Not unanimous but City Council places Skyway annexation on ballot

Not unanimous but City Council places Skyway annexation on ballot

Preliminary loss of service(s) if Annexation occurs.

Renton City Council voted to send annexation to voters in early 2012.

Preliminary loss of service(s) if Annexation occurs.

1.  Reduction of two fire trucks to one.
2.  Reduction of tow aid cars to one.

Hidden cost:
An increase to our homeowners insurance premiums due to slower response time.  Approximately $300.00 per year (depending on insurance co.)

Let Renton City Council know how you feel about being Annexed.

Thanks Phil,

On the evening of Aug 2, Renton City Council postponed their vote to decline
to place the issue of West Hill annexation before voters.

The annexation planning process has bypassed the Lakeridge and Bryn Mawr
communities.  The planning has been flawed in many respects. The lack of
evidence that the boundary review committee advertised and posted notification of
hearings suggest that they potentially violated federal and state notification procedures.

Let Renton City Council know that you would appreciate any concept of annexation
be delayed until a more open process of notification be established and the
planning can be shown to provide levels of fire and police protection at least
at the current level. As an example of one problem, for the proposed plan, the
increase in response time for fire equipment coming from south of Grady road should the
capacity at Station 20 (Skyway) be reduced, as has been suggested,
will increase the risks of fire and raise your home insurance costs.


Click on the following link which will take you into a City of Renton web site.
The link will appear in the your email address box...click on it to confirm.
This will take you into a email box where you can make a comment.


http://rentonwa.gov/staff_popup.aspx?id=2316

Attacker caught and charged!

Update from Kiro.

Update on South Ryan break-in

A sketch has been made available.
http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2010/07/30/police-search-for-violent-burglar/

Break-in update.

If anyone saw the suspect wearing the described items from the link please call Officer April Wells #6602 of the Seattle Police Dept.  206-233-1545.

Does Renton Want West Hill?

Monday evening, August 2, 2010 @ 7:00 PM will be the City of Renton Council Meeting.

On the Agenda is West Hill Annexation.

If the Council decides to put the matter to the voters, they will place it on the ballot sometime in the next year or two. If they decline to put the issue to the voters, then they will not, for now. Stay alert.

West Hill Potential Annexation Area

(This article outlines the process that has occurred to date by the City of Renton concerning West Hill Annexation.It is reprinted from the City of Renton's website, if you want to be linked to that website just click on the title of this post)

The West Hill is a 1,950-acre area bordering Lake Washington, Seattle, Tukwila, and Renton. Eight neighborhoods make up the area, including Bryn Mawr, Lakeridge, Skyway, Earlington, Campbell Hill, Panorama, Skycrest, and Hill Top. Residents of the West Hill area spent two years working to determine the best path of governance for their community. The citizen-driven West Hill Governance Task Force determined that annexation to Renton is in the best interest of the community, and in 2005 asked the Renton City Council to include the area in its PAA. In late 2005, the City Council took action to designate the West Hill as part of Renton's Potential Annexation Area. Listed below are documents regarding the inclusion of the West Hill into the City of Renton's Potential Annexation Area.

• West Hill Governance Alternatives Summary Report
• King County Land Use and Zoning Map
• West Hill PAA 2008 King County Growth Report

West Hill Annexation

In late 2008, proponents of annexation submitted a petition to the City. This annexation is being processed as an election annexation.

• Size - 1,857 acres
• Estimated Number of Residents - 14,608
• Estimated Number of Dwelling Units - 5,653

A citizen group pursuing annexation of the West Hill collected voter signatures and submitted a 10% Notice of Intent to commence annexation proceedings petition to the City Council on November 3, 2008. Per state law, the City forwarded the petition to King County elections to determine the validity of signatures, and the petition was deemed sufficient in December 2008. The Renton City Council then had 60 days to approve or reject the petition. The Renton City Council approved the petition on February 2, 2009, and will transmit the petition to the Boundary Review Board in mid-2009, once several factors are known.

The Renton City Council's consideration of the West Hill annexation petition acknowledges that the City faces significant fiscal challenges to provide services to Renton’s remaining large PAAs if annexed. The City is actively analyzing the potential fiscal impact of extending city services to its PAAs, including operating and capital costs. While the City Council approved the petition to keep open the option of annexation, Renton is awaiting action by the State Legislature that could assist in funding part of the projected gap between costs and revenues to serve the area. In addition, the City is starting now to develop a multi-agency partnership that could include the state, county, federal governments, community members, and other partners in a phased, comprehensive approach to revitalize West Hill. Annexation is ultimately a choice of area residents. The City’s role will continue to be to provide information, work to identify the resources needed to consider annexation, and secure those resources to help make large annexations financially viable.

