transfers the right-of-way of a public street, highway or alley to a private property owner. The process, which varies between cities and states in the United States, is often used for large-scale real estate development, where alleys cutting through city blocks are closed for a large building. City laws may require public benefits and other types of compensation in exchange for the approval of a street vacation.

In the Unorganized Borough of Alaska, vacation of public access easements require approval from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.

The city of Los Angeles requires a $14,980 fee paid to the Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering to begin the process of review for street vacations. The process includes a public investigation, environmental review, actions from the Los Angeles City Council, and public hearings before they can be accepted.

In Portland, Oregon, the street vacation process takes approximately 8 to 12 months and includes a formal petition and investigation, public hearings, and action and approval by the Portland City Council.

Right-of-way vacations in the state of Washington are governed by part of the Revised Code of Washington, allowing for local governments to set their own rules on the process.

In Seattle, the state's largest city, permanent street vacations require the approval of the Seattle City Council or its transportation committee after the consideration of land use impacts and public benefits provided by the requester.

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