The City of Sammamish will take over the responsibility for construction and maintenance of the private roadway easement on 244th Avenue Southeast.

At the council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 17, the council voted unanimously to make the private roadway a public street.

The section of 244th in question, between Southeast 14th and Southeast 17th streets, has been the source of some friction between the city and a couple of residents, who have opposed the city’s right to assume ownership of the easement.

Three weeks ago 244th resident Jim McGraw blocked a grading machine which the city had contracted to make repairs to the road.

McGraw is one of the two residents who have not signed over their deeds to the section of land through which the easement passes.

The other five owners have given their permission to the council to take over responsibility for the road.

The easement takes up a 30 foot section from each of the eight parcels of land around 244th between 14th and 17th.

Before Tuesday night’s vote, McGraw addressed the council, to again voice his concerns over the council’s handling of the easement.

He said that those residents who had signed over ownership of the easement parcel to the council had “signed over their rights to the city, but the city has never registered those rights — they are in limbo.”

Attorney for the city, Bruce Disend, said that if the city were to grant favors for one of the landowners, then they would have grant favors for them all.

“Is there anything that needs to be done to satisfy the deeds of the easement? No,” he said. “This is a fairly straightforward document.”

Earlier, Director of Public Works John Cunningham that traffic issues had been the major concern raised by residents.