Everett has eye on Eastmont again
Published 10:55 pm Monday, November 17, 2008
EVERETT — Bob Withington and his neighbors in the Eastmont area may soon experience deja vu at the ballot box.
For the third time in two decades, Everett is considering asking residents who live across I-5 from Everett Mall to join the city through annexation.
“I’d personally vote ‘no’ simply out of personal self-interest,” said Withington, whose mid-20th century home is flanked by brand-new subdivisions.
The idea would be to annex several neighborhoods southeast of Everett and the 12,500 people who live in those neighborhoods into the city. The areas are around Ruggs and Hilton lakes.
The first step is for the Everett City Council to approve a resolution to explore whether people like Withington would be interested in becoming part of the city.
At least two council members expressed doubts whether it should go that far. Council President Drew Nielsen and Council Vice President Brenda Stonecipher said they’re against annexing the area. The City Council is expected to take up the issue at a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall, 3002 Wetmore Ave.
Paying for police, fire and other services as well as building roads and parks would cost more than the revenue of any sales and property taxes, Stonecipher said.
“Between now and 2025, it’s going to cost our citizens over $30 million to annex these properties,” she said.
With the new neighborhoods, there would be two uneven parts of the city, Nielsen said. The city could not afford to provide the level of service enjoyed in other parts of the community in these neighborhoods, he said.
“I’m questioning whether it will benefit the existing citizens and taxpayers of Everett,” Nielsen said.
One of the main reasons that annexation is being considered is a sales tax rebate that would allow the city to keep millions of dollars that would otherwise go to the state. The city hired a consultant to see if annexation made sense, and created a report to analyze various options. The council whittled it down to a single option of the southeast neighborhoods.
The Eastmont neighborhood was more rural and sparsely populated in 1989 when Withington moved into his home on 27th Avenue SE.
A Christmas tree farm was there, a wrecking yard here, a grove of cedar over there. Now, there are clusters of cul-de-sacs in every direction.
The last time an Eastmont annexation proposal was on the ballot was in 1998. Proponents sought to join Everett to enable the area to hook up to the city’s sewer system and to receive other city services. Opponents said sewers were too costly and would bring unwanted development. People who lived there voted overwhelmingly against it. Even so, the city did add sewer lines into neighborhoods where some septic systems were failing.
The area has grown with new subdivisions, including the few dozen homes on a development called the Acadia. That’s where Jeremy Richmond bought a new home last year. If the council does pose the question, Richmond said he’s primarily concerned whether his taxes would increase.
“I’d have to think long and hard about it before a ‘yay’ or ‘nay’ vote,” he said.
Reporter David Chircop: 425-339-3429 or dchircop@heraldnet.com.
