Annexation vote in November

By ERICA HALL

The Mirror

The approximately 2,000 residents in the Redondo East, Parkway and North Lake areas will decide this fall whether to join Federal Way.

The City Council’s decision to place the proposed annexations on the Nov. 2 general election ballot was mostly procedural, officials said, but it’s another step toward a final voter decision on whether the three areas will fall within the city’s jurisdiction for street maintenance, police service and parks development.

The council initiated the review process last May and sent new city boundary proposals to the King County Boundary Review Board. In late July, the board approved the proposals, so now the council is moving them to the voters.

Only registered voters living in Redondo East, North Lake and Parkway will vote on whether to annex.

Residents living in North Lake and Parkway earlier expressed interest in annexation prior to the council’s decision to initiate the annexation process. Isaac Conlen, an associate city planner, said officials haven’t heard much response from residents living in the Redondo East area. But some business owners there expressed opposition to joining the city last year because they’d have to change their signs to comply with the municipal sign code.

The Parkway area is located between Interstate 5 and Enchanted Parkway, with the Milton city limits as a southern boundary.

North Lake is located east of I-5, west of Peasley Canyon Road, south of South 320th Street and north of State Route 18.

According to city data, about 600 people live in North Lake and 1,100 in Parkway.

Redondo East is located west of Pacific Highway South, with the city of Des Moines forming a western boundary. About 260 people live in the Redondo East neighborhood, according to Federal Way officials.

Though early estimates showed it would cost the city per year $16,104 to provide services in North Lake and $57,937 in Parkway, city officials said North Lake and Parkway cost less in capital improvements than Redondo, while Redondo brings in an estimated $51,340 in property tax revenue on the operating side.

Staff writer Erica Hall: 925-5565, ehall@fedwaymirror.com

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