LAKE STEVENS – City and district leaders have decided to suspend an annexation plan for Lake Stevens that will expand the city limits to around 3,000 other residents and the lake itself.
You want to put the proposal to the electorate first.
The proposed southeast interlocal annexation includes approximately 500 acres east and south of the lake and 1,000 acres of water – all now in Snohomish County without legal personality.
Officials said the annexation could provide a more structured form of government for the area as the population continues to grow and city guides pursue their goal of becoming “a community around the lake.”
They initially hoped to annex the land through a new method established by Senate Bill 5522, passed in June. The residents do not have to vote, but can agree that a city and a district can allow the annexation of land without legal personality in urban growth areas by adopting an interlocal agreement.
But on Tuesday city and district councils decided to submit the proposed annexation agreement after residents asked them to get more input from those in the area.
Lake Stevens City Council agreed to work with the county council to hold an advisory vote to appear on the main vote in August.
An advisory vote would not make a binding decision on the annexation, but rather give officials an idea of how people think about it.
“Let’s see how the mood is out there,” said City Councilor Gary Petershagen. “It is good for us to listen to the public.”
The city hopes to annex the 1,000 acre lake it is named after and 500 acres in the Southeast Interlocal Annexation. (City of Stevens Lake)
County Council Chair Stephanie Wright and her colleagues also said they support waiting for the results of a public vote before making a final decision.
The city councilor Sam Low has withdrawn from the deliberations in order to avoid conflicts of interest. Low previously voted for another annexation while serving on Lake Stevens City Council. His wife is also the executive director of the Lake Stevens Sewer District.
It is not yet clear who is allowed to take part in the vote, apart from those in the annexation area.
One idea was that the whole city could be involved, according to senior city planner David Levitan. That’s because the Southeast Interlocal Annexation would include the actual lake. Hundreds of people live on its shores, and anyone can visit public beaches.
“Right now, your constituents don’t even know that most of this is so,” Janice Huxford told city council members at Tuesday’s session. “Can we just slow the role down guys? Can we make this something that can be discussed as a community? ”
Lake Stevens became an incorporated city in 1960. Ten years later, the population was registered at 1,283.
Proposed annexation areas on Lake Stevens. (Snohomish County)
The city began annexing land in 2002, and by 2010 the number of people living there rose to 28,069. According to the state, an estimated 34,150 people live in Lake Stevens today.
Another annexation, the Machias Industrial Annexation, was approved in late February. It didn’t bring that many people into the city, but covered almost 70 hectares. In this case, 13 out of 18 property owners have applied for annexation, the city said.
The process of southeastern interlocal annexation has been going on for about eight months, according to Levitan. Two meetings, an information website and thousands of postcards were sent to residents.
“I am disappointed with the number of people who did not attend the public meetings and did not speak up on the occasion,” said councilor Anji Jorstad on Tuesday. “I’m nervous about how little we’ve heard from the people who live in this area.”
City and district leaders admitted that their employees tried to make the process public. However, the COVID-19 crisis has gotten in the way.
“We are in the middle of a pandemic. It’s hard to get that range, ”Wright said.
Several residents spoke out against the proposed annexation at the meeting. They asked questions about the impact, including whether the area’s development potential would change and whether the addition would put a strain on urban resources.
“I think this is bad business for everyone in the southeast interlocal area,” said Michael Jones, who lives within the proposed annexation. “It’s a land grab for the city, a tax robbery for the city, and we’re getting absolutely none of it.”
The property tax rate would drop about 7 cents per $ 1,000 of the estimated land value for those incorporated into the city, or $ 28 for a $ 400,000 home.
At the same time, residents would notice a 6% excise tax on utility bills. Excise taxes depend on the cost of each bill, but are expected to be anywhere from $ 5 to $ 25 per month, depending on the incidental charges the person has based on the city.
City officials say the allowable density of development will be similar to what is now in the proposed annexation. Current zoning rules in the non-legal entity require a minimum lot size of 7,200 square feet, Levitan said. City rules would allow slightly smaller lots, up to 6,000 square feet, he said.
According to Police Chief John Dyer, Lake Stevens would hire two more patrolmen for the added area and bring the department’s patrol force to 22 officers and four detectives. An assessment would then be conducted to see if more officials are needed to cover the annexation, Dyer said.
The city’s public works department has made an inventory of improvements to sidewalks, roads and other infrastructure that will be required in the years to come as part of the annexation. These upgrades are likely paid for in the same way that other infrastructure projects are funded – developer fees and other funding, according to Public Works staff.
The city is now paying most of the cost of maintaining the lake’s water quality. Lake Stevens is responsible for 90% of the cost of running the lake, and the county is paying the remaining 10% under an interlocal agreement signed in 2013, said Eric Durpos, city public works director.
This contract expires at the end of the year. The city could choose to buy test equipment and train staff to take on some of the work that is now being outsourced to the county, Durpos said.
Rachel Riley: 425-339-3465; [email protected]. Twitter: @rachel_m_riley.
Stephanie Davey: 425-339-3192; [email protected]; Twitter: @stephrdavey.
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The city hopes to annex the 1,000 acre lake it is named after and 500 acres in the Southeast Interlocal Annexation. (City of Stevens Lake)
Proposed annexation areas on Lake Stevens. (Snohomish County)