Lake Stevens may soon grow

LAKE STEVENS – The city’s effort to become one community around the lake took a significant step forward Tuesday.

Enough signatures have been collected to move the Frontier Village annexation forward, annexation coordinator Carl Nelson said.

City officials have reached this milestone, as hoped, in time for the city’s annual Aquafest celebration that began on Thursday.

By Tuesday, the city had collected signatures from about 61 percent of the affected residents, meeting the threshold. Officials will collect another 3 percent to 4 percent to create a buffer, Nelson said.

“It’s a lot of hard work and we’d hate to see if fail,” he said.

The Frontier Village annexation will bring 708 acres and about 3,300 people into the city.

In January, the City Council added 800 acres along the north part of the lake. That annexation added 2,320 people to the city’s population of 7,200.

Once the Frontier Village signatures are validated, the Council will forward the annexation to the Snohomish County Boundary Review Board for review. Then the matter is returned to Lake Stevens for final approval.

That process is likely to take a few months.

Now, Nelson said, attention will turn toward the proposed Eastlake annexation.

That proposal would add 438 acres and roughly 1,500 people to Lake Stevens, he said.

A city booth will be set up at the Aquafest celebration this week where residents can learn more or sign an annexation petition.

Mayor Lynn Walty said the Frontier Village annexation has been a long time coming.

“I really am excited,” he said. “We are truly are working together as one community.”

Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com.

Aquafest weekend

Lake Steven’s annual Aquafest celebration continues through Sunday. A booth to sign annexation petitions will be available. A variety of other activities are planned. For more information, go to www.aquafest.org.