Off-topic, but it's very normal for private entities to own public streets in the US. At the time when these areas were platted and lots conveyed, the streets w

Off-topic, but it's very normal for private entities to own public streets in the US. At the time when these areas were platted and lots conveyed, the streets were dedicated to the public use, but were not deeded to the municipalities. As a general rule, in most US states the adjoining landowners are assumed to have fee simple ownership and reversionary rights to the land underlying the streets. As a public policy matter, courts are loathe to create situations where tiny little bits of land are separately owned and can't be put to productive use. (the strips and gores doctrine.) For WA, Holmquist v. King discusses this in depth.