In 2008 the City and County agreed to work together to jointly fund and conduct resident surveys in its remaining large PAAs. The purpose was to better understand the governance preferences of residents and to understand the satisfaction with and importance of a range of public services. The hope is that the survey results will provide information beneficial for everyone involved in the process: residents, proponents of incorporation and proponents of annexation, as well as the Renton City Council as they consider the response to residents’ requests for annexation to Renton.

• Fiscal Analysis Overview, Summary, Cost-Revenue by Area, February 2009 (preliminary)
• West Hill Potential Annexation Area Survey, February 2009

The Annexation Brochure answers many questions about annexing to the City of Renton. For additional information about annexation, please call 425.430.6575.

Lakeridge Swim Club All City Championship meet

Just got an e-mail from the Lakeridge Swim Club.  Thanks Sue.

Hello Lakeridge Swim Club Community

Lakeridge Swim Club will host the annual All City Championship swim meet on Tuesday, August 3rd.  All City is the culminating event of the Seattle Summer Swim League and brings together more than 400 swimmers and their families.  The 16 team league represents 8 swim clubs from the northern division and 8 from the southern division   All City swimmers are selected through two preliminary post season meets – only the top six swimmers will compete in the 72 event final championship meet.  LSC has the opportunity to host the meet about every 10 years so it is a special day to show off our Dolphin pride and our beautiful pool.  To run a meet of this magnitude, we will need all sorts of help. 

A detailed list of all volunteer opportunities includes:

Bleacher Set Up – Friday July 30^th

Meet Set Up – there are shifts available beginning at 10AM the day of the event and will include set up and clean up of the pool as well as parking and other logistics.

Concessions – the meet begins at 4 PM but concessions starts at 1:30 and there are many opportunities to help out. We especially need folks to grill!!!!

Sales: Tshirt sales and heat sheet sales will start at 12:30 when the pool opens.

Meet Clean Up – this is where the party will be. More hands make fast work. We will need to disassemble the bleachers immediately after the meet as well as help with general clean up.

Advertisement Opportunities

Advertising in the All City program is now open to LSC members (including friends and family)!  This is an amazing opportunity to promote your business/cause to 1,500 meet attendees from all over our region.   The meet program is more than a souvenir for swimmer families; it is the official “heat sheet” for the events and gets seen and used throughout the meet. Advertising space is limited but we are offering LSC members the first chance to buy ads before we open it up to the rest of the league.    Ad rate examples:

Full page ad - $100

½ page ad - $50

¼ page at $25

The Rate sheet with detailed information is available at http://swimlsc.org/AllCity.aspx

Contact Information

Sue Bucher, General Manager LSC: lakeridgeswimclub@gmail.com

Beth Purcell, Meet Coordinator:  b.purcell@yahoo.com

Fionnuala O’Sullivan, Advertising: eirefos@comcast.net  206-779-4643

Barbara Smith, Advertising: barbara@harrisandsmith.com  206-605-3392

Thank you for your support of the LSC Swim Team.  We are looking forward to sharing this event with the entire community! Go Dolphins!

Sue Bucher, General Manager, 206 772-1950 (pool)  206 551-9440 (cell)

Beth Purcell and Ruth Bell, Parent Coordinators LSC Swim Team

PS   Please remember that the pool will be closed for regular swim on August 3^rd immediately following swim lessons.

There is No There There

I went to the West Hill Community Meeting on July 20, 2010 to learn about it and I was glad I went.

For the most part, I was impressed with the information that was presented and I felt this was a great way to understand the issue of annexation. Before the meeting, I thought that those of us in Lakeridge seem to be the last ones to hear about these things, though I am now under the impression that a lot people in the area have not been informed.

The City of Renton representatives spoke about a lot of the procedural steps that have been taken and about 'scenarios' that they have been 'studying' but then explained the bottom line issues of annexation. What I heard was that the City of Renton is responding to a petition that was created by 10% of the 'West Hill' population requesting annexation because that is what the laws mandate the City to do. I also heard that the City can not afford to provide necessary services to West Hill with current tax structure. So what they will do is close down one fire station and reduce the two engines and an aid car at the Skyway Firestation to one engine and three fireman. And they will not commit to keeping the law enforcement storefront open, in fact , it was stated that the whole of Renton would be redistricted and they do not know what that will look like.

The Title of the event was Annexation Forum. There were speakers for and against the issue and it was all very civil except for one individual that embarrassed the Proponent side with his loud voice and ill-tempered approach to sharing information. He was not a scheduled speaker and it showed. He was negatively provocative and was not available for questions.

I went to this meeting to learn about the Annexation issues and what I left with was a feeling that this proposal will fail.

