LAKE STEVENS – A town near the edges of this 1,000 acre lake was founded for 60 years, but all the while the lake has been left out.
Lake Stevens, the actual body of water, could soon be part of the city that shares its name.
Thousands of people would become residents of Lake Stevens if two annexations proceed as the city guides pursue their goal of becoming “a community around the lake”.
An estimated 3,000 people are living in one of the proposed supplements known as Southeast Interlocal Annexation. It would include the water and 500 acres of land to the east and south of the lake.
Almost 70 acres would be included in the Machias Industrial Annexation. Those who live there have applied to become part of the city. According to senior planner David Levitan, 13 out of 18 property owners have signed up, exceeding the 60% of required signatures.
In the Southeast Interlocal Annexation, residents are not allowed to vote. The city is undergoing a new process introduced by Senate Law 522, passed in June. Levitan believes Lake Stevens could be the first city in the state to apply the new law.
It is said that a city and a county can agree to annex unincorporated land in urban growth areas by making an interlocal agreement.
Both Lake Stevens City Councils and Snohomish City Councils are required to attend a public hearing. A meeting for the Southeast Interlocal Annexation is not planned yet. Levitan believes it could not happen until March at the earliest. The city council would have to pass an ordinance to approve the annexation.
Some urban growth areas near Lake Stevens have not yet been incorporated into the city, although one day they may. (City of Stevens Lake)
So far, the city has hosted two online meetings where people can learn more. During a meeting on December 6th, the city answered questions for over an hour.
Michael Jones lives in the Southeast Interlocal Annexation. He shared concerns about zoning and the housing estate.
He endured the traffic on Highway 9 for years while commuting to work to keep his Snohomish County home without a legal personality. He likes to live in a quiet suburban setting.
He’s spoken to homeowners in the Rhodora annexation, which was founded in 2019 and who are upset about the overcrowded new housing developments. He read the city regulations online and feared that with new developments there might not be enough sidewalks and enough street parking. He feared that more houses would be built in the area on small lots that would squeeze them all together.
“We’re much better off in the county than we are in town,” said Jones. “I understand all of the services the city will offer us, but we don’t want to live in a crowded environment.”
Russ Wright, director of community development, stated that the Rhodora annexation was different because it was “developer-oriented”.
“We wanted this to be similar to the lifestyle you’ve enjoyed in the past,” Wright said.
The city hopes to annex the 1,000 acre lake it is named after and 500 acres through the Southeast Interlocal Annexation. (City of Stevens Lake)
The city needed sidewalks and street parking for new developments, and the new zoning regulations passed last year are expanding the side and back yards.
“I would say our zoning standards are the same as what you’ve seen in the county,” he said.
Jones felt better hearing that. He wondered if the information he had found online was out of date.
“That’s one of the things the county has always given us: Neighborhoods where people want to live, where they want to raise their families,” he said. “Because of the rules I’ve seen, we’ll be left with grouped houses that no one will be happy with.”
Another resident later asked, “Why does Lake Stevens City want to annex this area?”
Wright replied that this had to do with the government’s 1990 Growth Management Act. It required fast-growing cities to develop master plans to control population growth. The county had to identify urban growth areas.
“Cities have a responsibility to annex their urban growth areas. We have an inter-local agreement with Snohomish County and an annexation plan that says the city will take its responsibilities under the Growth Management Act seriously, ”Wright said. “… The city is pushing what the city council and leadership see and is responsible for ending ‘One Community Around the Lake’ and being responsible for our mandates.”
If the annexation is approved, those living in the now unregistered areas can choose to live in the city. They would have a say in their mayor and city council and could also apply for these positions.
Police would no longer be provided by the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, but by the Lake Stevens Police Department. Now up to three Sheriff MPs patrol the area at the same time. If the police took over, there would be four to six officers, which, according to the city, would lead to faster response times.
As for the actual lake, the county is responsible for water quality management and Sunset Cove Park. If the annexation goes through, the city will take over both areas.
A view of the eastern area of Lake Stevens, including the lakefront and urban growth area that is part of an urban regeneration plan. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
“This style literally brings the lake into the city and changes a few things behind the scenes in terms of actual lake management,” said Levitan, the town planner.
The property tax rate would decrease 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.
Some things that won’t change are school district boundaries, fire safety through Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue, and water, electricity, and library services.
Stevens Lake has been growing since the first settlers arrived and took root in 160 acres on the eastern shore of the lake in 1886.
Lake Stevens is named after the first Washington Territory Governor Isaac Stevens. He signed the Point Elliot Treaty in 1855, which created reservations for local tribes and ensured aboriginal rights to land, education, health care and traditions.
At the turn of the 20th century, the Rucker Mill opened in the north bay of the lake and is known as the “largest sawmill in the world” according to the town’s website. It burned down in 1919, was rebuilt and burned down again in 1925.
Even without the mill, a city continued to grow. In 1960 it became the incorporated town of Lake Stevens. Records show that the population was 1,283 during the 1970 census. Twenty years later there were 3,435. That number has almost doubled in the new millennium.
Over the next decade, the population skyrocketed, reaching 28,069 by 2010. Annexations are a major reason for this leap. The city began integrating land in 2002.
The largest annexation to date occurred in 2010, when the city’s population grew by approximately 11,000 and 2,374 acres southwest of the lake.
The youngest was the Rhodora outbuilding in the southeast corner of the lake. Neighbors were concerned about the decision after it was found that 29 of 80 signatures in favor of the annexation were from former Mayor John Spencer. His notes were valid on the basis of an “intent to annex” clause in an agreement of the neighborhood homeowners association.
An estimated 34,150 people currently live in Lake Stevens. The city has seen further changes recently.
In September the city council voted to make the mayor’s part-time appearance a full-time job due to the city’s growth. One reason for this decision is that former and current mayors worked more than necessary while earning a part-time salary.
Mayor Brett Gailey is the first to hold a full-time position. He was elected in November 2019.
If these two annexations were to go through, only four smaller, unincorporated lots would be left on the edge of the urban growth area. And after 60 years, the shores of Lake Stevens and the water itself would be part of the city.
Stephanie Davey: 425-339-3192; sdavey@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @stephrdavey.
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A view of the southeastern area of Lake Stevens, which includes the lakefront and urban growth area that is part of the city’s annexation plan. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
A view of the eastern area of Lake Stevens, including the lakefront and urban growth area that is part of an urban regeneration plan. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
If the Machias Industrial Annexation proceeds, 67 acres of Lake Stevens will be annexed. (City of Stevens Lake)
The city hopes to annex the 1,000 acre lake it is named after and 500 acres through the Southeast Interlocal Annexation. (City of Stevens Lake)
Some urban growth areas near Lake Stevens have not yet been incorporated into the city, although one day they may. (City of Stevens Lake)