EDMONDS — Nearly four dozen homes in the Meadowdale neighborhood just outside city limits could soon be annexed into Edmonds.
The region, located north of Edmonds at the southern end of Meadowdale Beach Park, is currently a little over 20 acres of unincorporated Snohomish County. Homes have Edmonds postal addresses and pay Edmonds sales taxes on deliveries.
On Tuesday, the Edmonds City Council unanimously voted to request the expansion of its Municipal Urban Growth Area. A city’s urban growth area represents neighborhoods outside city limits the city can potentially expand to.
Over half of the neighborhood’s residents signed a petition asking to be annexed into Edmonds, their second try in 15 years, according to city documents.
Meadowdale residents Laura Martin and Steve Costie both support the annexation.
“There is infrastructure that we would benefit from being part of Edmonds,” Costie said.
Many homeowners in the area identify as Edmonds residents, but are unable to participate in city elections or have a say in city matters.
“Currently, we have no representation,” Martin said.
For a city to consider annexation, the neighborhood must first be incorporated into its urban growth area. The residents are currently in Lynnwood’s growth area, a decision that was made without consulting the residents of the area, according to the Edmonds council’s resolution.
The request is pending approval from Snohomish County and the city of Lynnwood. If approved, it could take about six months for the change to happen, Edmonds City Council member Vivian Olson said in Tuesday’s meeting.
The county declined to comment on the potential annexation. However, Olson said in the meeting that county officials don’t have a problem with it. She noted the county has had multiple conversations with the council and the residents about the annexation.
Edmonds Mayor Mike Nelson declined to comment, saying it’s too early in the process.
City Attorney Jeff Taraday said incorporating territory into the urban growth area doesn’t change what services the city provides the neighborhood.
“The only thing that changes is it starts the city down a road of planning for a possible future annexation,” Taraday said in the meeting.
Olson said Meadowdale feels “like any other neighborhood in Edmonds.”
“They’re our people,” she said. “They see us as their city.”
Jenelle Baumbach: 360-352-8623; jenelle.baumbach@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @jenelleclar.
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