There is no net benefit to the citizens of the area that could be explained. In fact, it appeared that, in fact, emergency services will be reduced and their is a gap in funding for necessary services and that a tax increase will be forthcoming. There was a lot of talk about economic development but no real differences between what the King County approach will be versus what the City of Renton approach will be.

It is apparent that there is no VISION in annexing the West Hill by Renton just city employees going through legal steps because a petition was signed by at least 10% of the population.

As far as I can tell there is no benefit for West Hill to be annexed .

As Gertrude Stein once said, "There is no there there".

West Hill Community Public Meeting TONIGHT

The West Hill Community is holding their meeting tonight.  If you have any concerns about annexation or any other issues please try and attend this meeting.  Click the event on the right for time and directions.

West Hill Community Public Meeting July 20

Agenda: see calendar events for details
1.  Annexation
2.  to be determined
3.  and the usual stuff- community reports including Sheriff's office, Fire District, VFW, West Hill Business Association, Water & Sewer District, Skyway Solutions, Public Safety,

Annexation: 2009 Area Survey by prrbiz.com

Click to view. Warning: 58 pages long.

Annexation: Area Map

Click here to view map of what will be annexed. PDF format.

Annexation: 2005 Berk & Associates Report

Click here to view the Report PDF format.

List of reasons to appeal the latest BRB decision.

1. You (Boundary Review Board) have not provided us appropriate notice.

2. Concerns regarding changes to emergency response times.

3. The report submitted by Burke and Associates is no longer relevant, it is an outdated report presented in 2005.

4. Issue’s of land use.

5. Possible conflict of interest regarding Marty Wine who was an analyst for the Burke and Associate report.

Please read Kirk's post (http://lakeridgevoice.blogspot.com/2010/07/silent-annexation-of-lakeridge.html) for further information regarding this issue.  More info will come shortly.

CPR classes

Please note the updated info for the CPR classes.  It's free but please call to reserve a spot.

South End neighborhood of Lakeridge has affordable lake views

Perched on a hillside overlooking Lake Washington between Seattle and Renton, Lakeridge is a small, longtime South End neighborhood that...

By Madeline McKenzie

Special to The Seattle Times

PREV 1 of 3 NEXT

ERIKA SCHULTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Tony Starkovich, a Lakeridge resident of 31 years, trims the bushes in his front yard. Starkovich describes his neighborhood as "old and classy."

ERIKA SCHULTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Some homes in the Lakeridge neighborhood have views of the downtown Seattle skyline and Lake Washington.

Lakeridge

Distance to downtown Seattle: 11 miles

Schools: The Lakeridge neighborhood, which is partly in the city of Seattle and mostly in unincorporated King County, is served by both the Renton and Seattle school districts.

Recreation: Lakeridge Park: Rainier Avenue South and South 68th Street. Includes creek, play area, woods and hiking trails.

Perched on a hillside overlooking Lake Washington between Seattle and Renton, Lakeridge is a small, longtime South End neighborhood that many people have never heard of.

But that may be changing.

"Lakeridge has more affordable Lake Washington views than any other area," says local real-estate agent Albie Moshcatel, of John L. Scott Real Estate.

"People looking for lake-view homes in Leschi and Madrona are amazed when they see the prices for view homes in Lakeridge."

A typical view home in Lakeridge sells for less than $500,000, according to Moshcatel. A similar home farther up the lake in the Leschi and Madrona neighborhoods might cost twice that much.

Unlike those older in-city neighborhoods, Lakeridge has the feel of a newer, postwar suburb. Nearly all of Lakeridge consists of single-family homes built in the 1940s, '50s and '60s.

Some homes are small and modest, especially in areas without views, but most homes were built for baby-boomer families that needed room.

Extensive remodels are common, with many areas a mix of modern re-dos, original condition and homes that need updating.

The area has an abundance of small, winding streets and cul-de-sacs. Besides the Seattle-to-Renton route along Rainier Avenue South bordering Lake Washington, there aren't a lot of busy streets.

There aren't many businesses either, though the Renton and Rainier Beach shopping areas with groceries, major stores and restaurants are a few minutes away.

In a way, Lakeridge is a neighborhood divided.

Seattle's boundaries wind through the neighborhood and much of it is in unincorporated King County. Lakeridge Elementary is part of the Renton School District and Lakeridge Playground, with basketball court, baseball/softball field and views of the lake, is a Seattle park.

Lakeridge is diverse, where people cross racial divides to find common ground, say residents Donna Mikula and Jude Siefker.

"There's lots of families here and a real sense of community and knowing your neighbors."

They have worked together to clean up the historic, wooded area surrounding the nearby Taylor Creek area.

In the 1800s, the Taylor Mill cut timber on the Lakeridge hillside. Taylor Creek, the fourth-largest creek in Seattle, is named for the mill. The creek runs through 29 acres of woods, providing drainage for the surrounding hillsides.

