LYNNWOOD — The Snohomish County Council imposed a new fee Wednesday on waterfront property owners at Lake Serene, where this winter’s unusually high lake levels flooded yards and basements.
Lakefront homeowners will pay $197 each year over the next decade. Many were pleased the council acted to fix the problem, but were unhappy that the fee only applies to the 95 properties on the lake.
“It’s a mixed bag,” said Al Ostman, who has lived on the lakeshore for 15 years. “At least they authorized them to move on.”
Ostman, like many of his neighbors, believes it would be fairer to charge the new stormwater fee to all properties in the watershed. That would recoup money from hundreds of parcels that drain into the lake, not just those closest to the water. They also fault the county for allowing so much development in the unincorporated area west of Highway 99, near Lynnwood and Mukilteo.
The council approved the decision 5-0.
The new fee would cover just over 20 percent of the project’s estimated cost of about $800,000, including emergency repairs finished this month. The county would pick up the rest.
“This has been a unique challenge for the county and lakeside community to work through,” said Councilmember Stephanie Wright, whose district includes the area. “I look forward to the completion of the project, which will provide more stability and predictable water levels during future rainfall.”
Construction is tentatively scheduled to start in the summer of 2018. The county is looking at ways to speed up the process.
Concerns with the outflow on the west end of Lake Serene have been ongoing since at least 1981. Many locals say the situation got worse in 2014.
The lake drains through a single 18-inch pipe. Numerous pipes around the perimeter add stormwater.
This winter, neighbors and county officials realized that the lake wasn’t draining properly, even during dry weather. Water levels reached an all-time high Feb. 17.
County crews finished work on a 537-foot bypass pipe March 10. Lake levels are now 10.6 inches below the high-water mark, even though 7.3 inches of rain have fallen since then.
Some property owners are considering possible action against the county to challenge the new stormwater fee and to seek compensation for water damage to docks, landscaping and basements. There are concerns about mold. Some locals blame the inundation for killing off mature trees around the lake.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465; nhaglund@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @NWhaglund.
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