Portage County commissioners approve vacation of small section of Washington Street in former Brady Lake Village

The Portage County Board of Commissioners voted to vacate a roughly 50-by-100-foot portion of Washington Street in Franklin Township, the board said Thursday during a public hearing on a township petition.

Commissioner Tony Battleamente read the township trustees’ petition and the statutory requirements under Ohio Revised Code section 5553.045 before the county engineer presented the office’s report and recommended modification. The engineer told the board the green portion shown on aerials and plats is clearly dedicated and that the county has "no opposition to the vacation of Washington Street" as long as the unresolved survey gap — a triangular area and a north strip not clearly conveyed in historical plats — is excluded from the vacation.

Why it matters: The engineer and staff said the historic plats (dated 1918, 1925 and 1927) created a gap and overlaps that leave a small parcel of uncertain ownership. If the board vacates the dedicated roadway, Ohio law generally allocates the former roadway to adjoining property owners after a new plat is filed and recorded, but private legal steps (quiet-title actions or title work) may be required to resolve the remaining gap in ownership.

Board members and property owners questioned how the tax maps and deed records would be updated; county staff said the tax map will be revised based on the finalized plat and that private attorneys and potential quiet-title actions are remedies for owners who need clearer legal title. A nearby owner noted taxes had been paid on portions of the triangular area and asked who would maintain the land; staff replied that maintenance and final ownership depend on the recorded plat and subsequent deeds.

The board’s motion — moved by a board member and seconded — described the parcel as an approximate 50-foot-by-100-foot area (approximately 0.124 acres) in the former Brady Lake Village and was carried on a roll-call vote recorded in the meeting. The board directed staff to proceed with the post-vacation administrative steps required by statute, including recording the plat; staff advised landowners to consult private counsel about deeds or quiet-title actions where ownership remains unclear.

County staff repeatedly emphasized that the board’s action covers only the clearly dedicated portion shown in the staff presentation and that the small unresolved "gap" shown in gray on the maps would not be included in the recommended vacation. The county engineer said the green portion would be distributed to adjoining owners in accordance with Ohio Revised Code procedures after the board’s action and the recording of the new plat.

The board’s action follows a formal petition from township trustees and the engineer’s written report; the transcript records the county’s procedural steps, the public hearing and the unanimous roll call approving the vacation. The board said next steps include final platting and recording and that individual owners should consult private counsel to clarify title where needed.