The board of county commissioners of any county may convey the fee simple estate or any lesser estate or interest in, or permit the use of, for such period as it shall determine, any lands owned by such county and acquired or used for highways, bridges, or culverts, or owned by such county in connection with highways or as incidental to the acquisition of land for highways, provided that said board shall determine and enter its determination on its journal, that the property or interest so to be conveyed or made subject to a permit to use, is not needed by the county for highway purposes. Such conveyance or permit to use may be to the grantee or permittee and his or its successors and assigns and shall be of such portion of such lands as said board shall determine, which shall be described in the deed or other instrument of conveyance and in any permit to use, and may include or be limited to, areas or space on, above, or below the surface, and may include the grant of easements or other interests in any such lands not so conveyed or made subject to a permit to use, for use by the grantee for buildings or structures or other uses and purposes, and for the support of buildings or structures constructed or to be constructed in or on the lands, areas, or space conveyed or made subject to a permit to use.

Whenever pursuant to this section separate units of property are created in any lands, each unit shall for all purposes constitute real property and shall be deemed real estate within the meaning of all provisions of the Revised Code and shall be deemed to be a separate parcel for all purposes of taxation and assessment of real property and no other unit or other part of such lands shall be charged with the payment of such taxes and assessments.

With respect to any portion of any highway in any county, or bridges or culverts thereon, which is not owned in fee simple by the county, the board of county commissioners of such county may grant the right to use any portion thereof in perpetuity or for such period of time as it shall specify, including areas or space on, above, or beneath the surface, together with rights for the support of buildings or structures constructed or to be constructed thereon or therein, provided that it shall determine and enter its determination on its journal, that the property made subject to a permit to use is not needed by the county for highway purposes.

The board of county commissioners shall require as either a condition precedent or a condition subsequent to any conveyance, grant, or permit to use, that the plans and specifications for all such buildings or structures and the contemplated use thereof, be approved by it as not interfering with the county's use for its purposes of any such property, and not unduly endangering the public, and may require such indemnity agreements in favor of the board of county commissioners and the public as shall be lawful and as shall be deemed necessary by it. Such board shall not unreasonably withhold approval of such plans, specifications, and contemplated use.

All such conveyances or grants or permits to use shall be made with competitive bidding as required by section 307.10 of the Revised Code, except that competitive bidding shall not be required if such conveyance, grant, or permit to use is to be made to the United States of America or this state, or any political subdivision, taxing district, department, commission, board, institution, authority, or other agency of either.

In any case where any county has acquired or acquires easements or permits to use areas or space on, above, or below the surface for any purpose, the board of county commissioners of such county may extinguish them in whole or in part or subordinate them to uses by others, provided that it shall determine and enter its determination on its journal, that the easements so extinguished or subordinated are not needed for county purposes.

No conveyance, easement, lease, permit, or other instrument executed pursuant to the authorization given by this section shall prejudice any right, title, or interest in any lands affected thereby which at the date thereof existed in any person, firm, or corporation, other than the county and other than members of the general public having no specific rights in said lands, unless such right, title, or interest was expressly subject to the right of the county to make such conveyance, grant such right, or execute such instrument and unless the county by such instrument expressly exercises such right, nor shall any public utility be required to move or relocate any of its facilities that may be located in or on the areas described in any such conveyance, easement, lease, permit, or other instrument.

Effective Date: 11-09-1965 .