Some residents have been involved in a 10-year project to remove invasive plants and debris and enhance paths and native vegetation along the creek in Deadhorse Canyon, also known as Lakeridge Park, a quiet swath of forest, including some old-growth trees, blocks from the Lake Washington shoreline.

The canyon was named for a feral horse, a favorite of local pioneer children, that died there in 1907. Owls, woodpeckers, bald eagles, raccoons and other wildlife live in the woods, and restoration of salmon runs is an ongoing goal.

Friends of Deadhorse Canyon lead nature walks for school groups and draw large groups for monthly work parties.

Lakeridge Swim Club, a membership-only seasonal outdoor pool and tennis club, is another neighborhood feature.

"Some people have bad stereotypes about our area, but most people don't know Lakeridge," Mikula says. "I lived away in a new development for a while and it was a culture shock to me. I couldn't wait to get back to Lakeridge."

Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/realestate/2004476725_realneighborhood15.html

The Silent Annexation of Lakeridge

The Silent Auction Annexation of Lakeridge

We have learned more about the Annexation of Lakeridge by Renton NOW than BEFORE the Boundary Review Board approved it last week.

Isn't it supposed to be the other way around, aren't the citizens suppose to be informed of such action before it occurs so that they can go to hearings and speak their mind? What happened? It seems that all the neighbors we have talked to, except the one that told us about the Boundary Review Board's meeting last week, had not heard that this activity was happening let alone that a community meeting was held June 7, 2010.

Suffice it to say, that after calling our

State Senator and Representative, King County Councilman and the Boundary Review Board

, we learned that the main issue parroted back to us is that they followed the rules and the best that we can do, to have a say, is to appeal the BRB decision in Superior Court and/or to vote against it in 2012 or 2013. When asked we were told that 85 to 100 of our neighbors in the West Hill area were at the June 7, 2010 with maybe 6 from the Lakeridge Community. That does not seem that we were well represented at all.

It feels that Lakeridge is being added to the West Hill community for convenience not because it makes sense. In fact Lakeridge is bounded on three sides by Seattle, most people we know have an affinity to Seattle and not Renton. We were also told that the June 7 meeting was advertised in the Renton Reporter and the Seattle Times, few of us subscribe to either pulp newspaper, rather preferring to read the news on-line. We were was also told there were 55 posters in the 'community' about the meeting, well many of did not see them or even one of them . We walk around Lakeridge but we do not walk around in other areas in the West Hill, it is doubtful that we were the only ones that did not get the message about the June 7 meeting via ads and posters in time to go to the meeting and after asking around we think that is the case.

We are concerned that the citizens in the Lakeridge community were not given adequate heads-up, that the facts and figures used for taxes, services and the like are old and not relevant for 2010 and beyond, the land-use / zoning issues seem to be soft pedaled by the analysts and it is starting to feel like our little community is being disenfranchised by our own elected representatives and their staff.

Who We Are

Lakeridge, Washington, unincorporated King County

History

Lakeridge Park and Taylor Creek (Seattle)

Lakeridge Park occupies more than 35 acres of Taylor Creek and Deadhorse Canyon in southeast Seattle. The park is located south of the intersection of 68th Avenue S and Rainier Avenue S. Taylor Creek is the fourth largest creek in Seattle and is the site of an urban creek restoration program that will attract salmon back to the creek to spawn.

Taylor Creek is named after the Taylor Mill, which sawed logs on the southeast shore of Lake Washington in the 1800s. In 1909, homesteader and logger Charles J. Walker named the ravine Dead horse Canyon after the death of a horse that had long roamed the area and had become a pet of pioneer children.

In 1928, developer E. S. Goodwin filed a plat in the area and called it Lakeridge. The Seattle Planning Commission adopted that name for the neighborhood in 1947. The steep canyon did not lend itself to the construction of houses, so that same year, 30.5 acres was deeded to the city as a park. In the 1950s, an additional five acres was condemned by the city as a playground.

On April 19, 2000, under the leadership of Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation, Cascadia Quest, and Friends of Deadhorse Canyon, volunteers planted native vegetation. Seattle Public Utilities replaced two culverts and when a culvert is replaced under Rainier Avenue South, salmon fry will be released into the creek. If the efforts are successful, the salmon will return to the creek to spawn.

We are bounded to the north by Seattle and Lake Washington, to the west and south by Seattle, Washington and to the east and southeast by Bryn Mawr, another unincorporated community. Lakeridge Park and Taylor Creek are directly to the west.

This blog welcomes the Lakeridge Community to voice their local news, events and community issues that effect us here in Lakeridge, Washington, an unincorporated part of King County but considered a part of Seattle for over 80 years.

web site

You can add to http://www.bartowassoc.com/lakeridge