BOTHELL — The city’s big plans for northward expansion are back on track to reach voters in November.
An appeal that had threatened to disrupt Bothell’s annexation push was dismissed last week. Now, the city is preparing a series of open-house discussions for the approximately 22,000 people who could find themselves within future city limits.
“We believed the appeal was without merit, and the courts confirmed that,” said Mayor Mark Lamb, who’s also an attorney.
If voters favor the annexation on Nov. 8, it would add about 5.6 square miles of unincorporated Snohomish County to Bothell. The expanded city, originally founded in 1909 in King County, would grow to include about 60,000 people, the majority of them living in Snohomish County. Separately, the city also is working to add about 5,000 people in unincorporated King County.
Some people living in unincorporated Snohomish County have been pushing to join Bothell for more than a decade.
This year those efforts gained traction after city leaders took up their cause. In June, the county Boundary Review Board decided that the city had met all its requirements under state growth laws. That approval gave the annexation plan an official green light to move ahead.
A lawsuit filed in August by a man living in the southwestern portion of the annexation area, however, attempted to challenge the validity of the city’s proposed boundaries, which were established through regional growth planning. Jeff Berg’s appeal alleged that the new city limits would unnaturally split wetlands, a mobile home park for senior citizens and a school attendance area.
City leaders disagreed with the substance of the appeal, but they decided instead to challenge it on procedural grounds, Lamb said. They argued that Berg failed to participate in the boundary review hearing and therefore lacked standing to file the suit. Later, attorneys for both sides agreed to the dismissal, which became official Wednesday.
Between now and election time, the city will try to sell possible future residents on the prospect of lower taxes, more police protection and more local representation through city government. Five informational open houses are scheduled Wednesday evenings, starting this week and running through early November.
Charts on the city’s website show that by joining the city the owner of a $400,000 house would save between about $435 and $719 per year in property taxes, depending on which school and fire districts serve the area.
People in annexed areas would be served by Bothell police instead of the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. Most would receive fire and emergency medical services from city firefighters instead of county Fire Districts 1 or 7. Leaders in Fire District 1 have argued that Bothell uses less skilled staff for its emergency medical services, though city officials say their tiered response is just as effective and costs less.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465; nhaglund@heraldnet.com.
Give input
Bothell annexation open house dates, all on Wednesday evenings:
•Wednesday, 6-8 p.m., Northlake Christian Church, 19029 North Road.
Sept. 21, 6-8 p.m., Park Ridge Community Church, 3805 Maltby Road.
Oct. 5, 6-8 p.m., Northlake Christian Church, 19029 North Road.
Oct. 19, 6-8 p.m., Lockwood Elementary School, 24118 Lockwood Road.
Nov. 2, 6-8 p.m., Northlake Christian Church, 19029 North Road.
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