Skip to main content

Regulatory Compliance and Land Acquisition Services

The Regulatory Compliance and Land Acquisition Services unit handles the real property and permitting needs for all Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) projects. These include managing existing property rights, acquiring new property rights, and obtaining land use, construction, and environmental permits.

The Regulatory Compliance and Land Acquisition Services unit is made up of the following three teams: property asset management, permitting, and land acquisition.

Property asset management

The property asset management team is responsible for managing property and assets owned by WTD, overseeing use agreements, implementing security improvements, and providing facility security guidance for capital projects. The team is committed to safeguarding WTD facilities to create a secure environment for the communities we serve and for our staff who operate the facilities. As the designated inventory contact for the division, the property asset management team ensures effective management and use of property assets.

The team works on the following property management issues:

  • Physical security and property enhancements
    • For example, fencing, lighting, cameras, etc.
    • Addressing encroachments, trespassing, vandalism, and unauthorized users of County property
  • Property use agreements such as special use permits, leases, and rights-of-entry
  • Access/blockage issues to and from WTD’s facilities and infrastructure (both below and above grade)
  • Surplus property actions
    • Taking action to dispose of land no longer needed by WTD
    • Coordination with King County’s Real Estate Services

Permitting 

The permitting team is responsible for acquiring all the local construction permits and land use approvals for WTD capital projects. The team plays a crucial role making sure construction projects are implemented successfully.

The permitting team’s duties and responsibilities cover many aspects of permitting and land use regulations to help projects finish on time. Specific responsibilities of the team include:

  • Strategic permitting advice and implementation
  • Stakeholder coordination, development of network of contacts, and permit negotiation
  • Support of departmental memorandum of approval and memorandum of understanding pertaining to permitting
  • Permitting consultant management and permitting work order development
  • Permit application comment review and responses
  • Recordkeeping
  • Acquisition of deliverables

Land acquisition

The land acquisition team is responsible for purchasing property rights and relocating displaced tenants, which may be necessary for the construction of capital projects. The unit operates with a dedication to fairness and the equitable treatment of all property owners and displaced tenants, while upholding its fiduciary responsibility to its ratepayers.

All property acquisitions follow the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks Real Property Acquisition and Relocation Procedures and Guidelines and applicable state and federal regulations. Examples of typical property rights acquired are fee purchases, permanent utility easements, temporary construction easements, agreements for access and use, right-of-entry agreements, and consent agreements.

Note:

If you're looking for a property management contact for the use of County-owned property, tax title or surplus properties, please refer to Real Estate Services' "Using County real property" webpage. For requests to use or alter County-owned property, please fill out the Special Use Permit Application.

Helpful links

  • Title 4.56 KCC (King County Code: Real and Personal Property)
  • Chapter 468-100 WAC (Washington Administrative Code: Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition)
  • Chapter 8.26 RCW (Revised Code of Washington: Relocation Assistance - Real Property Acquisition Policy)
  • Title 23 CFR Part 710 (Code of Federal Regulations: Right-of-Way and Real Estate)
  • Title 49 CFR Part 24 (Code of Federal Regulations: Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property acquisition for Federal and Federally-Assisted Programs)
expand_less