Pipe helps draw down Lake Serene, but who will pay for fix?
Published 1:30 am Friday, February 24, 2017
LYNNWOOD — Snohomish County crews started emergency repairs this week on the drainage system at Lake Serene.
The lake has risen to record levels this winter because of a plugged outflow pipe.
Workers broke ground at the public boat launch Wednesday. A temporary bypass pipe is likely to be ready by mid-March, officials said. That should prevent the lake from rising higher and threatening Serene Way or a fire station.
Lakefront homeowners remain uneasy. Water levels have been rising since January, threatening homes. They reached an all-time high last week, officials said, but by Thursday had receded more than 2 inches compared with Feb. 17.
Marc Bhend, who has lived on the lake 37 years, said water is running into his crawl space. Bhend fears his property will remain waterlogged, even after the temporary fix.
“If they drop the lake only 1 foot, it would still be flooding my yard,” he said.
Bhend has been critical of the way the county has allowed development to proceed on property that drains into the lake, located in an unincorporated area between Lynnwood and Mukilteo. He said flooding problems have gotten worse since the mid-1990s.
County leaders declared an emergency at Lake Serene on Feb. 13. That allowed them to begin work on the bypass pipe, the first phase of what could be a permanent fix. Officials estimate the long-term solution will cost about $850,000.
County stormwater officials have suggested having lakefront property owners pay an annual fee of $197 over 10 years to help pay for the new pipe. They contend it should be a shared public and private responsibility.
A hearing on that proposal is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. March 22 in the county council chambers, 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett.
Some homeowners have said the cost should be borne by property owners in the entire watershed, and not just the 95 closest to the lake.
The National Weather Service predicted a chance of showers Friday night and a chance of rain showers or snow from Saturday night through Sunday morning.
For more information, go to www.snohomish countywa.gov/3605/Lake-Serene-Lynnwood.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465; nhaglund@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @NWhaglund.
