LAKE STEVENS — The city would like to make a large area to the southwest its own.

To that end, with residents’ help, it will create a blueprint for how the area should develop.

Lake Stevens is paying an urban design consulting firm, AHBL of Tacoma, $150,000 to study land use and transportation in the area, which is a little less than 2 square miles in size. The city has scheduled a series of meetings in February and March to seek residents’ opinions.

The area is bordered by Highway 9 to the east, by U.S. 2 to the west and south, and roughly by 24th Street NE to the north.

The area overlaps a smaller area already being studied by the city of Snohomish. That city is studying the southern third of the area being studied by Lake Stevens, hoping to add that portion to Snohomish.

The issue has been somewhat contentious between the two cities. Each city has asked Snohomish County to add its respective study area to its potential city boundaries.

“We’ve been studying this for almost two years now,” Snohomish city manager Larry Bauman said.

The county is expected to decide no sooner than 2009 which area could potentially go into which city. Actually adding the territory to either city would then be up to the city and residents themselves.

Snohomish has yet to schedule its meetings, Bauman said.

The area is semi-rural, residential, but growing.

“It will develop,” Lake Stevens city administrator Jan Berg said. The meetings, she said, will provide residents with a chance to help guide the growth.

The new Cavelero Mid High School is just inside the study area at 8220 24th St. SE. About 40 acres, just outside the area along 20th Street SE and within Lake Stevens’ current growth area, is still on the table for a University of Washington branch campus. The site is considered a long shot, with a site in Everett considered the frontrunner and another site in Marysville as the runner-up.

Also, a Bellevue company doing business as SR 9/US 2 LLC hopes to develop part of the southern portion near Snoho­mish with homes and businesses. The company is a joint applicant with the city of Snohomish in asking the county to include the 350-acre area in the city’s growth area. The developer is paying for the study of that area.

Coby Dilling, who lives in the Joywood development near Snohomish, said he and others are keeping an open mind about development. Homeowners in the development have formed an association, he said.

“The people in our association definitely identify with Snohomish,” Dilling said. The city is closer than Lake Stevens and Joywood residents shop and go to school in Snohomish, he said.

“There’s definitely a strong allegiance to the city of Snohomish,” he said.

Still, the association has not reached a conclusion as a group, Dilling said. Joywood residents are planning to attend the Lake Stevens planning meetings, he said.

Dilling said he appreciates the opportunity offered by both cities to have a say in the process.

“I think it’s extremely amicable by both cities to do that,” he said. “I’m not ignorant to the fact that Snohomish County’s going to grow and you’ve got to plan for that growth.”

Reporter Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439 or sheets@heraldnet.com.

Lake Stevens sets growth meetings

Lake Stevens has scheduled three meetings for residents to give ideas for guiding development in the Cavalero Hill area. All are scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m. at Cavelero Mid High School, 8220 24th St. SE. Each meeting will have a particular focus, with one leading to the next. Catch-up information will be available for those unable to attend earlier sessions.

Feb. 7: Vision

Feb. 26: Framework

March 12: Concept

For more information, call the city at 425-334-1012 or go to www.ci.lake-stevens.wa.us.