CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to the City-owned real property known as the Red Barn Ranch and to the future North Rainier Park; authorizing the Superintendent of Parks and Recreation to execute documents removing recreational covenants from the Red Barn Ranch; and placing a restrictive covenant onto the North Rainier landbanked development property.
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WHEREAS, in 1970 The City of Seattle (“City”) acquired a rural property of approximately 39 acres located approximately 30 miles outside Seattle city limits for the purpose of operating a youth outdoor recreation camp; and
WHEREAS, to pay for the acquisition, the City accepted funds from state and federal open space programs administered by the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) granted to the City on condition that the Red Barn Ranch property be used permanently for public outdoor recreation and the property be restricted to this purpose by recording against the property a Deed of Right to Use Land for Public Recreation Purposes (“Deed of Right”) as to the state funding program and an additional deed as to the federal program (together, the “Recreational Deeds”); and
WHEREAS, the Red Barn Ranch property was placed in Seattle Parks and Recreation’s (SPR) jurisdiction, and SPR renovated the property from 1971 to 1972, and afterward operated the youth camp until 1983, when operating costs, logistical challenges, and budget constraints required closing the camp; and
WHEREAS, the property remained closed and minimally maintained after 1983 because of the difficulty and expense of operating the property, in part due to its distance from Seattle, until the City began engaging outside entities to operate the Red Barn Ranch property for the purpose of providing ongoing recreational and educational programming; and
WHEREAS, as part of this ongoing effort, the City contracted with a private entity to operate a conference and recreation center from 1985 to 1987, then contracted with the Auburn School District from 1988 to 1991 to conduct a multipurpose education program on the property; and
WHEREAS, after again closing the site from 1991 to 1994, the City authorized management of the property by Camp Berachah Ministries through a series of annual permits from 1995 to 2011, after which, from 2011 to 2014, the City entered into an agreement allowing Camp Berachah to continue operating a recreational camp while also permitting the Seattle Tilth Association (now Tilth Alliance) to operate a demonstration garden, farm incubator, and farming education programs on the property; and
WHEREAS, after Camp Berachah ceased operations, from 2014 to 2018 Tilth Alliance alone operated the Red Barn Ranch property; and
WHEREAS, the Red Barn Ranch property has been vacant since Tilth Alliance vacated in 2018 and the City was unable to transfer the Red Barn Ranch property to another governmental agency for the purpose of retaining the public recreational use; and
WHEREAS, the City concluded that the Recreational Deeds should be removed to allow consideration of broader future uses of the property; and
WHEREAS, the City followed the required deed conversion process administered by the RCO, including providing public notice and an opportunity to comment, responding to public comments, and proposing a replacement property to which to transfer the Deed of Right, culminating in the City’s receiving approval from the RCO’s governing body, the Recreation and Conservation Funding Board, in January 2021 to release the Deed of Right from the Red Barn Ranch property, to assist in securing federal government approval to release the federal deed, and to place a replacement Deed of Right on the City’s North Rainier Park property; and
WHEREAS, the City will explore options for future uses of the Red Barn Ranch property, including potentially by transferring use or ownership of the property to an outside entity, which future transaction will be presented to the City Council for review and approval; and
WHEREAS, as required by RCW 35.21.960, public notice of the proposal to remove restrictive recreational covenants was provided, and a public hearing has been held; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The Superintendent of Parks and Recreation (“Superintendent”) or the Superintendent’s designee is authorized to execute and perform, for and on behalf of the City, the documents necessary to release the Recreational Deeds, King County Recording Numbers 7106300648 and 7207130463, from the Red Barn Ranch property, legally described as follows:
The southeast quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 24, Township 21 North, Range 5 east, W.M., in King County, Washington;
Except County Road No. 212;
Also except the north 30 feet for road as conveyed to King County, a political subdivision of the State of Washington by deed recorded under Recording 20050218001287.
and to place a recreational Deed of Right onto the North Rainier Park property, legally described as follows:
Statutory warranty deed No. 20160707001229
Parcels A, B, C, F and G
Lots 5 through 8 and Lots 13 through 16, inclusive, Block 44, C.D. Hillman’s Rainier Boulevard Garden Addition to the City of Seattle, according to the plat thereof recorded in Volume 12 of Plats, page 65, in King County, Washington.
Statutory warranty deed No. 20111229002432
Parcel E
Lots 9 and 10, Block 44, C.D. Hillman’s Rainier Boulevard Garden Addition to the City of Seattle, according to the plat thereof, recorded in Volume 12 of Plats, page 65, in King County, Washington.
Judgment Recording No. 20190312000535
Parcel D
Lots 11 and 12, Block 44, C.D. Hillman’s Rainier Boulevard Garden Addition to the City of Seattle, according to the plat thereof, recorded in Volume 12 of Plats, page 65, in King County, Washington.
Section 2. The Superintendent or the Superintendent’s designee is further authorized and directed, for and on behalf of the City, to execute, deliver, administer, and perform such ancillary agreements or documents or to take such other actions as in the Superintendent’s judgment may be necessary, appropriate, or desirable in order to carry out the terms and provisions of, and complete the transactions contemplated by, this ordinance.
Section 3. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force 30 days after its approval by the Mayor, but if not approved and returned by the Mayor within ten days after presentation, it shall take effect as provided by Seattle Municipal Code Section 1.04.020.
Passed by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2021, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its passage this _____ day of _________________, 2021.
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President ____________ of the City Council
Approved / returned unsigned / vetoed this ________ day of _________________, 2021.
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Jenny A. Durkan, Mayor
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________, 2021.
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Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk
(Seal)
Attachments:
Attachment A - Form of Red Barn Ranch Deed Release
Attachment B - Form of North Rainier Deed of Right